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Natural dyes and high-quality wool make fine Oriental rugs beautiful and resilient.
From Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, November 2004
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Tulips and carnations bloom against the purple-red background of a 16th-century Turkish carpet, which was most likely woven by court artisans during the reign of Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent. The carpet dazzles William Seward, who calls it "a visual feast."
Seward is a dealer in Oriental carpets -- rugs hand-woven in the Middle East and Asia -- and has lectured on rug styles to the Hajji Baba Club, a rug-appreciation group. He's studied weavers' techniques in their ateliers and in their homes in Iran, Pakistan and Turkey. And dealers often confide their sales tricks to him during visits to the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul and Sotheby's auction house in New York City.
Seward says Süleyman's rug -- part of an exhibit on floral designs in Oriental carpets that is open through February 6 at the Textile Museum in Washington, D.C. -- has two attributes you should look for when shopping for a carpet for your home: natural dyes that boost its visual allure and durable wool that extends its lifespan. Yet only about one in 20 new Oriental carpets offer both. And although rugs with these features cost more, "they'll still turn you on 20 years from now," says Seward.
Role of the dye
Rugs made with natural dyes (derived from plants and insects) have colors that seem to shift hues. This jewel-like effect is lacking in rugs with synthetically dyed yarns. Seward demonstrates the difference by first displaying a new rug made with naturally dyed fibers woven in a bold geometric pattern characteristic of the Qashqa'i nomadic tribe of Iran. As you step around the rug, its tomato-red flickers a shade of violet. He then points to a comparable rug with synthetic dyes. From every angle, the red remains simply red.
Carpets crafted with natural dyes generally cost almost twice as much as rugs made with synthetic dyes. In this case, the rug with natural dyes is priced at $99 a square foot (or $4,850 for a 7- by 7-foot size), while the synthetically dyed rug costs $60 a square foot (or $2,100 for a 5- by 7-foot size).
Both synthetic and natural dyes can sometimes bleed when a rug is cleaned, so Seward recommends that you make sure the dyes are colorfast before you buy. (It's standard to take a rug home for a trial to see if it matches your décor.) His testing method is simple: Dampen a paper towel, dab it with some soap and place the towel on a red spot, because red is notorious for bleeding. Leave the towel on the rug overnight to see if the dye transfers to the towel. If it does, keep shopping.
A word on pricing: Most dealers expect you to negotiate. One rule of thumb is to haggle for 20% off the dealer's quoted price, even if the quoted price is less than that on the rug's tag. Also, be wary of stores covered with "Going Out of Business Sale!" signs. Seward tells the joke about a dealer and his son standing outside such a store, and the father says, "Someday this will all be yours."
Pull the wool
A rug's durability depends mainly on its wool quality. A carpet with the finest wool costs up to 25% more than one with mediocre wool. But better wool can extend the lifespan of a rug by half.
In a rug with good wool, the fibers lie in one direction. Rub your palm along the rug in that direction and the surface feels smooth. Rub backward and it feels rough. "Good wool has a snap to it," says Seward, referring to the fibers' resilience. Inferior wool easily gives way in any direction.
Although dye type and wool quality are the most critical factors in choosing a carpet, some merchants may play up a more minor one: knot count per square inch, which measures the number of wraps of yarn. Fine weaves, commonly found in Persian-style carpets (with intricately detailed flowers and ornate geometric shapes), range between 200 and 1,000 knots per square inch. Coarse weaves, which typify carpets from villages in Turkey and Nepal, have as few as 60 knots per square inch. Prices generally rise along with the knot count.
Some merchants say finely woven rugs are superior because, well, more is better, right? Not necessarily. Finely woven rugs best render intricate patterns in sharp detail -- patterns that can complement heavily ornamented rooms. But many modern homes with more subdued décor are best matched with rugs that have simpler patterns. And simple patterns are best rendered in coarse weaves, says Seward.
Buying an antique rug (one more than a century old, according to U.S. government standards) is beyond the means of most of us. But you can get an antique look for less. Modern rugs are "antiqued" by using chemical treatments, which provide better results than the traditional practice of bleaching and beating. An antiqued rug typically costs a third or so less than the genuine article. Seward says that some Persian-style rugs in the 6- by 9-foot range that cost around $10,000 closely mimic antiques worth more than $70,000. (By comparison, similar new rugs that have not been antiqued sell for about $6,000.)
Once you purchase a rug, consider insuring it. The typical homeowners policy sets a carpet's replacement value by estimating the price of comparable rugs at the time of your claim. In some cases, the insurer may reimburse you for less than the price you paid for your rug. Seward recommends that you insure carpets worth more than $5,000 separately. Separate policies allow you to lock in your purchase price as the rug's reimbursement value. The cost is about $5 per year for every $1,000 of value.
--Research: Jessica Anderson
Our expert, William Seward, owns the Trocadero Oriental Rug Gallery in Alexandria, Va., with his wife, Jane O'Connell Seward.