ORIENTAL & FINE AREA RUG CLEANING IDENTIFICATION MANUAL

“TRY NOT TO BECOME A MAN OF SUCCESS, BUT RATHER A MAN OF VALUE.” – ALBERT EINSTEIN

RUG TYPES AND CONSTRUCTION

The construction of any hand-woven or machine-woven rug begins with the interlacing of warp (vertical) and weft (horizontal) yarns, which are known as the foundation. This creates the basic structure of the rug, to which the pile yarns may be added with hand knotting or mechanical insertion. Foundation yarns used in rugs are: wool, silk, cotton, jute, polyester and polypropylene. Foundation yarns include:

Warp – cotton, wool, silk, linen, polyester, slit-film polypropylene. Weft – cotton, wool, silk, jute, spun polypropylene. Stuffer – cotton (one or several).

Differences between Hand-Made and Machine-Made Rugs

Items to Inspect: Machine Made: Hand Made:

Warp Yarns Warps visible on the back Knots visible, pattern distinct

Weft Yarns Double “shots” if Gripper Visible on back, single and Axminster double weft

End Finish Fringe sewn or stitched on Extension of warp yarns unless repaired

Edge Finish Edges are machine serged or Edges hand sewn or stitched “overcast”

WARPS NAP OR PILE KNOTS (SHOWN IS THE EDGE WEFT ASSYMETRIC BINDING “PERSIAN” OR “SENNEH” KNOT KNOW) WARP WEFTS

KILIM END FINISH OVERCASTING OR KILIM

KILIM FRINGE

1 Basic Rug ID Chart:

Hand Woven: Hand Knotted Iran, India, Pakistan, Oriental China,Tibet, Nepal, Visible Weft Turkey, Afghanistan, Overcast by Hand Africa, Spain Fringe Extension of Warp Pattern on Back is Distinct Flat Weave Not Perfectly Symmetrical Dhurrie, Kelim, Soumak, Navajo, Zabotec, Chimayo, Inca, Aubusson

Wilton Machine Woven: Wire Wilton Visible Warp Yarns Axminster Overcast by Machine Fringe Sewn or Stitched Face to Face Wilton Back Pattern Not as Distict Velvet Weave Perfect? (Spanish Wilton) Spool Axminster

Hand Tufted: High Value Gripper Axminster

Cloth Backing with pile yarns inserted through Inexpensive cloth, latex adhesive, scrim Tai Ping China, (secondary backing) Thailand, Singapore

Lacey Champion Machine Tufted: Plain Georgia, Edward Carpet that has been Fields bound and made into a Graphics Tufted rug; Synthetic primary and secondary backing. natural and Synthetic Pottery Barn – India fibers Printed

Hand Made or Stitched Needlepoint, Chain-stitch, Hand Hooked

Other Types Flokati, Rag Rug, Braided, Tapestry

2 2 Hand Woven Flat-Weaves

Examples of Flat Weaves – A hand woven rug without pile.

Dhurrie (Dhurry) – A plain or flat weave twill tapestry or rug made of cotton or wool usually produced in India. They are identical on both sides. The wool is usually coarse. Dhurries are made in many colors.

Indian Kelim Flat Weave 1

Kelim (Kilim) – A weft-faced plain flat weave, primarily from the mid-east, in which the design is rendered by means of colored areas of discontinuous ground wefts. Looks the same on both sides but is distinguished by the slits between the colors.

Pakistani Kelim Flat Weave 1

Soumak (soumac, sumak) – A flat weave in which the wefts encircle groups of warps, usually horizontally, though it may be vertical with loops staggered across the warps. Soumaks are common in weaves of the near east and central Asia. Old Soumaks aren’t reversible, however other countries have started producing Soumaks that are. (A key trait to real old Soumaks are the dangling yarns on the backside newer Soumaks are reversible.)

Backside of old non-reversible Soumak Flat Weave 1

3 Navajo Rug – Rugs made by American Indian tribes, who were influenced by early Spanish settlers, and who live in the southwestern United States (Arizona and New Mexico). The rugs are woven in natural colored wool, without touches of white, black, red, blue and yellow in geometric designs that symbolize Indian patterns. Most Navajo rugs are continuous warp with no fringe.

