When a decision has been made to buy an oriental carpet for the first time, the most pleasurable of all shopping experiences is about to begin. However, to avoid entering into a minefield of disappointment, a reasonable amount of research on your part will be required, along with examination of your inner-self regarding your preferred carpet designs and colors. There have been instances where some people, on a first-time buying mission to a carpet shop, think unequivocally that they know exactly what type of carpet they want. Their apparent confidence can either be a result of leafing through an assortment of carpet books or from viewing carpets belonging to friends.
Interestingly, this newly acquired confidence of what carpet to buy can quickly unravel and become peppered with holes like an old rug when the person enters the shop. The cause for this major shredding of confidence is that both the eye and the mind is put out of synchronization when confronted by wave after wave of soft and bold colored carpets that collectively radiate their designs with an awe-inspiring resonance. Such an extensive display of woven art quickly becomes overwhelming to the point that an individual can find it difficult to focus on any particular carpet.
The inability of the first time buyer to identify many of the carpets on display simply adds to the confusion. Regardless of whether you are a first time buyer or not, one thing is certain: The curvilinear, classic wool carpets from Iran will lure you, the dark reds and browns of the Afghans with their informally simplistic, geometric patterns will appeal to your rustic and practical sensitivities, the elegant silk Qums will entice you to unveiling the grandiose part of your personality.
The sharp-eyed salesman will sense your awe mixed with confusion and pounce with the speed of a cat catching a mouse. He will roll carpets before your eyes and at the same time he will methodically watch your reactions. He observes you while you observe his carpets. The salesman reads your body language at this early stage of carpet perusal like a book. He will know in minutes which carpet to put before you and by how much he can subtly push you over your budget. It is at this defining moment that you should rest control of your emotions and not buy anything. Many people have bought carpets at this vulnerable stage only to realize later that it was their awe mixed with confusion that said yes to the salesman and not necessarily their own unbridled ability to choose.
A more pragmatic approach that will in essence deliver to you your ideal handmade carpet, while maintaining your confidence to choose and barter, would be to visit as many carpet shops as possible. Look at their entire range and compare prices, quality and service with previously visited shops. Try to focus on a particular type of carpet that appeals to you, be it curvilinear or geometric. Look at similar carpets in other shops and compare the workmanship, the overall quality and the price.
Remember, classic Persian curvilinear designs usually radiate a formal, precise, symmetrical effect along with very consistent coloring. Geometric tribal type designs should appear uncomplicated and relaxed. These designs are at their best when illuminated with soft warm colors that may have progressive color tone changes (abrash) throughout the carpet. Do not entirely listen to the salesman. Listen to yourself and ask yourself questions, e.g., Do you like the design? Is there a sufficient amount of knots to give the carpet’s design focus and clarity? Are the colors to your liking and do they contrast with the other colors of the carpet? If it is a wool carpet you are looking at, stroke the wool pile with your hand and make sure that the wool feels soft and full-bodied to see if the wool has retained its natural oils.
If you are still undecided, request that you take the carpet home on trial for a few days. Should this request be refused, move onto another shop. Taking carpets home on a trial basis is a great advantage for the carpet buyer. Carpets viewed during the evening under bright artificial lighting take on a totally different hue when viewed during the daytime under natural light. Viewing carpets with this aesthetic and technical approach is not unlike the art collector who views the brush strokes of a painting to help him or her determine the quality of the painting as well as the painter.
Moreover, some people impose unfair restrictions on themselves when viewing carpets. The most common one being that the carpet they really like does not go with the wallpaper, furniture or color scheme back at home. So many people have denied themselves their ideal carpet because of this reason and it always comes back to haunt them. If you ever find yourself in this predicament, then consider this — a carpet is for a lifetime if not for generations. Furniture, wallpaper and color schemes change often through a person’s life span. Thus, if the carpet that you desire so much does not fit in at home due to the reasons mentioned above, buy it anyway. You can always adjust your color schemes to suit your carpet at a later stage.
Another important area to consider when purchasing a carpet is its size. The size of your carpet will determine how desirable it will be for resale in the future, should you consider selling it, that is. For instance, a very large carpet that completely fills a room is then restricted for use in a room of similar size only. This will restrict your carpet’s appeal for requisition. In other words, people with large houses need only apply. On the other hand, if you select a carpet that will fit in most rooms within the house, your carpet becomes desirable to a far greater majority of homeowners.
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(Send comments to [email protected], or visit www.warpsandwefts.com.)
— Arab News Features 2 January 2003