A Few Distinguishing Marks

The value of an Oriental rug depends on its age, on the quality of material used, on the richness of colors, and the number of knots to the square inch and the design on the face of the rug.

A real antique rug must be at least fifty years old, as modern rugs have no place in a collection, as far as value is concerned. Fifty years ago there were no aniline dyes, which are used so much in Oriental rug making at present Colors of mineral origin and aniline colors make in the business a fine profit for the seller, and the purchaser gets inferior grades. Under artificial light it is hard to detect these dyes, and sometimes, in the very best light, these colors can be detected only by looking in the white part of the rugs, where colors sometimes run.

Vegetable dyes were used in early Oriental rug making, and this vegetable dye does not change its actual color, although it fades a little, while aniline dyes fade to different colors, sometimes one of the dyes that is used in a combination of colors entirely disappearing while others remain.

A rug dyed by vegetable dye will cost ten or fifteen times as much as if it were dyed with aniline dye.

A genuine Oriental rug shows its whole pattern and color in detail on the back. The pile is composed of rows of tied knots that can be detected by separating the pile. The sides have a narrow selvage or are overcast with colored wool, while the ends have either a selvage or fringe or both. Oriental rugs are much heavier than domestic rugs, and if compactly woven, by taking hold of the center and pulling it up the rug will stand cone-shape without falling. See that the knots of the pile are well tied. If the wool of the pile is of the same color, near the knot, but of a deeper shade than it is at the surface, it is no doubt a vegetable dye.

In the inferior rugs one can detect the counterfeit by pulling out one of the threads, which will be found to be composed of two strands of cotton and one of wool, twisted together.

Consult An Expert

It takes an expert to detect the genuine imported vegetable dyed rugs from the American made, and imported aniline dyed rugs; therefore, the most economical way for the inexperienced to buy Oriental rugs is to pay a small fee to such a person to make the desired selections.