Know exactly what you own
Origin, construction, materials, and age — the physical evidence a conservator reads to identify a rug, explained so you can read it yourself.
- Age & Authenticity
How to Identify a Vintage or Antique Rug
What separates a genuine antique from a reproduction — the checks a conservator runs before calling any rug antique.
Ghorban Ahmadi4 min readApril 23, 2026 - Construction & Knots
How to Tell if a Rug Is Handmade — 5 Tests a Conservator Uses
The flip test, fringe test, irregularity test, edge test, and weight test — five checks that separate hand-knotted from machine-made, no tools required.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Construction & Knots
Persian Knot vs Turkish Knot
The asymmetric Senneh and symmetric Ghiordes knots — how each is tied, what each enables, how to identify which your rug uses, and the jufti shortcut to watch for.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Construction & Knots
Rug Knot Density Guide: What KPSI Really Means
How to count knots per square inch yourself, the quality tiers from coarse village to museum grade, and why density alone never determines value.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Materials & Dyes
What Is Abrash? The Color Variation That Proves Authenticity
Why the color shifts within a single field of a handmade rug, how to tell abrash from fading and dye bleed, and why collectors prize it.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Materials & Dyes
How to Read Rug Labels
Decoding country of origin, the misleading terms — "Persian design," "wool blend," art silk — and what no label can tell you about a rug.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Age & Authenticity
How to Date an Antique Rug
Dating clues in the dyes, the wear, the design, and the back of the rug — and how to spot a new rug artificially aged to look antique.
Ghorban Ahmadi - Origins & Motifs
Rug Motif Meanings: The Symbols Woven into Your Rug
Boteh, herati, gul, tree of life, medallion, dragon — what the major motifs mean, how they shift by region, and how they identify a rug’s origin.
Ghorban Ahmadi