Antique Rugs

If you are on the hunt for antique rugs on sale, then your search for the best prices available online is over. At RugSource.com, we have vintage rugs for sale at prices that are as much as 80 percent below retail and 30 to 40 percent below the prices of our direct competitors.

At Rug Source, we make sure to go above and beyond each and every one of our clients’ expectations. We do this by not only providing an incredible selection of affordable antique area rugs, but also by being an active part of your shopping experience and helping you every step of the way. This type of personalized approach is something we know is crucial to every area rug shopper, because these purchasing decisions will always be dependent upon the precise preferences that are important to you.

Tips for Buying Vintage Area Rugs

We are proud to offer antique Persian rugs and Oriental rugs for sale, and we’re also very proud to provide our clients with the very best value that's available to online area rug shoppers. We also know that purchasing one of our vintage Persian rugs or antique Oriental rugs is always a big step for many consumers because it represents a sizeable, long-term investment.

This is why we have put together this list of tips to assist you as you’re looking through our online selection of antique Persian rugs and vintage Oriental rugs. By following these tips whenever you’re in the market for antique area rugs for your home or workspace, you’ll ultimately be putting yourself in the very best position to make the best purchasing decision:

1) Start with the Antique Rug:

If it’s possible, it’s best to start organizing the aesthetics of any particular room or space based upon the rug when you’re initially beginning the decoration stages of your room or space. When it comes to antique Oriental rugs and vintage Persian rugs, it’s much easier to find modern fabrics that will complement a vintage rug than it is to find an antique rug that will go well with the fabric on your furniture and your window treatments.

We completely understand that many area rug shoppers are looking to complement their existing furniture and overall room aesthetics, so if it’s not possible to start decorating your room with your antique rug we’ll be able to help you find the perfect match for your desired space.

2) Determine Size and Budget for Vintage Rugs:

Before you can begin shopping for antique area rugs, you first have to determine the number of rugs you want, as well as the specific sizes you want the area rugs to be. This means conducting the necessary measurements in your home or office so you’ll understand the precise parameters with which you’d like to shop within.

You will also need to determine how much you can comfortably afford to pay for vintage area rugs, because these types of rugs can many times dramatically vary in price.

3) Define Age-Related Terms:

As far as antique area rugs go, the words old, antique and vintage are relative. This is because it’s very difficult to accurately determine the specific year a given area rug was made. It’s also because older antique area rugs often command higher prices, since they have more inherent value due to their scarcity throughout the international marketplace.

In general, an area rug is considered an antique if it’s at least 50 years old. A semi-antique rug is between 30 and 99 years old. A rug is considered old if it’s between 20 and 99 years old. A used rug is one to 10 years old, and new rugs were made within the last five years.

As you can probably tell by the above terminology, there is plenty of crossover when it comes to the adjectives used to describe vintage Oriental rugs that have some age on them. This is why it’s generally a part of antique area rug shopping to specifically define what you mean by any age-related terminology when you’re talking to a dealer. We always want to make sure we’re directing you in the precisely correct direction towards your perfect match, so understanding what industry terms technically mean will always help clarify your preferences.

4) Inspect Rug Color:

It was not until the 1920s that synthetic dyes were reliable enough to be used on area rugs. Before that time, vegetable dyes were used to make vintage area rugs more colorful. Compared to the decades following the 1920s, only a limited number of color options were available in previous decades and centuries.

This means that if a rug has too many colors that simply are not timeworn, it may be a sign that the rug is not an antique. We’ll always be transparent about our antique area rugs and how old they are, and we’ll be able to answer any questions you have while you’re examining our online selection.

We understand that it can be somewhat difficult to fully analyze an antique rug online, so we’ll be able to provide the clarity you need to get a firmer grasp on any given area rug’s age and value.