Fringeless Navajo Flat Weave 1

Mexican Flat Weave (Chimayo and Zabotec) Archaeologists believe the area of the Valley of Oaxaca was settled more than 2,500 years ago, however records didn’t tell very much about pre-Hispanic textile production. They used a technique common to Native American groups throughout the Americas. Mexican rugs are often mistaken for Navajos. Unlike Navajos, they have fringe.

Mexican Flat Weave 1

Morocco – Moroccan rugs may have brightly colored stitching and are notorious bleeders.

Peruvian – Often times these rugs are woven with alpaca fur and resemble Navajo chief blankets and serapes.

Hand Knotted Moroccan Flat Weave 1

4 4 Oriental or Hand Knotted (hand woven with pile) Oriental is an indefinite term originally applied to hand-knotted pile rugs woven in the near east and Asia. Today, the term includes all hand knotted pile weaves regardless of country of origin. Oriental-design rugs made by machine or any method other than hand-knotting or hand-weaving are not considered true oriental rugs. Thus, it is critical when estimating the value of a rug to identify if it is hand-knotted or machine made.

Nomadic Tribal Rugs – These rugs are woven by nomadic or now settled tribes of people who are essentially living in portable housing. They tend to be limited in color and design and are much smaller in scale. Wool is the most common material used with horsehair or camel hair occasionally used for edge and end finishes. Silk is used sometimes and can tell us if it’s a Baluch or Turkoman rug.

Antique Hamadan Tribal Rug 1

Village Rugs – These rugs are normally woven on vertical looms without cartoons (patterns) as guides. The designs are more geometric and less sophisticated, for example, the Hamadan Rug.

Village Rug 1

City Rugs – Usually intricately designed and woven rugs in commercial establishments by skilled craftspeople. These rugs go through various stages: spinning, dyeing, designing, weaving, finishing etc. These rugs are usually wool on a cotton foundation (warp and wefts): Sarouk and Kirman.

Large Persian City Rug 1

5 Prayer Rugs – These rugs are usually 2-4 feet wide and 4-8 feet long featuring a prayer niche (mihrab) in the field design.

Classic Mihrab Symbol for Prayer Rugs 1

Oriental rugs are valuable because of their intricate designs and the length of time it takes to make them. The value depends on the material used and on the size and closeness of the weave or KPI (knots per square inch) because tightly woven rugs require the most time and are the most durable. Age, condition and color all contribute to the value of a rug.

Several Traits to look for when identifying a real ‘Oriental’ rug: 1. An Oriental rug is not perfect (imperfections make it unique) like a mass produced rug. 2. The size and shape of an Oriental may not be exact (one end wider than the other, edges misshapen) or symmetrical. Hand looms make it difficult to create perfect shapes. 3. Striations in color (abrash) and other discolorations (fading, pattern variation) may also be present. 4. The rug has one or more side cords. 5. The fringe on one end is different than the other. 6. The weft yarns are colored (other than naturally colored wool or white cotton).

How Oriental rugs get their names:

1. Country of Origin: China, Pakistan, Tibet. 2. Region: South Persia, Caucasus Mountains. 3. Trading Center: Shiraz, Hamadan. 4. City or Village of Origin: Kirman, Sarouk, Tabriz. 5. Tribe: Baluch, Turkoman, Shiraz. 6. Structure: Kelim, Soumak, Dhurrie. 7. Use: Salt bag, Trapping, Bag Face.

6 6 Types of Oriental Rugs Here are some examples of some rugs you will come across in no particular order, they include but are not limited to:

1. Persian – Pile rugs made in Iran (formerly Persia). The most beautiful of the hand-knotted rugs, their patterns feature flowers, leaves and birds. Some Persian rugs feature animal combat scenes. Persian rugs have soft, blended colors.

