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Collecting Rugs As A Hobby
by Kenneth Bisco
http://www.fesrug.com
As far as hobbies go, collecting rugs has a lot in its
favor. For a start it offers the bonus of helping you
furnish your home with interesting and decorative pieces
- a real bonus for any hobby. But how do you get started
with this hobby?
What are the rugs worth collecting, and where should you
get them? Like most worthwhile hobbies there is a lifetime
of learning on this subject to look forward to, but it pays
to know a little about the subject before you plunge in
- it may also help you avoid wasting your money.
The history of the rug goes way back - a wonderful example,
in fantastic condition, was found in the 1940s in Siberia
that dates from around four hundred years before Jesus
Christ. It is possible to buy rugs these days that are
genuinely antique, but they do not come at knock-down
prices. However if you get chance you can see the real
thing in a museum. How about the huge, masterful rug made
by Maqsud of Kashan back in the 16th century - half of it
is displayed at the LA country museum of art and the other
half can be seen at the V&A in London, England.
The artistry and the weaving methods that Maqsud used are
found in the newly made rugs from Afghanistan or Iran
(Ancient Persia) that are woven traditionally. Not many
folk would consider a trip to these to countries at the
moment, but there are other rug-making countries that are
firmly on the tourist trail. Visiting places like Turkey
sets many people thinking about starting off their rug
collection.
It is easy to see why - anyone would imagine that making
your rug purchase where it was made could cut costs and
allow a much better choice. Perhaps there is truth in
this, yet the chances of getting it wrong are quite high.
The inexperienced buyer may well end up paying big bucks
for a rug that is not antique nor well-made. Poorly made
approximations to quality rugs are sold in many tourist
resorts - and of course the foreigner lacking knowledge is
sometimes targeted. The best way for anyone to start out
buying quality rugs is to make their purchase from a dealer
based in their own country. It is possible that you will
pay more for this, but you will have your consumer rights,
should there be a problem. Nor are you likely to be sold a
poor example because a United States-based dealer will need
to keep a great rep to stay in business.
There is another way to start off your carpet-collecting
hobby, and that is to buy examples because you like them.
In this way you cannot really lose because what matters is
that you enjoy looking at your purchase - it will bring you
joy no matter what. You could make a point of buying from
small designers and producers so that you are supporting
the arts and crafts and filling your home with nice, rare
pieces.
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