Tuesday 2 September 2014

How do you know if your rug is antique?



An antique rug can be a beautiful, eye catching accessory to your home.  A practical piece of art that welcomes visitors to your home whilst protecting the floor below.  Once only available to the wealthy, antique rugs have in more recent years become available to a broader spectrum of consumers.   When buying an antique rug, like with all art, you are making a financial investment.

But how can you be sure of you are investing wisely?

Aesthetic appeal and quality greatly define the rugs worth, and will possibly be the primary connection you make with the item as you consider its potential in your home.  However the age of a rug is the indicator of its antiquity.  And this definition as Antique makes a significant difference to the value.

What is the defining age of an old rug before it transcend to the status of antique?

Principally, it is very difficult to determine the exact year the rug was made, so only a rough ageing is determined.  But with in-depth knowledge of the history of rug making a trained professional calculate an estimated date of production by the type, colour, size and style.  Like a wine connoisseur, a rug expert can “read” the rug: where the rug was woven, the language or dialect of the weaver, and often her religion. Generally, antique status is given to a rug that is determined to be over 100 years old.

When buying your rug it would be wise to perform some research to educate yourself on some of the key points in rug making history so that you can be prepared to question the seller on details about the rug, allowing you to make your own informed decision on your investment.


Art of clean is proud to be the only Mater Rug Cleaners in Cambridge, one of only 14 companies in the UK.  If you would like some more information about our rug cleaning service please contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or visit www.artofclean.co.uk.