Posted on June 23, 2015 by Behnam Rugs

Rug Shopping: Should You Buy a Persian Rug Online?

Many experts recommend that one take a look at a Persian or Oriental rug’s underside to check to see if it’s truly a hand-knotted rug.

That’s a little hard to do if you’re buying a rug online.

But all is not lost. After all, many people and even Persian rug dealers sell their rugs online.

Read below for tips on how to buy a hand-knotted rug on the web.

• The person or dealer selling the rug should show you a close-up view of the rug’s backside. The pattern on the back of a true hand-knotted rug will be very visible through the rug’s backing. If the pattern doesn’t show through clearly, it may not be a hand-knotted rug. (Make sure the person selling the rug shows a photo of the front of the rug clearly so that you can get a good look at the rug’s colors and pattern. Then check the purported backside to make sure the patterns and colors match).

The intricate pattern on the back of this 16th-century hand-knotted silk medallion Persian rug will be almost as crisp and clear on the rug’s back as it is on the front.

Best reasons why you should buy a rug:

• The reason you should be able to see the design in a hand-knotted rug is that it won’t have backing; a machine-made rug will have a backing.
• In addition, the rug seller may have a photo of the rug folded back on itself in order to expose the base of the rug’s pile. If you can look at such a picture and if the rug is hand-knotted, you should see the rows of knots.
• You’ll also want to see a picture of the rug’s label. All authentic, hand-knotted rugs will have a label on their back. The label is used to identify in what country the rug was made. An Oriental rug is one made in China, Afghanistan, Turkey, Nepal, India, Pakistan, or the Caucasus. Persian rugs are made in Iran (former Persia). If the rug’s online presence doesn’t show this label, you may want to steer clear.
• You can contact the person selling the rug and ask to see a photo of the label.
• Ask to see a closeup photo of the label so clear that you can read it. You’ll also want to see a second photo that shows the label’s location on the back of the rug. This will mean that the seller will have to take a picture of the back of the rug large enough that the rug’s pattern shows through, allowing you once again to check to see if you can see the rug’s pattern clearly. (This also helps you ascertain that the label picture actually is on the rug touted as hand-knotted.)
• Check with the dealer’s return and refund policy: you’ll want to make sure the seller has a policy that allows you to return the rug and get a full refund if you’re unhappy with the quality of the rug. (Discovering that the hand-knotted rug you paid for isn’t hand-knotted surely qualifies.)

To learn more about how to ascertain if a rug is hand-knotted or not, visit the Dallas rug showroom at Behnam Rugs. We’re always happy to show people with a genuine interest in these gorgeous rugs how to tell the difference between hand-knotted and machine-made rugs. Contact us at 972-733-4000.

Image by Unknown, Iran, mid-16th Century (Iran) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons