Old & Antique Rugs

By our definition, old and antique rugs are between 40 and 99 years old. As we understand it, antique rugs are at least 100 years old. In this collection you'll find our old and antique collector's pieces: hand-knotted rugs from Persia, the Caucasus, Turkey and China, cleaned and with an honest description of condition – unrestored, restored or as good as new.
Old and antique rugs are growing steadily in popularity. They have outlasted generations and tell a story of their own in your home.

Old & Antique Rugs at a Glance

Definition: old: 40–99 years; antique: at least 100 years
Origin: Persia (Keshan, Bijar, Sarough, Mahal, Gabbeh), Caucasus, Turkey, China
Material: new wool, sometimes cork wool or silk, mostly on cotton; natural dyes
Condition: cleaned; unrestored, partly restored, fully restored or as new – stated for every piece
Price guide: antique: approx. 500 €/m² (pre-owned), approx. 1,000 €/m² (restored), approx. 1,100 €/m² (as new); old/vintage: from approx. 280 €/m²
Service: Appraisal, restoration and hand washing in Düsseldorf; purchase of old rugs

What makes old and antique rugs so special

The pictorial rugs from Keshan and Kerman illustrate the customs, the life and the dress of Persia in the 18th and 19th centuries. The elegantly stylised interpretations of dragons, vases and lotus flowers in Chinese rugs are rich in symbolism. The geometry and the colours of Caucasian rugs bear a remarkable resemblance to contemporary paintings and furniture. The rugs of the Safavid period remain to this day a model and an inspiration for classic and also modern Oriental rugsthat you can shop online with us.

Then there is the patina: decades of use have made colours softer and surfaces more alive. This effect cannot be recreated with a new rug.

Understanding condition: unrestored, restored, as new

Unrestored: cleaned, but with signs of use – worn pile, small missing areas, fringes with patina. The most affordable, and for many collectors the most honest.
Restored: missing areas re-knotted, edges and fringes secured. Fully suitable for everyday use.
As new: very well preserved or completely reworked – the rug looks like a new piece with the depth of colour of an old one.

For every rug we describe the condition and show it in photos. If you want to be certain, have the rug brought to your home in the Düsseldorf area or make use of our 14 days to try at home.

An antique rug as an investment?

A well-preserved antique rug from a known provenance generally holds its value and can increase it – but we sell rugs to live with, not as objects of speculation. What determines value is origin, age, material, knot density, rarity of the pattern and condition. On request we will prepare an appraisal.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about old and antique rugs

When is a rug considered antique?

A rug counts as antique from an age of 100 years. Rugs between 40 and 99 years old we describe as old or vintage. Anything younger than 40 years is, for us, a new or pre-owned rug.

How do I tell whether an old rug is valuable?

By origin, age, material, knot density, pattern and condition. Rugs from well-known provenances such as Keshan, Bijar, Tabriz or the Caucasus, with natural dyes, fine knotting and rare patterns, fetch the highest prices. A well-preserved, unrestored condition is often worth more to collectors than extensive reworking.

What does an antique rug cost?

At Zomorrodi, antique rugs cost around 500 € per square metre in pre-owned condition, about 1,000 € per square metre restored and roughly 1,100 € per square metre in like-new condition. Old rugs (40–99 years) start at around 280 € per square metre. Every rug shows its price and its price per square metre.

Are old rugs hygienic?

Yes. Every old or antique rug at Zomorrodi is professionally hand-washed before it is sold. New wool is naturally dirt-repellent and antistatic; mites find little to live on in a dense wool pile.

Can I have an old rug restored?

Yes. In our workshop in Düsseldorf we restore worn areas, edges and fringes, and we clean rugs by hand.

What is the difference between antique and vintage?

Antique means an age of at least 100 years. For us, vintage covers rugs between 40 and 99 years old, often also reworked, re-dyed pieces. You will find both in collections of their own.