Nathan K. wrote:While I have no clue as to why, it really does seem that animals tend to favor Sarouks. I see more of them with animal issues than any other type of rug, with Kermans being 2nd runner-up...
A few notes on the rug above:
- It has been washed (look how clean the exposed foundation is in the damaged area), so they're lying with the "maybe the odor will wash out" comment. (FYI, it's possible [we guarantee odor removal or you don't pay], but it'd take a lot of effort.. :)
- The urine has caused color loss/change in multiple areas; these would need to be recolored.
- On the plus side, they did NOT paint the exposed area of wear w/the foundation showing - so they do have some ethics.
- Now we're back to the old "if it's worth repairing (i.e. repair costs offset by increased value, post-repair) why didn't they (who can perform repairs at wholesale) do it?" argument. The answer in part is due to the wear to the end, which means re-inserting new warps - not an inexpensive prospect.
NK
PS. You do like those Sarouks, don't you Jilly? As my Aussie friends would say, "Good onya!" ;)
Nathan, you should win sumthin. I mean it. You know everything, miss nuthin and have intact, joyous lifeforce and the attending generosity of spirit. Those are both the tenets of happiness and the componets of all worldclass teachers....of which there are fewer than most think.
Re animal damage to vintage Sarouks, I wasn't sure if, given my limited experience, I was being facetious or gettin something accurate, however bizarre.
Conclusion hurts my tummy, but bravo again that your keen eye caught this vendor's possible smoke & mirrors about the washed/unwashed, we don know if or when. As for "some ethics" methinks this is akin to being A LITTLE PREGNANT. One either has reflexive empathy and identifies with The Other and so can not exploit......or one does not.
Tho I supposed it's possible THEY didn't wash the thing, yes?
Indeed, I have emotional, provenance-driven attachment to the genre. I grew up with two, I now know, spectacular examples to not only took for granted, but even distained because of ignorance fostered by having been raised by antiquarian parents in a house filled with goodies comprising a radical departure from the houses of my friends' parents. Ignorance is the ultimate enemy.
I inherited both Sarouks, kept one I finally fell in love with, but had to sell around 6 years ago, was exploited in the bargain....thus creating a WOUND. I sold the other one at auction in New Orleans.....it was huge & glorious, and I was abysmally ignorant and had no real idea how special both were. A few months ago I r3ealized I could finally try to heal that wound by trying to replace that rug.
There is more, all delineated in other threads herein over time during my manic rug hunt and mini education.
I will also add, now that I know more, tho am still a novice, during my Hunt, I was drawn to individual rugs within other genres, but always florals. Again, over time, I came to realize, to find another "American" Sarouk even close in beauty and condition to the one I sold to a predatory dealer, would have been above my budget. I saw nothing over time even close for under 4K and usually higher, sometimes lots higher. Even in this economic climate, this appears not to have changed.
But I could not love the Indo Sarouk I got bidding on the phone at auction, more! But, when the rug bug bites, one remains bitten. I now see rugs I just WANT despite I have no use for ANOTHER RUG. Including no wall space to hang some small ones I fall in love with.
I simply can not understand, given all you bring, why you aren't buying and selling rugs, Nathan!! Tho the selling part must be daunting in this economy, no question. I mean, along with carrying on yr family business!
Thanks so much for yr data-rich response.
Your presence here is a real gift.
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Edit: i just read yr as usual, inspired input in another thread and see you do, in fact, deal in rugs! Even sometimes buy no reserve items on ebay! Good on ya!!! I wonder if Russell Crowe loves hand knotted rugs. lol If so, bet he likes geometrics.