Buying an antique rug, especially at a distance, comes down to trust: you want to be sure the piece is authentic, that the price is fair, and that you can rely on whoever sold it if something does not go as expected. This guide brings together what to look for before you buy, and how Figalli works to take the risk out of the equation.
How to tell whether a rug is authentic
A genuine antique rug is made by hand, knot by knot, and that leaves signs. On the back, the knots appear one by one, slightly irregular, unlike the perfect, uniform mesh of a machine-made rug. The colours, drawn from natural dyes, have small shifts of tone across the piece — the so-called abrash — which are part of the charm, not a defect. The wool has a sheen and a handle that synthetic fibres do not reproduce. And every piece has an origin: a type, a region and an approximate period. Small imperfections, by the way, are normal and even expected in a hundred-year-old piece. We explain why in should I worry about the imperfections in my antique rug.
Warning signs
Be wary of an “antique” rug that is too perfect, with no marks of time at all. Be wary too of prices far below the market, of vague descriptions that give neither type nor origin, and of sellers who offer no guarantee and no return policy. If you cannot find out where the piece came from, or speak to someone who knows the subject, it is better not to take the risk. To help you understand what shapes the price of a rug, we wrote the article how rug values are determined.
How Figalli takes the risk out of buying
Every rug in the collection is examined by specialists and comes with the house guarantee as to its origin, its age and the fact that it is handmade. You will find the details in buying safely at Figalli and in guarantee. Before you buy, our concierge service sends additional photos, answers questions and helps you compare pieces, with no rush. And if, when it arrives, the rug is not what you expected, there is a right-of-return period set out in our return policy.
Talk to us
If you have doubts about a specific piece, or you would like help buying with confidence, just get in touch. We will walk you through everything, with no rush and no obligation.