True Persian (Iran) Floral Medallion 1

2. (East) Indian – These rugs resemble Persian rugs in color and pattern. Contemporary Indian rugs copy Chinese, Persian, Turkoman, and Aubusson designs. They are woven with asymmetrical knots on a cotton foundation with double weft yarns. Many of the designs feature plants and animals.

3. Chinese – Rugs that have designs that feature philosophical and religious symbols of the Western Pacific region (China). The designs are woven into the backgrounds originally of blue, red, and yellow. Time may have changed the reds to lighter colors in older rugs.

Chinese Hand Knotted 1

7 4. Pakistan – Rugs of Pakistan are woven on a cotton foundation with an asymmetrical knot. The cheapest grades may have jute wefts. The Bokhara pattern, copied from an old Turkoman tribal design was the first rug made Pakistani. A new popular design is the Peshawar. Many of these rugs are tea washed.

Pakistani Peshawar Chemical Washed Rug 1

Afhan gul Design 1

5. Afghanistan – A trade term for certain Turkoman rugs of the Afghan region. These rugs are coarsely woven with a ‘gul’ design (a motif of octagonal and angular shapes usually repeated to form an overall pattern in the field). Beware, they bleed with the slightest moisture. Afghan war rugs are quite common as well.

6. Tibetan – Rugs made in Tibet (inner Asia) which is bordered by Nepal, India, and China. These rugs are made with a distinctive weft wrapping technique. The result is a pile that suggests overlapping shingles or visible rows. Contemporary rugs are often sculpted once they have left the loom.

7. Caucasian – Rugs from the Caucasus Mountains between Europe and Asia. These rugs have geometric designs woven in bold reds, blues, yellows and other Tibetan Weft Wrapped Rug 1 colors. 8 8 8. Turkish – Rugs known for their rectangular patterns and their floral designs arranged in rows. Most of these rugs have large areas of solid colors, wool foundations, and harsh/ odd color combinations and double side cords.

Antique Turkish Tribal Rug 1

9. Moroccan – The rug pile is thick and shaggy on a cotton foundation. Some are simple designs with a neutral color combination of ivory and brown. Others are bold designs and colors. Many have large braided fringe on both ends. Watch out for bleeding.

Moroccan Braided Fringe 1

10. Turkoman – Rugs from Turkistan, a region of Central Asia. They are woven primarily in reddish tones and have simple geometric designs. Most are made of wool foundation and wool pile. The Bokhara Turkoman rugs today are primarily produced in Pakistan and Iran.

Turkoman 1

11. Prayer Rugs – An Oriental rug made in Islamic regions of Asia. The design of a prayer rug includes a pointed or arch-shaped pattern representing the prayer niche of the mosque.

Turkish Prayer Rug 1 9 Hand Tufted Created by pushing yarns through a primary backing, creating a loop, not hand-knotting them. Then a latex glue is applied and a scrim material (muslin ) is placed over it, a third and final cloth is then placed over the scrim to provide protection for the flooring underneath.The loops are then sheared to create the pile.

This method is less time consuming than hand-knotting in place, but still requires a high level of craftsmanship. Hand-tufted rugs are made faster than hand-woven rugs thus, are generally less expensive. Fringe may be attached to give the rug a hand-woven look. If the loops are not cut to make the pile it is considered a hooked rug.

India and China are the two largest hand-tufted rug producers and have distinct differences. Chinese rugs may be carved out post production and have fringe added with symmetrical knots and a wide kilim and small bindings, if they have them at all.

Indian hand-tufted rugs are often fringeless and have big fat side cord binding. Both countries are currently producing rugs with contaminated glue and customers must be notified and given options (U-Turn, Bio-Assist) before decontamination may begin.

Machine Made – there are two categories:

1. Woven – (velvet, axminster, wilton) 2. Machine Tufted – (carpet)

Woven Machine – made rugs are made on power looms (velvet, Axminster and Wilton) and all have warp and weft yarns, pile, and a backcoat.

