What is my Favourite Rug?

I Finally Answer This Question!

So, there are a number of questions that regularly pop up in the showroom. And one of the most common is ‘Do you have a favourite rug?’

Now normally I try to avoid this question (usually for fear of sabotaging a potential sale!). It is also practically impossible for me to answer it as I only buy rugs that I really like. Furthermore, it constantly changes - one day it could be a fine Isfahan with great colours, the next it could be a quirky tribal rug with some funky animals.

However, it did get me thinking and, as it turns out, I do have a favourite. It is the only rug I have that is not for sale and I found it with a dealer a number of years ago. Watch the video below for the full story (and the big reveal!).

PS this isn’t in the video but I very nearly didn’t have it for very long. Just after I bought it, I was exhibiting at the Battersea Decorative Antiques fair and took this rug along. I then had a visit from one of the leading antique rug dealers in the world and showed it to him (as I was so proud). He then asked me the price and wanted to buy it which put me in a dilemma. I told him the story in the video above and he convinced me not to sell it to him (or anyone else for that matter). I am delighted that I took his advice!

Rugs Reunited!

A Tale of Two Rugs

Although I have been in this business for nearly 40 years, this is the first time this has happened to me.

I was visiting a dealer in London and he showed me this pretty Heriz runner, woven in north west Persia sometime in the 1920s. It was a sought after narrow width so I bought it straight away as they are very useful in narrow hallways. It needed a clean and a little work on the fringes so I took it to my restorer the following week. While I was there, I spotted another narrow Heriz runner which I also bought - it looked quite similar but I didn’t think anything of it.

When I collected the two rugs a fortnight later, my restorer took me aside and told me that he believed the 2 runners were woven by the same person, on the same loom, at the same time. The reasons for this are numerous and explained in this short video:

Considering that they turned up for sale in different places in the UK, this is what I believe may have happened:

  • Both woven in Heriz on the same loom by the same weaver in the 1920s.

  • At some point they would have been sold and exported to the UK.

  • They would then have been sold to separate people.

  • At some point, I suspect relatively recently, they would have then come back onto the market in two different locations.

  • They were then sold to 2 different dealers.

  • I found them, bought them and reunited them.

The next chapter of their story has yet to be written. Will they continue their incredible journey together or, once again, be separated and go their different ways?

An Antique Tribal Rug with a Famous Connection

My Shekarlu!

I don’t often write a blog about one particular rug but I couldn’t resist this one!

I have always wanted a rug woven by the Shekarlu tribe, however their rugs are few and far between and very difficult to find. On the odd occasion that one would appear, it would always be way out of my budget.

The Qashqai of south west Persia

The Shekarlu are a high ranking clan of the Qashqai tribe in south west Persia and are named after sugar (shekar), a rare and exotic substance throughout history. Their name literally means “sugar people” which suggests they had access to this prestigious resource. The sweetness has certainly inspired their rugs!

I spotted this rug in an auction in Berkshire. It was badly described, badly photographed but I knew immediately what I was looking at - an early 20th Century Shekarlu. The estimate was woefully inadequate and I wasn’t anticipating getting it for anything less than five times it’s upper estimate.

After an unsurprisingly ferocious bidding war, I managed to secure the rug and, once I’d collected it, I did a little online research and discovered something quite surprising.

Freud’s couch adorned with an antique Shekarlu rug

I knew that Sigmund Freud, as well as being the father of psychoanalysis, was known to have a bit of a Rug Addiction. What I didn’t know was that he had an antique Shekarlu rug on his couch! His rug, along with other possessions, travelled with him from Vienna to his new home in London in the late 1930s.

Although the central design is different, you can see from the images below that the border design is very similar and classic Shekarlu.

The two rugs have very similar borders

This rug has been sent to my restorer’s for some TLC and a bit of a clean. It will be on my website soon!

Why Antique Rugs Are Better for the Planet

Why Antique Rugs Are Better for the Planet

If sustainability and, well, the planet, are important to you, here's one main reason to consider buying an antique or vintage rug:

They already exist!

An antique rug doesn’t need any wool or dyes, is often transported fewer miles (most of the rugs I find are either in the UK or Western Europe), and won’t take decades to biodegrade when it’s eventually discarded. In fact, a simple wash and light repair can often bring these rugs back to their former glory.

So, what goes into making a new rug, and why isn't it necessarily great for the planet?

What Goes into the Fibres of a New Rug and How Does This Impact the Environment?

Wool

Wool needs sheep. Sheep need land, food, and water. They also produce methane, which is 28 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Water pollution is another concern - faecal runoff and the use of chemicals to treat parasites can contaminate waterways.

Cotton

Although not many rugs are made entirely of cotton, it’s worth mentioning since many rugs use cotton for the warps and wefts. Cotton is one of the most water-intensive crops, requiring about 10,000 litres of water to produce 1 kilogram of lint. This high demand strains water resources in arid areas, contributing to water scarcity. Additionally, cotton cultivation relies heavily on pesticides and fertilizers, which can pollute local water sources. Intensive cotton farming has even led to the desiccation of the Aral Sea, a stark example of environmental mismanagement.

