| What exactly is an Oriental rug?This is
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| | slight or not so slight (depending on the
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| always a good place to start if one is
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| | skill of the dyer) variation in the color
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| considering a purchase as just this
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| | itself.Also affecting this is the
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| information alone will give one
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| | consideration of the wool being used.
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| clarification and insight into what one is
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| | Handspun wool, being less perfectly spun
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| seeking. As the countries in the East have
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| | will accept the colors of the dyes at
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| always been considered the Orient, a hand
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| | different depths of the same shade and
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| woven rug, made from wool, silk or cotton,
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| | will show more variation in color than
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| from this part of the world is the genuine
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| | machine spun wool. Deeply saturated wool
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| article. A little further delineation
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| | will also show less color variation which
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| could be made if one also added in Western
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| | will only appear after the rug begins to
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| Europe, Northern Africa and Russia. I have
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| | age. This variation of color is termed
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| seen beautiful handmade rugs from Romania,
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| | "abrash" and adds a certain artistic
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| Uzbekistan and Egypt as well as the
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| | quality and charm if not too
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| Caucasus region between the Black Sea and
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| | pronounced.More recently, new production
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| the Caspian Sea above Iran. The most
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| | using vegetable dyes and hand-spun wool
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| famous rug weaving countries are Iran,
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| | has begun to appear in various areas.
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| Afghanistan, China, Pakistan, India and
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| | Started in Turkey in the 1980's by a
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| Turkey. This is a tradition that dates
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| | government sponsored program, Iran quickly
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| back thousands of years.The oldest
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| | followed and now there are a number or
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| complete rug found in recent times was
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| | areas where these great dyes, excellent
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| discovered in 1949 in a burial site of a
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| | quality hand-spun wool and traditional
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| Prince in the Pazarik Valley of the Altai
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| | designs are being used to create new rugs
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| Mountains in Siberia. It was frozen in
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| | or more precisely, new works of art!These
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| permafrost for over 2500 years! The Pazyrk
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| | rugs could easily be the "antiques" of
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| Carpet is permanently on display at the
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| | tomorrow as the weavers creativity and
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| Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. You
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| | skill is beautifully brought to
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| will find it depicted in the front of
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| | fruition.Additionally, there is another
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| almost any rug book in living color. The
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| | weaving technique, which is similar to a
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| rug scholars are still arguing as to where
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| | Navajo rug called a kelim. This rug is
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| it was woven but the exact same weaving
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| | virtually all warps and wefts as there is
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| techniques are still in use today.Oriental
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| | no pile. This also is an Oriental rug but
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| rugs are not made in the Unites States
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| | not as time consuming to weave. The
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| although we do produce many machine made
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| | patterns on kelims are normally geometric
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| copies. These would be classified as
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| | based designs using large areas of color.
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| "Oriental design" rugs.An average 9 x 12
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| | These rugs work quite well in contemporary
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| hand woven rug takes a minimum of 3000
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| | interiors and are often used as wall
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| hours of weaving, to say nothing of the
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| | hangings. Many are quite unique and
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| time spent on the design, dye preparation,
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| | beautiful although not as hard wearing as
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| spinning of the wool and the setting up of
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| | a knotted rug. In the past most of these
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| the loom.A Persian rug is an Oriental rug
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| | kelims were woven for the weaver's own use
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| but specifically woven in the country of
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| | and have only recently become more common
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| Iran or if an antique (100 years old or
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| | in the marketplace.What is important in
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| more) woven in the former Persian
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| | evaluating an Oriental Rug? After my many
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| Empire.All Persian rugs ARE Oriental rugs
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| | hundreds of hours spent purchasing rugs
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| but not all Oriental rugs are Persian
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| | for my retail business I have come up with
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| rugs. Hopefully, that makes sense.
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| | the following basics. One of the most
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| Probably the reason for this
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| | important factors in a rug are the colors
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| classification is the fact that the
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| | used and their combinations. Following
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| Persian weavers of the past were always
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| | this would be the actual design elements
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| leaders in design and quality. Proof of
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| | and how they are put together. Are they
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| this can be found in any major museum in
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| | pleasing to the eye? Does the rug improve
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| the world and is evidenced most thoroughly
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| | as one looks at it? Is there a sense of
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| by the fact that the majority of designs
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| | balance and depth?Another important factor
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| even today, were originated by Persian
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| | is the quality of the wool. What one wants
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| weavers.Lets talk about basics. All
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| | to avoid is "dead wool" taken off an
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| Oriental rugs are woven on a loom by hand.
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| | already butchered sheep with a caustic lye
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| If made in a small village the loom is
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| | type substance. This wool is very dry to
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| usually constructed of wood and not
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| | the touch, has a dull cast and very
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| perfectly straight but if made in a
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| | inexpensive for the weavers to purchase.
