What To Look For In A Turkish Rug
So you want to purchase a nice work of art, but you want it functional as well. Perhaps you should consider an oriental rug. High quality Turkish rugs are both functional and exceptionally beautiful works of art that really hold their value well. The best thing about them is that there are rugs in just about any price range, ranging from large handmade carpets that can run more than several thousand dollars, to smaller machine made rugs that can be as inexpensive as forty dollars. For those with a large budget, antique oriental rugs are a great investment.
Turkish rugs are actually something of a misnomer. Although they were made popular in Turkey, they are made throughout the Middle East and some parts of Africa. You will need the help of an expert with a good reputation if you go to this part of the world to buy a rug. Some guides may seem helpful, but are actually getting a percentage of the sale price from shop owners who make deals with them. If you use one of these guides, you will end up paying more.
To make sure you choose the perfect rug, you need to give it some scrutiny. Meticulously inspect the weave of the rug. It is most likely machine made if the weave seems flawless. You will find an irregular weave on a genuine hand woven Oriental carpet, suggest that there may be minor spaces among the various knots. Cut-rate mass produced rugs typically bear ends which are improperly finished or possess skimpy borders.
Turkish area rugs of the highest quality are luxurious and thick, and are one hundred percent wool. Among the better rugs some are made from a silk and wool blend. The low end of the quality spectrum in these rugs are made from cotton. These will have visible wear much quicker, and they do not retain their resale value well. One way to be certain whether or not a rug that you are looking at is a high quality wool rug, or one of the cheap cotton imitations, take a good look at the fringes. The high quality wool rugs are wool one hundred percent, so a cotton fringe indicates that the rug is not made of wool.
Finally, don't be afraid to take your time looking through what the rug dealer has to offer. The merchant will consider the fact that you are taking time to look closely at his wares as a sign of respect. Once you have selected a rug, you don't have to accept the first price the merchant quotes you. They expect people to think of that price as a starting point for negotiations. But, the best selection and the best deals can be found by purchasing your oriental and Turkish rugs online.
High quality Turkish Rugs are beautiful and functional pieces of art that can really hold their value. You can find the best selection and the best deals by purchasing your Oriental Rugs and Turkish rugs online.
Published September 21st, 2008
Filed in Family