5) Check Vintage Rug Woven Dates:

What’s more often the case is that the dates that are woven into a rug can give you an idea as to when the rug was made. It’s important to remember that these dates will typically be based upon the Muslim calendar, which differs from the Gregorian calendar that revolves around the solar year. Be sure you can interpret the woven dates properly to avoid overlooking a rug that is truly vintage due to a misunderstanding, but if you’re having any trouble understanding these woven dates we’ll be more than happy to help you with interpretation.

Of course, the best tip for finding vintage Persian rugs and antique Oriental rugs is to shop with a dealer you can trust. At Rug Source, we guarantee our prices are the lowest you’ll find online, and we stand behind the quality of our vintage rugs.

For more than a decade, we have helped homeowners, businesses and interior designers find high-quality antique rugs, and we will be happy to do the same for you. Shop with us online or give us a call today so we can begin answering any questions you have about our inventory and any specifics you have about your personal preferences.

Handwoven Kilim Rugs: Turkish Weaving with a Storied History

Kilim rugs are a handmade, flat-woven carpet with no piles or knotted fluff. Although the word kilim is of Turkish origin, kilim rugs have been made in Turkey, Persia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Morocco, the Balkans and Scandinavia, proving the flat-weaving technique spread far. Because these antique rugs are found across the globe, each region has a different pronunciation and spelling of the name Kilim.

Most experts believe kilims originated in the Anatolia region of modern day Turkey. The earliest examples of kilim rugs date back as far as the 4th century AD, although there is evidence the flat-weave technique probably began at about 1,000 BC in Egypt.

Qashgahii kilims from the Zagros region, along with Turkoman and baluch kilims from eastern Iran and central Asia, are among the styles now highly coveted by those who buy kilim rugs.

Construction

The techniques used to make vintage kilim rugs have changed little over the centuries. Whereas a pile rug is made by knotting short strands of different color onto warps and held together by pressing the wefts tightly against each other, the design of a Kilim rug is made by interweaving the variously colored wefts and warps.

The simple interlocking strands of wool, hair or fiber requires no backing, so Kilim carpets are thinner than traditional Persian rugs and Oriental rugs, making them popular as tapestries or use as bed coverlets.

The Distinctive Motifs and Colors of Kilim Carpets

Common motifs found in Kilim carpets include serrated leaf elements, zig-zag crenellations, shield medallions, diamond borders, and geometric designs. Many of the geometric motifs in kilims – “ramshorn” motifs and serrated medallions or “ashiks” – traveled with nomads as they spread to the Middle East. Elements such as perennials, pomegranates and fronds are popular in modern kilim carpets and vintage kilims alike.

The wide-ranging palette of reds, greens, oranges, and browns in antique Kilim carpets demonstrate the quality of dyes early Anatolian weavers had at their disposal. Many traditional kilim rugs feature warm, muted colors as the primary hues, with cooler tones used to create points of contrast.

The flat-weaving technique used to make Kilim rugs makes it difficult to produce continuous separations of color, so Kilims often have a stepped or crenelated appearance.

A Traditional Kilim Was Practical Before It Was Decorative

Woolen kilims are known for their strength and versatility. Long before Kilims became decorative pieces, tribal communities used them as floor coverings; as bedding or clothing; as horse blankets; for storage of grains; or draped as a shelter against the weather.

Lightweight and easy to transport, Kilims are especially popular in rug-weaving centers with warm climates, where shaggy rugs were not needed to keep warm.

Buying Antique Kilim Rugs and Contemporary Kilims

For many decades, antique Kilim rugs were considered artifacts of primordial tribal design unaffected by the influence of high art or foreign culture. Once overlooked as low status items, antique Kilims are now cherished as examples of the authentic weaving tradition of the Middle East.

We pride ourselves on a distinctive collection of Kilims. For those interested in buying vintage Kilim rugs, our collection of antique carpets offers an extraordinary range of designs and colors. We also carry a vast selection of more modern Kilims for the contemporary home. Shop online or contact us at our Charlotte, North Carolina location to shop for kilim carpets that reflect your style.