The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1900-08-24
THE ANTIQUE RUG.
n is RARE AND COSTLY AND is FIRE.
OUENTLY COUNTERFEITEO.

Those of Highest Value Come From
Persia and India-The Colors Never
Fade - The Bank Presidents Per-
sim Rug.
To be the IOssessor of an antique rug
is the ambition of many and the achieve
ment of few. OF those who congratulate
themselves upon their ownership of such
valued article many would have the
bubble pricked in an instant if they were
to submit their rug to an expert.
There are not 200 genuine antique
rugs for sale in this country" is the
statement Of one Of the most experienced
men in the business. Those who own
them hold on to them, for their value in-
creases every day. To be an antique
a rug must be at least 100 years old. so
what do people mean by coming to ME
and saying that they have an antique rug
which they bought when it was new 20
years before?
"One man thinks because a rug looks
little dingy and because he pays Il good
price for it that it is q genuine antique,
but new rugs are doctOred to give them
the appearance of age. See this one. 1t
has been sent here to be repaired, and
the owner believes that it is real an
tique, but it mas the dry rot. | can tear
it, and | could not do that if it were real.
DOctored rugs are put in a boiling solu-
tion with an infusion that gives the yel-
lowish cast, such as this one has. Al
ways beware of a rug with that tone.
1t is likely to have been treated, and that
will ruin it for wear.
"A bank president bought handsome
rug for his Office, paying $3.50 for it.
knew that il was modern rug the min
ute | laid my eyes on ii, but he thought
| was mistaken. One night there was Il
fire in the rooms above the bank, and
three inches of water stood on the rug
for several hours. If it had been what it
was said to be it would have come out
of its bath as good as ever, but, being
counterfeit, the water ruined it. The
insurance company found it out and re-
fused to pay the $3.50. The firm that sold
the rug was threatened with exposure
and suit for selling the rug as an antique
and decided to take it back and refund
the money.
The best rugs come from Persia and
are named after the provinces in which
they are made. Once in awhile a rug
that IS made in certain province has
the appearance of one made in another.
ana the only way one can tell to which
class 1t really belongs is to diSSect ii and
find how the knots are tied. The man
ner of making these rugs has come down
from generation to generation and from
century to century. The same patterns
persist and are done in the same colors.
The people are not inventive; neither are
they initiative. They know how to do
one thing well, and they keep on doing it
as long as they live, and their children
take it up when they lay it down. A
few years ago aniline dyes were introduc
ed into Persia, and wall of despair
went up from artistic people everywhere.
The exports from Persia fell off, and
the shah, on learning the cause, forbade
the importation of these dyes. and so the
native rug and carpet makers have gone
back to their beautiful vegetable dyes
that will endure forever.
'The colors Of the best oriental rug !
never fade The dust and other foreign
particles that they accumulate in the
course of time soften the original col
ors, but nothing of their primal quality
is really lost. Moreover, they can be
NiNN4iNh NhOlpuShly ONcI anu over, anu
neither the texture nor the coloring will
be the worse for it.
"The Persans will do nothing aside
from their own methods, but the people
of India are excellent at copying and
will reproduce rug from a colored de-
sign, if they do not have the original, so
perfectly that one cannot be told from
the other. They are able even to get the
time softened effects in copying from the
old rug. Two rugs are being made in In
dia to match a large sixteenth century
rug for one of the Vanderbilts, the de-
sign having been sent from here.
Another rich family is having rugs for
their entire house made in India from
designs prepared by an artist to match
the furniture and decorations, almost all
being in the French renaissance style,
although this is against the advice of
architect and decorator.
"Geod antiques cost hundreds and many
of them thousands of dollars; $4,000 and
$4,000 are not exorbitant for rugs of
good size and quality.
For $4,000 you may buy a lovely
silken rug whose authentic history is lost
In antiquity. but it is supposed to have
been made by a princess. as no one else
would have had time enough to weave it.
There are about 1,200 knots to the inch.
almost all the old patterns have been
repeated and are still being used. the ex-
ceptions being those of a few rugs in the
mosques. of which no copies are permit
ted.
"The Armenians have brought over a
great many spurious rugs within the last
few years and have demoralized taste
and trade. The wool in these rugs is
colored with the mineral dyes, and the
weaving is less skillful. New York
Press.