Antique Rugs
Antique Area Rugs
If you are on the hunt for antique rugs on sale, your search for the best prices available on the internet 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.
Tips for Buying Vintage Area Rugs
We are proud to offer antique Persian rugs for sale and antique Oriental rugs for sale because we know we provide the best value you will find online. We also know that purchasing one of our vintage Persian rugs or antique Oriental rugs is a big step for many consumers because it represents a sizeable investment. That is why we have put together some tips you can use as you’re looking for antique Persian rugs and vintage Oriental rugs.
Follow these tips whenever you are in the market for antique area rugs for your home or workspace:
1) Start with the Antique Rug:
If possible, start with the rug when you are decorating a 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.
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 and what sizes you want them to be. You will also need to determine how much you can comfortably afford to pay for vintage area rugs.
3) Define Age-Related Terms:
As far as antique area rugs go, the words old, antique and vintage are relative. This is because it is 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.
In general, an area rug is considered an antique if it is at least 50 years old. A semi-antique rug is between 30 and 99 years old. A rug is old if it is between 20 and 99 years old. A used rug is one to 10 years old. New rugs were made within the last five years. As you can see, there is plenty of crossover when it comes to the adjectives used to describe vintage Oriental rugs that have some age on them, so it is important to define what you mean by a specific term when you are talking to a dealer.
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.
5) Check Vintage Rug Woven Dates:
Often, the dates that are woven into a rug can give you an idea of when the rug was made. It is important to remember that these dates will typically be based on 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.
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 will 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.
Kilim
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.