Natural Silk

Silk production requires mulberry tree cultivation, which consumes water (though less than cotton). However, pesticides used in mulberry farming can also pollute waterways.

Bamboo Silk

Bamboo silk is often promoted as eco-friendly because it uses less water. However, its production involves significant chemical processing. Converting bamboo into viscose requires hazardous chemicals like carbon disulfide, which can have harmful environmental effects.

Acrylic, Polyester, Nylon, and Polypropylene

These synthetic fibres are derived from petrochemicals. They take centuries to decompose, often breaking down into microplastics that persist in the environment. Their production also contributes to fossil fuel consumption.

The Dyeing Process

Dyeing is the most water-intensive process in rug manufacturing. It’s estimated that you need 200 tonnes of water to process just 1 tonne of fabric. This water is used for preparing dye baths, rinsing, and washing, creating a significant environmental burden, especially in regions with scarce water resources. The wastewater produced often contains salts, heavy metals, and undissolved dyes, polluting rivers and other water bodies.

Washing and Finishing

This is the first stage where antique and new rugs share similarities. However, all you need for an antique rug is a little mild detergent and water. My antique rugs are washed in the UK, where environmental laws and water treatment processes are highly regulated. In contrast, many new rug weaving countries use environmentally harmful chemicals, and their runoff often ends up polluting local water supplies.

A particular concern is the artificially created “Vintage” rugs popular these days. These are often low-quality rugs treated with harsh chemicals and scrubbed to achieve a specific look. The chemicals used in this process frequently end up in the environment.

Decomposition of Rug Fibres

What happens when a rug is finally discarded? Here’s a rough estimate of decomposition times for different fibres:

Natural Fibres:

  • Wool: Biodegrades within 1–5 years under aerobic conditions; releases nutrients to soil but also ammonia.

  • Cotton: Decomposes in about 5 months but may release pesticides into the soil.

  • Natural Silk: Takes 1–2 years to biodegrade, breaking down into proteins.

Synthetic Fibres:

  • Nylon: Takes 30–40 years to degrade; contributes to microplastic pollution.

  • Polypropylene: Highly resistant to biodegradation, persisting for over 100 years.

  • Polyester: Can take over 200 years to decompose.

  • Acrylic: Breaks down into microplastics, persisting for centuries.

Is There a Downside?

One downside is that the antique rug market does not directly support current employment in rug-making regions. Buying new rugs from reputable manufacturers helps sustain artisans in these areas, providing critical employment opportunities where they are most needed.

Conclusion

Antique rugs aren’t just beautiful - they’re better for the planet. Next time you’re searching for a rug, consider one with history, charm, and an eco-friendly footprint.

Browse my collection of stunning antique rugs here!

Why does a rug change colour?

Have you ever wondered why a rug has various colour changes? 

People often think that it is either a defect or caused by fading (both mistaken) but there is a technical explanation. It is called ‘Abrash’ (other spellings are available) and this is what gives a good handmade rug it’s texture. If you look at a poor quality rug with chemical dyes, it looks ‘flat’ in comparison. In fact, many machine made rugs will try to artificially replicate the Abrash that you get in handmade rugs.

Abrash can take many forms, from the subtle colour changes in this antique Bakhtiar rug





to the more extreme you can see in this antique Caucasian rug



So, how and why does it occur?

Firstly, it is important to understand the basics of how a rug is woven.

Sheep is shorn ➡️  Wool is sorted and washed ➡️  Wool is spun and bundled ➡️ Wool is dyed ➡️ Rug is woven

Dyes

Natural dyes

Humans have been dyeing wool and other fibres for centuries, using natural products including plants, roots, nuts and even bugs! Chemical (or aniline) dyes were discovered in the mid 19th Century and began to be used in rugs from the 1870s, becoming widespread in the 1st quarter of the 20th Century.

Dyeing Process

Wool dyeing in Afghanistan

After the wool is spun and bundled, it is placed in small, wood-fired pots with the dye. The experienced dyer will then ascertain how long to leave the wool to achieve the required colour. This is mostly done using their experience and by sight. The bundles of wool will all absorb the dye slightly differently, according to many different factors - the temperature of the water, how long it has been left in the pot, even down to how tightly bound the bundle is.

Weaving

Rug Weaving in Pakistan

Once the wool is dyed, the weaver will start the rug from the bottom up. As they use up one bundle of wool, they will then start another. Although they may look identical, as we have seen above, each bundle will be slightly different, causing slight changes as they work up the rug (which is why Abrash always occurs horizontally rather than vertically). This continues until the rug is finished.

Antique Rugs

In addition to the natural variations at the point of weaving, dyes can change over time. If the weaver uses two batches of wool with different dye ingredients that look similar, they can fade at different rates over time, accentuating the difference in the colour.

Antique Malayer Rug

In this example of an antique Malayer rug, the rug would have been a uniform colour when woven, but one half has faded faster than the other.

Conclusion

Whilst abrash can take many forms, it invariably adds character and depth to any rug, both new and antique. It can also be an indication of good quality dyes (whether they are natural or aniline) and artisan production.

A little video explaining abrash