Oriental Rug

An authentic oriental rug is handmade either knotted with pile or woven without pile. Rugs made by machine with an oriental design are not considered authentic oriental rugs. Authentic handmade oriental rugs can last 50 to 80 years. It is believied that the earliest known oriental pile rug was found in outer Mongolia dating back to the fifth century B.C.

Oriental rug making reached its high point in central Asia in the 17th century. From there, these rugs reached to Europe via the Silk Route and other sea trading routes. Originally, these oriental rugs were only available to rich aristocrats who hung the rugs on the wall or used them as table covers. Later on as the middle class was able to afford more luxuries due to the industral revolution, oriental rugs became available to the masses of Europe and Americas.

Many of the better oriental rugs today come from Turkey, India, Pakistan, Nepal and China. There also has been a revival of oriental rugs today. Natural dyes, which were used in traditional oriental rug has made a come back in the past 20 years. Consumers can now purchase oriental rugs with natural dyes, sometimes directly from the Internet to avoid costly middlemen and reward the weavers. In general a natural dye oriental rug will run 30% higher than a rug made with synthetic dye.

When choosing an oriental rug, make sure you examine the knot count (average for an oriental rug is around 100 per sq. inch), determine if the dye is natural or synthetic (know the price difference), find out the country of orgin or tribe if possible, and of course find out the age of the oriental rug. There are many other factors to look for that can not be covered here. Make sure you should ask an oriental rug expert.

The Internet is a good resource to begin your research, look at pictures and learn about oriental rugs, however, before you buy, make sure you visit several reputable dealers to understand what you are getting so that you get a good deal on an oriental rug.