Islamic Prayer Rug ?

[mojjax]

I got this at a barn sale for $10 . Of all the rugs they were selling this one looked to be the oldest . I no nothing about rugs , but , it is in very nice condition .

 

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[MRBeyer]

Couple thoughts. Can you count the threads without using a magnifying glass? Look at the blue colors and see if there is differences in shading within the threads (red fades faster so its harder to tell). Look at the seams to see whether the threads are not uniform and the knots are there. Those are indications of hand looming and hand dying. If you see a square or rectangular discoloration on the back it indicates a modern tag was on it recently with adhesive. Also, look around the seams and look for remnants of the tag, again indicates modern manufacturing. What is the size? Smaller may be a prayer rug while a larger area rug is more likely a persian style and is not usually a prayer rug. If I think of anything else I'll let you know.

 

[mojjax]

Couple thoughts. Can you count the threads without using a magnifying glass? Look at the blue colors and see if there is differences in shading within the threads (red fades faster so its harder to tell). Look at the seams to see whether the threads are not uniform and the knots are there. Those are indications of hand looming and hand dying. If you see a square or rectangular discoloration on the back it indicates a modern tag was on it recently with adhesive. Also, look around the seams and look for remnants of the tag, again indicates modern manufacturing. What is the size? Smaller may be a prayer rug while a larger area rug is more likely a persian style and is not usually a prayer rug. If I think of anything else I'll let you know.

Thank you for your information . It measures 58'' long by 34'' wide . I can't find any remnants of a tag . I will try to count the threads tomorrow . Thank You !

 

[MRBeyer]

Knowing the thread count can give information on era and area. However, if it takes a magnifying glass to count threads then it is probably modern. If you can see the threads count with your bare eyes then it may be older. There are a lot of repro's out there. That is why you then get a loupe and look at the threads and see if the color is uniform through the thread, if not evenly colored it is more evidence it is older. If there is that deep royal purple to it then it is likely of a newer (possibly antique still) era as early royal purple was from crushed micro shell fish and was expensive to make. There is a color of blue that is called Jewish blue I believe as it was a royal and theological garment color. You can try looking in those areas online. The reason I said to look at the blue is because I had heard blue does not set as evenly as red and I have seen the red fade in rugs my family had faster than blue. Anyone can correct me on any of this if they know more than I do.

 

[diggummup]

This is a very specialized area of collecting and it takes someone who collects/studies them to tell you exactly what region or tribe this is from. As I know little to nothing about "oriental" or Persian rugs, I spent a couple hours yesterday reading about them and the different styles and construction techniques, for my own interest. I've looked at dozens of different rugs from just as many regions and I'm more confused now than when I started, lol. I don't know what style it is. The photos don't show any close up details, I can't tell if it's a flat weave or a pile. I can't tell if it's a selvedge edge or just a worn out fringe. To me it looks hand made and it looks like it may be an older one. You may wanna find a forum that specializes in oriental rugs like this one- Rug Identification - Rug Rag Forum: Antique Rugs and Oriental Rugs

ps- here is a little info on counting knots,

 

[trdhrdr007]

Can you post a picture of a small portion of the back? First thing I do when looking at a rug is flip the corner over. It's relatively easy to tell if it was handmade & how many knots per inch from the back. That quickly eliminates machine made rugs from consideration. Anything more takes a lot of experience & is something I struggle with. In my neck of the woods they aren't an easy sale so unless it's something I want for my self I stay away. The last one I got for resale has been sitting in my basement(climate controlled) for almost 2 years.

 

[MRBeyer]

What is awesome about TNet is the sharing of information. I knew some, Diggumup and trdhrdr007 obviously knew a lot more (bravo). I feel iike I am in a treasure university auditing a class with a bunch of professors. I constantly amaze people with information I learn here. Granted I am not ready for Jeopardy but it is cool info to know.

 

[mojjax]

I think it has a KPSI of 80 . 8 horizontal & 10 vertical . Thanks for all the great information !

 

[nsdq]

I am no expert on rugs but is a nice looking one. could it have been used as a prayer rug yes ,, but only prayer rugs i have seen was in Iraq in 2003 , i have seen real nice ones all the way to cardboard being used as one ,,, in my honest opinion i would have yours framed and hung on the wall , happy huntinn