How to Distinguish Best Oriental Rugs?
Which factors do you consider when you buy Oriental rugs? Just the name tag is not enough to say that the flooring cover is authentic and of high quality. You should know the aspects that define these fabrics. In the post, you will come across detailed information on all about understanding and judging the excellence of these carpets
An original Oriental rug possesses art forms that date back to 3000 BC. These were handmade by skilled weavers. Many of them were hand knotted. These days, other construction techniques are also employed to produce them. Some of the major ones are Persian carpets, Dhurries and Kilims. These reflect the culture, religious practices, empirical court scenes, and architectural grace through motifs.
Designers from ages have considered these flooring as royal piece of fabric art in existence. Most of the homeowners prefer such ornate fabrics to beautify room interiors. With Asian and Iranian influences, these accents are a pure replication of what traditional heritage is all about.
These floor covers can last for a long period, some touching the barrier of more than 200 years. So, many of these become a token of family heirloom. When you consider buying these online, you need to identify a quality Oriental rug from the fake and cheap ones.
Here are few tips that will allow you to familiarize with authentic Oriental rugs:
- Construction: The genuine ones are hand knotted or woven with linen or cotton backing. In some of these floor covers, you may have to peek at the base of fabric and use a magnifying glass to check the knots to judge its authenticity.
- Selvedges: Look at the sides of the fabric piece. If the sides are stitched or over cast, knots by hands are visible, it can be authentic. Sheared machine made edges, prim, and structured are generally copies of the originals.
- Back Design: Illustrations on the surface and rear of these carpets are equally prominent. Machine made copies of these flooring have faded or less distinct prints of designs as compared to the surface. Such copies may possess jute backing that hides away the pattern.
- Fringes: Check the fringes to see if these are an integral part of the backing like an extension. If it is machine made, you will easily come to know it is a fake by looking at the well-sculpted attached fringes, after the product is manufactured.
- Surface Pile: The pile is generally made from cool, which then hand knotted, sheared, clipped into a smooth and dense surface. Other materials utilized to manufacture these fabric covers are silk and cotton. Silk Persian tapestries are among other Oriental rug inspired accessories.
Now that you can identify an oriental rug from fake copies, you need to know more about the aspects that define its quality. Not all of these carpets have finesse and possess paramount beauty. A badly made flooring of this style can have many follies.
Here are suggestions that will guide you to judge the quality of oriental rugs:
- Knot Density: Higher the knot count, better the quality of the flooring cover. An oriental one possesses a knot count of 500 and perhaps more in a square inch. The knot density defines the strength of pile. High density portrays the cover will last for a longer period and made skillfully.
- Pile Thickness: People often consider thin pile carpet as of cheap quality. This may not be true. Many of the oriental fabric covers made from cotton and silk do not have a thick pile. You have to check the density of knot rather than the thickness to note its durability. However, a thin piled wool carpet may be of a concern.
- Fringe Construction: The general thumb rule is, finer the fringe, higher the quality of carpet. The cheap models have uneven fringes that may not lie flat. They may curl or disintegrate soon. The excellence of such floor covers can be seen in taught and fine fringes that are firmly a part of the backing and construction.
- Lay Flat: If the carpet bubbles up, puckers at ends and looks uneven, you know it is either a copy of cheap make. Genuine ones lay straight and flat on the ridges without any protruding surface of pile. There will be no blurriness in designs and dyes. These aspects will be even all the way on such covers, if of good construction.
- Touch: The silk ones have rich velvety feel. Wool counterparts are elastic, smooth and cozy without any roughened surface touch. Brittle, stiff and jutting edges may mean the product is of inferior quality. The raw nature of construction makes these a perfect blend of art and artistry, rendering these carpets a distinct strong yarn structure. This features make these floor covers tender yet firm.
- Natural Glow: Authentic products have a genuine shine and bright dyes, which do not bleed. The refined nature of well-formed yarn structure and surface patterns provide it a symmetrical appearance. Machine made copies can be finer with dull glow, without the artistic beauty of handmade construction and designs. The cheap flooring’s of this type do not have the tightness in weave.
Knowing the factors that mark the authenticity of these flooring covers along with tips to judge their quality is not enough. To keep the youthfulness of these carpets alive, caring for them in a right way is also important. Storing these in proper packing materials and utilizing right cleaning method can maintain these fabrics. These carpets may be expensive, but worth the price. Hence, patching holes, re-dying and renovating them when necessary will allow them to have a longer shelf life.