1. Velvet (Karaloc) – The least complex loom, generally used for making solid color rugs. 2. Axminster – Only manufactured with cut pile construction, Axminster rugs are made with a U shape tuft held in place by the weft. They have a coat of latex applied to the backing during finishing, which increases anchorage and dimensional stability. Two types of Axminster include:

a. Gripper Axminster – up to 12 colors, double wefted, computerized alignment of yarns for particular rows. Stiff to the touch will bend one way but not the other. b. Spool Axminster – 30-60 colors, more expensive to manufacture, Karastan rugs are Spool Axminster rugs. Very flexible machine made rug, don’t mistake this for a hand-woven rug.

Axminster Loom 1

10 10 3. Wilton – Also known as the Jacquard Loom. The colored yarns are raised into place as the pattern calls for it. Limited to 5-8 colors. They can be woven cut pile, loop pile, or cut and loop pile. Pile heights may vary to resemble a carved out look. Different fibers can be used in one rug and Wiltons will not delaminate. Identifiable by the little knots on the backing of the rug. Wilton loom Stark Designer Rug 1

Face-to-Face Wilton – usually olefin rugs that are tufted through two backings simultaneously. The loops are then cut down the middle to create two separate but identical rugs.

Design Elements: Corner Brackets are common but NOT always present.

Border - Design around the edge of the rug that encloses the field. These are bands of varying widths around the perimeter of the rug and may be numerous (up to 10: guard, inner, outer, main).

Ends – The shorter sides of a rug consisting of a flat woven area (kelim). They can be anywhere form one inch to one foot in depth.

Field – The large area in the center of the rug containing the main pattern and design, enclosed by a border.

Fringe – The exposed end of the warp extending out of the foundation ends of a hand knotted rug. It may be braided (Moroccan) or knotted in unusual ways.

Medallion – A large enclosed portion of the design usually in the center of the field. Common shapes include: diamonds, octagons, ovoids, hexagons, stars and mishrabs.

11 Estimated Value Guide: There are many variables to consider when placing an estimated value on a rug:

1. Fiber – Remember Silk and Wool are the most expensive fibers a rug can be made of, with silk topping the list. 2. KPI (knots per square inch) - The more knots the tighter the back looks. More knots means more time to create, which means more expense to the consumer. 3. Age – Of course antique rugs are far more expensive than newly constructed rugs. Some designer rugs (Zeigler Oushak) can be quite expensive, but a good rule of thumb is the older the more expensive. 4. Wear – Be mindful that visible repairs, missing fringe, unraveling, fading, pooling, foundation fibers showing through the pile and damaged edges can greatly reduce the value of a hand-made rug. 5. Imperfections – While it is true wear may reduce the value, the opposite is true of imperfection: asymmetrical edges, misshapen ends and abrash all add to the rug’s value. Imperfections illustrate the real hand-woven qualities consumers look for when buying true Orientals. 6. Fringe – True Oriental rug fringe is an extension of the foundation fibers. If the foundation is wool or silk the fringe will be as well, and this will raises the value of the rug. 7. Regions – Turkey, Iran, and the Caucasus Mountain regions all represent true Persian rugs and are a higher quality and elevated value than those from Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. Chinese rugs can vary in knot count (see KPI) and should be valued accordingly. 8. Size – It is a safe bet that the bigger the rug the more expensive it is, however it isn’t always the case. Be aware that KPI and Age will also play a huge role in determining the rug’s value. 9. Chemical/Tea Wash – These are methods to give the rug a rustic look and are often times lower end rugs. 10. Backing – True Orientals do not have any type of latex backing. Backing of any sort denotes a low end rug.

Note* It is rare we receive an antique rug for cleaning. Be sure the rug you think is antique isn’t chemical washed to give it the appearance of a much older rug.

12 12 Estimate the Value: There are many variables to consider when placing an estimated value on a rug:

TYPE: VALUE RANGE:

Machine Made $100.00 – $2,500.00

Machine Woven $500.00 – $5,000.00

Machine Tufted $500.00 – $4,000.00

Hand Tufted $250.00 – $8,000.00

Orientals $500.00 – Priceless

Ranges are dependent on the factors listed in the estimated value guide and should be entered on the low side of each range.

13 14