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buying Persian and oriental rugs
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This guide is intended to be a quick and helpful introduction
for the new rug buyer, though there may be more profound
considerations that an expert would add to this list.
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MATERIALS -
Natural materials, such as wool, cotton and silk
have much greater durability than synthetics. They will
never release chemical gases, as most synthetics eventually
do, and are also innocent of other environmental concerns,
like causing allergies, pollution, etc.
Today there is also great concern that wall-to-wall carpeting
is filling a significant portion of all garbage dumps, whereas
a Persian or Oriental rug typically becomes an heirloom
and is rarely thrown away. |
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KPSI
- Knots per square inch is a good indication
of the quality and value of a fine carpet, the higher the
number the better the rug. It takes experienced fingers
to make that many very small knots. |
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IMPERFECTIONS
- It is often said that Persian rugs are ‘perfectly
imperfect’. Slight inconsistencies are the proof that a
rug was not made by machine. Even if a rug is coming out
perfectly, the weaver will usually make an intentional mistake,
in line with the belief that only the Supreme Being can
make something that is perfect. |
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PRICE
- Prices should vary according to labor, materials,
quality, place of origin, style, kpsi, and rarity of design.
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AUTHENTICITY
- To avoid rugs that might be sold illegally as Persian,
you can obtain a Certificate of Authenticity, or a hard
copy can be mailed to you at no cost. This will validate
the origin, style, materials, size, age, condition, kpsi,
and estimated retail value for Insurance purposes. |
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