nice Tabriz!

When I bought this rug, I knew close to nothing about Persian rugs, or should I say rugs at all, I went to the Souk Islam in Sharjah, UAE, wanting to buy a 7 x 10 rug for my dining room.

The first rug I saw when I went into the first rug store was this one, and though I went through app 30 high end rug stores and was shown hundreds of rugs, my mind couldn’t let go of this one.

There's a lot of silk in it.

His starting price was 30.000,- Dirhams (app US $ 8.170,-), but through a hard (2 days) negotiation I bought it at a very good price, I will of course be more then happy to tell you guys the price, but will appreciate if you can give me a qualified guess on the retail value without being affected by what I paid.

I would also appreciate if you can tell me a little about what it is, yes – I know that it is from Tabriz, but very little more. I have attached more pictures, if you will need additional ones to help me, then please let me know.
Is it a common, or a very rare and complicated design ?

Based on the pictures I have shown, how many Raj is it ?

As you can see on the pictures of the fringe, it is a little imperfect, does that have an impact to the value?
Should / can I have it repaired, it is only what you can on the picture, and is about 30 cm, the top picture is from below, the bottom picture from above, the pictures has been shot with macro setting and looks much worse then it actually is, one will hardly notice it when he sees the carpet, and I’m not affected by it at all, I simply adore this rug.

Thanks, Kurt

http://www.kurt-b.dk/9.jpg
http://www.kurt-b.dk/10.jpg
http://www.kurt-b.dk/14.jpg
http://www.kurt-b.dk/16.jpg
http://www.kurt-b.dk/17.jpg
http://www.kurt-b.dk/18.jpg

Bukara, Rug Pro & Fredgrower, thatns you for your comments.

I paid 16.600 Dirhams, which at the time I bought it was app. US $ 4.400,-, for the rug.


/ Kurt

what part of the rug is that number 17 - is it in the kelim of the rug? Does the rug have any repairs you can note?

Kurt,

When did you buy it? You obviously know a bit about Persian rugs now or you wouldn't have included the Raj count picture (55) for a Tabriz rug.

Not sure about the US but this would retail at around £10,000 in the UK (GBP). In saying that I've never sold a rug at this price so with us anyway may go for less.

Here's a rug we have which is similar in that it is a 55 Raj, silk foundation with kork wool and silk details. Possibly more silk in this one but the design would (I would imagine) be more difficult for a weaver to implement well in yours. Also half the size:

http://www.little-persia.com/?action=view_rug&cnt=5&id=766

And here's one more your size but a step down (50 Raj and cotton foundation):

http://www.little-persia.com/?action=view_rug&cnt=1&id=1592


***** You got a good buy, particularly if you're not a dealer *****

Kurt, you obviously have an eye for beauty in rugs. Falling in love with a rug is the best way of getting to know about rugs. Your Tabriz is very beautiful, the field design is not common, but also not unique, although the combination of main border, colours, plus field design, and on this size rug, may be rare.

According to the "rug estimator" from the rug rag forum site, you're rug is worth around 8000 dollars, and something around this sum you'd pay in a good rug shop (I believe). But design and colour combination are something that is in some sense priceless: in a shop it doesn't add that much to its value, but from an aesthetic point of view, you'll be able for years to look at it and get pleasure from it, and discover new motives, elements, colour choices, etc. in it for a long time, just marvel at it, generally. (Well at least that's what I do with my rugs ...)

I wouldn't worry about the damage in the kelim bit of the Tabriz, value-wise. If you have the rug in a medium to high "traffic area", it may be worth having it repaired, and I'd go for professional top repair, given the (apparently, from the photos) perfect condition of the rest of the rug. I don't think it would be horrendously expensive, but some people here could tell you what might be an appropriate price. If this part of the rug is in a place where it is not disturbed, you can also just leave it.

Your kelim is also lovely. It may not be terribly valuable (but again, in a shop you'd pay that much, I believe), but for its kind, it is a very beautiful, and well-balanced design and colours, and your daughter should (at least at some point) be delighted with the rows of animals (goats?) in it.

From the photos, it looks as though you have a 60+ raj rug (you count the horizontal lines of knots in every 6.5cm to get that #). It is a "Gonbad" design, meaning it is meant to replicate the a dome of a building as you'd see it from the inside. It is a beautiful rug, and I think you got a good price. A repair may make the area look more conspicuous than it does, so I wouldn't touch it. I don't think the damage to the kelim (that small white area between the pile and the fringe where it is a flatweave is called the kelim) doesn't make the good deal that you got any less good.

Picture attached of the backside of one of my two flat weaves, are they Kilims or Sumaks ?

Jahannandsons.: Regarding the count of Raj I’m a little confused, I have read that one should count the knots in every 7 cm, when I do that I get at least 55 depending on where I count, if I count them over in every 6.5 cm, I get at least 51, and you mention that you believe that I have a 60 + Raj, would you mind checking the below picture and tell me what I have ?

It doesn’t make a big difference, as it will never be sold, but it would obviously be good to know what I have.


Thanks, Kurt

Shereen

I always think Coo-Coo Clocks are a good example of kitsch.


jahannandsons/kurt

Definitely 55 but many people round KPSI (mainly) up and similarly with raj so it would probably be described as 60 raj by many?

Kurt

Funny you should post the sirjan design soumak, someone on here was looking for that same design only a week ago.

I guess that tells a lot about the Rug estimator

The day before I went into the Souk where I bought my Tabriz, I saw this one in Dubai mall, I believe that it also is a Soumak and was very close in buying it at $ 2.500,-, it is 7 x 10 as well.

/ Kurt

Thanks a lot Ryan, that does indeed sound correct to me, as how can a rug contain more knots then there’s strings in the loom …… ! ! !

400 KPSI also sounds like a lot to me.


Thanks, Kurt

Go to the Souk Islam, they also call it the blue Souk or the gold souk, there's at least 40 highend rug dealers in there.

Kurt