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| professional workshop the loom would most
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| | Rugs woven with this type of wool do not
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| likely be metal and more exactly
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| | wear well and are often sold for next to
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| designed.The loom is strung with vertical
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| | nothing which is exactly what they are
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| threads, which would be the starting point
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| | worth. A rug woven with excellent wool
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| of any rug. These threads are called warps
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| | can easily survive 50 years or more with
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| and can be of cotton, wool or silk. Tying
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| | very little wear if cared for
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| loops around a pair of the warps creates
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| | properly.Good quality wool will actually
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| the design of the rug. Each knot is tied
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| | improve the more it is walked on and will
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| and individually cut by hand. One by one,
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| | developed an antique patina or sheen that
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| variously colored strands of wool are
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| | is highly sought after by rug collectors.
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| used to create the design, one row at a
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| | The moral of the story is to touch the
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| time. After one row of knots have been
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| | wool, rub the palm of your hand across the
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| completed, the weft is then inserted
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| | face of the rugs. Compare it to another
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| between the just completed row and the
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| | rug. It should not feel overly dry or
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| next one to be done. The wefts function
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| | stiff. Pick the rug up by the edge and
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| to secure the knots in place and hold the
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| | see how much it weighs! A hard wearing
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| rug together. Some weavers insert only
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| | rug will have some "body" to it. This of
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| one row of wefts between the rows of
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| | course, would not apply to silk as the
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| knots, others 2, 3, 4 and more.Most
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| | weight of a silk rug is much lighter. Silk
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| weavers are taught to weave at an early
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| | will feel cold to the touch and will have
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| age by a family member and the choice of
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| | a distinctive shine! Examine the rug
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| how many wefts or what type of knot to tie
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| | carefully by walking around it and viewing
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| is influenced mainly by heritage and
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| | it from every possible angle.Glossy wool
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| location of the weavers. Although many
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| | often reflects light and sometimes on rugs
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| of the former nomadic (pastoral) weavers
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| | woven with handspun wool you will have a
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| now reside in villages their rugs are more
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| | dark and a light side. If the rug is old,
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| often than not a reflection of patterns
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| | one would look for any signs of moth
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| woven for many generations in their area,
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| | damage where the pile has been eaten away.
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| each design motif being committed to
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| | With moth eggs on the backside of the rug
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| memory.In the professional rug workshops
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| | one will see little white lines. This is
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| the choice of design styles is normally
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| | not good as the wool on the back may have
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| dictated by the demands of the market,
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| | been eaten so that when one vacuums the
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| either overseas or locally. The warps and
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| | front of the rug, the wool comes out! If
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| wefts are nearly always cotton or silk and
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| | the rug is new, moth damage would be most
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| the knot count is usually higher than that
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| | unusual and is not a concern.On older rugs
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| of village production. In rug workshops
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| | one would also look for signs of repairs,
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| the weaving is carefully supervised by a
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| | such as a patch sewn in to replace a worn
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| master weaver who is responsible for every
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| | area or holes. Also, inspect the rug in
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| loom under his watchful eye. In these
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| | the best possible light to ensure the pile
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| workshops the weavers are following an
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| | is full as some lazy restorers just paint
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| exact design drawn out on graph paper with
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| | in the color on worn areas and the rug
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| all color choices predetermined. Tribal
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| | will have very little life left in it. If
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| or village rugs are often woven in the
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| | the rug is a great deal and these facts
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| home with many of the design elements
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| | have been indicated beforehand, then fine,
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| committed to memory. The opportunity for
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| | but if discovered by your own inspection
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| creativity in this arena is much greater.
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| | and not indicated, simply pass on the
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| Tribal rugs often are woven on a wool or
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| | purchase.These beautiful works of art
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| cotton foundation. The "foundation" being
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| | never completely reveal themselves on
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| another term for the warps and the wefts.
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| | first glance but just like the most
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| There are of course exceptions to these
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| | fascinating and unique person you've had
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| general rules but basically these concepts
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| | the pleasure to meet, a good rug will
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| hold true.Prior to the mid 19th century,
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| | spark your interest and demand your
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| many of the weaver's color choices were
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| | attention. The longer you gaze upon it,
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| dictated by the availability of certain
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| | the more it's beauty and many nuances will
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| plants in their region or what could be
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| | be revealed. Always take your time when
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| obtained by trade. Before the seminal
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| | making a purchase and if possible it is
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| year of 1860, when chemicle based dyes
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| | usually best to try the rug in your home
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| first appeared on the scene, these plant
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| | for a day or two. This is called taking
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| based dyes were all that were available.
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| | the rug on approval and any dealer of
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| These dyes are called vegetable dyes and
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| | merit will easily agree to this in home
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| have a distinct look about them. They age
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| | trial period.Find a retailer that you
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| beautifully, work harmoniously together
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| | like, feel confident with and one that
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| and the indigo dye, which creates all the
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| | offers the types of rugs that you find
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| ranges of blue, even preserves the wool.
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| | most pleasing and you're on your way!
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| Usually with vegetable dyes one will see a
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