I'm trying to identify this oriental rug for a good friend of mine. (He has Parkinson's and will eventually need to sell his house and most of the furnishings when he moves to an assisted living facility.) The rug was purchased in Jacksonville, Florida in the late 1960s or early 1970s by his grandmother, from whom he inherited it. I've been doing some research on this website and have some ideas, but I may not be on the right track and could definitely use some input from others with more expertise.
The rug is large, measuring approximately 13'x16'. I believe it is hand knotted (there's no added backing layer) and I've confirmed that the fringe at both ends is made from the warp threads. The top surface/pile of the rug is rather short (about 3/8") but it has a soft, pliable, wooly feel to the touch. It's dense enough so that I can't separate the threads enough to see down to the bottom to check the depth of coloration. I'm also having a problem getting the knot count right -- I'm not sure if what I'm seeing that look like two, close together, side-by-side knots are counted as one knot or two, so the rug either has approximately 100-120 KPSI or twice that amount.
The rug is in very good condition with the exception of a 12" section along one edge near a corner where the fringe was damaged by a vacuum cleaner at one point. It does have quite a few white knots, which I mistakenly thought was damage until I came across an article that explained what these are.
My closest guess, after looking at hundreds of photos on this website and others, is that the rug might be a Mashad because of the dark red and blue colors, the short dense pile, the large central medallion and four spandrels, and the floral motif. I'm probably not right, but that's the best I can come up with -- and why I need some expert help!
After I determine the rug's correct identification, I'll post on the other forum that helps with determining a general valuation. If the rug then seems to have any value at all, I'll get RugRag to do an online appraisal to guide us in selling the rug when the time comes. Thank you for any information you can provide. I'm most appreciative to have the opportunity to post on this forum!
