The world trade of the last decades met with an almost surprising demand of antiquities, with a handmade Persian rug being among the most popular. One of the main reasons for this is that as the world evolves more and more day by day and year by year, some of us have discovered that past traditions, the ones we've been running away from for so much time now, are not so bad after all. On the contrary, it seems that what was made manually 1, 2 or 3 centuries ago and clearly stood the test of time, with involved techniques and skills rather hard to come by these days factories and machines replaced the human hand, and computers replaced the human spirit and inventiveness.

Excellent examples of this fact are all the handmade Persian rugs available on the market (and not only - some are still owned by private collectors or families).

Handmade Persian rugs are essential elements of the Persian (Iranian) art and culture and its weaving has passed the limited boundaries of functionality and entered the riveting world of art. These weaving manifestations date back to the Bronze Age in 500 BC. Nowadays, a handmade Persian rug will invariably be associated with the luxury and wealth of the richest homes. This fact contrasts with the humble beginnings of rug-weaving in the nomad tribes of Persia, where the carpet was a necessary household item to protect from the cold winter. With time, they became real means of artistic expression, especially because of the wide range of colors and motifs available.

As the history spins its 2,500 year old yarn, the rug-weaving skills have been transmitted from generation to generation, in times of invasion and war and even in more prolific times of peace and stability they have grown in value. These rugs entered the European trade only in the 12th century and records show that people cherished them so much that they couldn't just put them on the floor but rather on the tables or walls it is said that kings demanded that they were laid on their thrones.

A handmade Persian rug older than 1800 AD values at hundreds of thousands of dollars and some even millions. More accessible are those which date back from the 19th century. The price, however, depends on other characteristics too, besides age; colors, materials, area of provenance, pattern, level of intricacy of the patterns and design.

You should be careful when deciding to purchase a handmade Persian rug as there are lots of Fakes due to the high demand, or it may happen that you will be asked to pay a higher price than the actual value. It is recommended that you asses the handmade Persian rug and see if it has even wear, that it has been cleaned, as dirt may hide hidden damage. If the rug has been restored it is important that the rug is re-woven and not patched. More important, if you are new to the antique Persian rug trade ask for help from a professional.

A handmade Persian rug is certainly rich in history and color and although they may not still carry with them the mystery of myths and legends they used to, they can still transform our houses from simple places to live in, into magnificent and artistically pleasing homes.