Mahal Persian

Antique Mahal rugs are from Persia and are in high demand for their decorative qualities. Newer rugs are good quality.

The quality of new rugs is determined by many factors, including:

    Place of origin 

    Knot count per square inch

    Wool quality

    Silk quality

    Foundation - weft and warp materials

Quality is rated as superior, good, fair, and poor.

The oriental rug experts at Persian Rug House first look at the back of the rug to determine the type of weave to discover the origin of the rug. Every area has its own style of weaving, for example, the Bijar weave is tighter and stronger and takes more time and materials to produce.

Hamadan rugs have less knots per square inch; Tabriz and Esfahan rugs have more.  This makes the Hamadan rug less expensive because less time and materials are used.

Better wool, found under the arms of the sheep which gets less sun and weather, is used for finer woven rugs such as Esfahan rugs.  The finer spun wool allows for smaller knots, and is often used with silk for combination rugs resulting in a much finer rug.

Silk is more durable than wool, and can be spun very fine to produce rugs that have a shiny finish and have a very detailed design much like a painting.  They are often hung as tapestries upon the wall and are very expensive.  BEWARE: There is also an artificial product called art silk, which is mercerized cotton, but it loses it shine and silk-like quality.  Do not buy this rug as it returns to its cotton quality with the first wash.

Most of the antique rugs often have cotton foundation, but some antique rugs have wool foundations.  Antique rugs are more rare, as well as, more desirable.  Newer rug foundations are mostly cotton.