David Winitz, a profound expert on oriental textile art, formulated the points described below for evaluating antique oriental rugs.

1 Art level

The significant variation in skill, creativity and artistic sensitivity found in antique carpets are the main elements used to distinguish these works of art endowed with great perfection from purely decorative carpets. Although decorative rugs may have been made with resistant materials, they do not have intrinsic artistic value.

In this sense, the criterion to be applied is to check to what extent the carpet’s compositional elements cause a visual impact on the observer. Like all art forms, the best rugs have a so-called “universal impact”. It has staying power, meaning the more the viewer looks at it, the more they see and are intrigued by it. The symbolic composition of the rug soothes, alters, captivates or envelops its admirers to the point that they are permanently affected by the carpet.

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2 Level of aesthetics

A rug has an overall balance and harmony between its various motifs and a symbiotic relationship between its colours and designs. The main determinants of a rug’s aesthetics are the choice of colours used, the ability to balance 8-25 or more shades within a carpet and the ability to combine them. The colours used should be intriguing and operate in harmony. They must provide a sensation of visual depth (or lack thereof), mainly achieved through the art of abrash, bands of different tones within the same colour intentionally woven during the dyeing process. These colour changes cause the effect of depth and should occur naturally or without appearing abrupt or out of place. 

The proportion between design elements must be equally impactful on the observer. If the scales of the major and minor motifs are too similar, they will not be visible enough and, therefore, not be attractive to the entire spectrum of designs. A sense of fluidity or movement will make an impact if there is breadth between the designs, the colours of the rug, the intentional abrash technique mentioned above and the choice of shapes used in the main border.

3 The antiquity of the carpet

Rugs woven before the commercial period (1920) are most sought after for their originality, naturally dyed colours, including tones not found in rugs after this era, and because they contain expressive designs. The commercial period of oriental rug production that gained momentum after 1920 transformed the oriental rug market forever: repetition of designs copied from rugs that were made before this time, rather than each rug being unique and the use of aggressive chemical dyes.

4 Condition of the carpet about age

The older the carpet, the more wear and restoration is accepted. The impact on value is determined by how much restoration was done and the quality of its execution. Chemical washing, fading and stains caused by the sun and reducing the size of rugs negatively impact their value. The older the piece, the greater its value if its artistry is high and its condition commensurate with its age.

5 Color quality

All colours of oriental rugs were produced from natural dyes before the advent of chemical dyes. An entirely naturally dyed colour palette is essential for a carpet to have more than just decorative value, as vegetable dyes develop a valuable patina over time, while chemical dyes tend to be either garish, opaque or faded. Furthermore, dyers had varying skill levels in the past and invested enormous amounts of time into dyeing wool. The quality of the colour – its brightness and level of nuance within each hue – is fundamental. Specific rare colours, such as Tyrian purple, saffron yellow, cochineal pink and some shades of green, increase the rug’s value as they are no longer produced from natural elements today.

6 Singularity

As long as the aesthetic elements mentioned above are present, the abuse of originality in the use of colours and the design of a rug will make it significantly attractive. Carpets that are unique works of art put regional designs aside and present motifs and colours that have never been seen before in an aesthetically appealing way. These are highly valued rugs. Rugs that are representatives of a traditional style are also widely sought after. Most of the time, the carpets produced before 1875 demonstrate the most outstanding creativity, especially those woven in the first half of the 19th century because they reveal an accessible aesthetic. 

Certain styles of 19th-century rugs are particularly sought after, with the finest examples recognized for their unparalleled artistry. Persian carpets in urban centres include Kerman, Mohtasham Kashan, Hadji Jallili Tabriz, Farahan, Farahan Sarouk, Bidjar and Ziegler Sultanabad, woven with excellent quality and perfectly worked. As for the carpets produced in villages, the best works of art are Bakhshaishs, Serapis and those made with camel wool. Regarding tribal styles, the best rugs are the Caucasian and the Persians Afshar and Qashqai. It is important to emphasize that these types of rugs contain examples in enormous quantities produced after the commercial era (1920), often woven from excellent wool, but are no longer imbued with the aesthetic lustre of their predecessors.

8 Thinness of the plot

Carpets from each region offer a distinct construction with a density of knots typical of that tradition. The most exquisite Persian rugs made in the great centres of the 19th century generally demonstrate a superior level of artistry that manifests itself through the absolute clarity of their design and a highly minute level of detail. This precision is enhanced by employing a uniform, low-cut pile that gives the carpet surface a shiny, translucent quality. In contrast, many high-quality Caucasian and Kurdish rugs are made with much looser knots and have a soft surface, which contributes to their rugged aesthetic.

9 Wool quality

The wool used in rugs comes in many different grades. The best contains a high level of fat called lanolin in its fibre, leaving a shine to its colours as it ages. It makes the rug elastic and soft to the touch. For these reasons, the best types of wool increase the value of a rug.

The wool grown by nomadic groups who raised their sheep flocks in pastures in high mountains during the summer and in the lower plains during the winter produced the best knots. Carpets made with wool from northwestern Persian (province of Azerbaijan) and the city of Kerman always have a richly lustrous surface that is resilient to the touch.

Conclusion

Winitz explains that the nine points for evaluating the quality of antique rugs are not in any particular hierarchy, as there is a fluid exchange between them. The wool brightens the colour; colour softens or enhances design elements; uniqueness, art, and aesthetics involve a non-verbal language that can communicate deeply with us. The interplay between antique and rug conditions helps us define our priorities for living with an antique carpet. The weave of a rug can evoke a refined formality in rugs produced in urban centres or a casual touch in nomadic rugs.