Advice on purchasing antique rugs

Antique rugs are beautiful and an eye catching accessory to your home. Not only are they a practical piece of art that welcomes visitors to your home but they are also useful in protecting the floor below. Once only available to the wealthy, and never intended to use on the floor, 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.

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.