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Persian rugs are considered art for the floor, but a novice may need to educate themselves before shopping in order to get their money’s worth. Barry Kishi thinks of Persian rugs as pieces of art. It’s just art you can walk on. “It’s a very unique product,” Kishi said. “It’s art.” Kishi, an Atlanta rug dealer and importer, comes to Dothan twice a year to show and sell Persian rugs at the Antique Attic on Fortner Street. Having been in the rug market since 1983, Kishi answers questions from those who shop at the Antique Attic during his visits. He’ll be at the Dothan antique store today, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The majority, about 95 percent, of Kishi’s rugs are Persian; the rest were made in Pakistan.
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Workers prepare for a rug show this week at Antique Attic. There will be more than 700 oriental rugs available and customers can learn how to purchase what will work best for them.
Photo By: Rick Helmke / ehelmke@dothaneagle.com
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Choosing a Persian rug is no easy task for a novice. First, there’s some basic education that a buyer should have before shopping. A Persian rug is an Oriental rug, but not all Oriental rugs are Persian rugs. Today, Oriental rugs come primarily from four countries — Iran, Turkey, Pakistan and India. China also produces rugs. Persian rugs are made on looms in urban workshops in Iran. They are hand-tied and therefore have imperfections — no two rugs are the same. There are numerous weaves, sizes, colors and designs, but basically Persian rugs are either geometric or floral in design. Some rugs are named for the city where they were made. A 9-foot by 12-foot rug can take two people a year to make by hand. A quality Persian rug is so durable that it should be able to withstand the wear of walking and daily use with no problems. And, Kishi said, some hand-made Persian rugs are cheaper than machine-made reproductions. A “new” Persian rug can actually be up to 20 years old. “These rugs we have are not new,” Antique Attic owner Mary Alice Veale said. “They’ve got a life; they’ve got a history.” And there’s a size and price for almost any room and budget.
The rugs Kishi brought to the Antique Attic range in price from $100 to $18,000. But the majority of rugs are priced less than $4,500. Customers who want a rug can actually test-drive it. Because such rugs can be very dominant features in a room, Veale and Kishi allow customers to take the rugs home to see how they will look. “You have to see it, feel it in different light,” Kishi said of the rugs. “And nowadays that’s not enough, they want to take them home.” Kishi and Veale recommend shoppers do their research or find a dealer they trust. While pricey, a quality Persian rug has a high resale value. Veale suggests new homeowners or those building a home actually pick a rug before decorating rooms. Too often, the two said, buyers get stuck on an existing room color or lean toward trends, making a rug purchase more complicated. “It’s really art on the floor, so it needs to go with everything,” Veale said.
Persian rugs
What goes into the quality of a handmade Persian rug? Several factors such as the tightness of the weave, the rug’s density and even how unique, imaginative and intricate the design. But the quality of the rug is only one factor in the price and value of the rug. Here are some other factors in determining a rug’s value:
- Size
- Age
- Condition
- How decorative the rug is
- Color combination — some colors are more sought after than others
- Rarity
- Origin — geographic region
- Material — Wool, silk or cotton and what types of wool, silk or cotton
- The type of dye — some look better than others as they fade and some are more durable and resist fading
- Authenticity — many rugs will come with certificates of authenticity
Dothan Eagle
Thursday, Sep 20, 2007 - 05:00 AM
By Peggy Ussery
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