By the way, thanks for that spot-on identification. You know your stuff! I see that (apparently) new versions of this rug, slightly different of course, are available on amazon in various useful gradations of size, all supposedly hand-knotted:
http://www.amazon.com/Af...ds=khal+mohammadi+runnerAre these khal mohammedi notably inferior to what I am being offered by the merchant in Pakistan? He's said the one he's offering is perhaps 25 years old. Is that a virtue?
Again, I am grateful for your help (and would have responded sooner except the email notification doesn't appear to be working).