Rug Insider Magazine
News for the Rug and Carpet Professional 
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Rug Insider's InAntiques kicked off 2023 with a look at various segments of the area rug industry, running the gamut from high end hand-knotted antique rugs to more economically priced machine-made and tufted rugs. Regardless of which end of the price spectrum one is looking at, an increasingly important decision for buyers and sellers has become not just what type of rugs they want to what locations they want to buy them from.
When we talk about area rugs, whether new reproduction rugs or the antique originals on which they are based, one of the most common ways of categorizing them is by their level of fineness.
Specifically, the fineness we refer to is the fineness of weave density, with the finest rugs being those with the tightest weave density. In the West, we often express this level of weave density in terms of KPSI, or knots per square inch. In the East, the more traditional expression is in terms of RAJ, or knots per 7 centimeters. The higher the KPSI or RAJ, the finer the rug.
In the summer issue of Rug Insider Magazine, the InFOCUS feature spotlighted the red rugs of today. When thinking of red rugs though, perhaps the first rug style to come to mind would be the red colors found in Antique Persian Sarouk carpets, which in many ways, are the true definition of the Classic Red Rug.
In this article, we will be exploring the history of antique Persian Sarouk Rugs, as well as some of the most prevalent variations of the Classic Sarouk Carpet, and what differentiates one type from another.
Within the wide world of oriental rugs, one could rightly say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as each person has their own criteria as to what makes one type of rug more beautiful or desirable than another.
Is a rug’s beauty defined by the intricacy of its design, with the most intricate designs being the best? By the fineness of its weave, with the finest weave being the best? By the richness of its color palette, with the brightest and most colorful being the best?
In the Winter 2022 issue of RUG INSIDER Magazine, one of the questions explored is that of the New Traditionals, as the question is asked, are today’s buyers sticking with Modern designs and colors, or are they returning to more Traditional styles?
For many years, the trend in the area rug trade has been to move away from Classic Traditional Designs, with their bolder colors, centralized stylistic elements, and busy fields, and to move toward more Modern designs, which tend to be characterized by softer, more subdued colors, and decentralized, uncluttered designs, often taking an Abstract form.
The rug business has always depended on trust. Customers place that trust carefully, often after long consideration, because the products we sell are not disposable. A well-made rug is meant to last decades, sometimes generations. That durability is part of the value proposition, but it also creates a quiet challenge for retailers: once the sale is complete, there is little reason for the customer to return.
This is not a failure of retail. It is a structural reality of the category. Rugs do not wear out quickly, styles do not change overnight, and most customers are not constantly shopping for replacements. Without an ongoing reason to engage, even the best relationships fade into the background. A showroom becomes a memory rather than a destination.
Rug washing changes that dynamic.
There are endless debates among vendors, collectors and enthusiasts of vintage and antique rugs as to which of these styles is the best. We have discussed in previous issues the differences in the fineness of the weave of a rug, with some defining fineness based on weave density, others defining it based on intricacy of design, and yet others defining based on the unique artistry of a given carpet. Thus, there are many different opinions as to which antique rug style can definitively be called the finest.
There is poetry in knots. A thread that connects us from material, to color, to form. The right rug stirs the subconscious. You almost don’t know why you love it, you just do. Rugs call to artistic souls who hunger for beauty. Jane Rohr is one such soul. As co-owner of the Scarab in Minturn, Colorado, Jane has made her life in the rug world. She’s organically intertwined art, craft, and commerce, resulting in a thriving business that commands a loyal following.