asassa

The Art of Repair

Finding a good,reliable and skillful restorer is always difficult. The best tend to be especially expensive and the mediocre are inconsistent. Generally,the dearer the cost of the restoration the better the result so it is hard to comparison shop for a restorer. Good repair work was always costly in the past is even more expensive today because they are less good restorers and less good pieces so expect to pay more than one might think is appropriate. It is best not to scrimp on restoring an important piece.

A repair may be very good and a customer may believe it is bad or a poor restoration may be over appreciated. For example, a hole is usually round but the restorer may cut a small area around it to match the design or colors.Sometimes the area may be rotten so the repair gets larger. Restorer must explain the result to the clients before he starts the work.So clients has an idea how the work will be.A small hole may get larger restoration and may be an excellent repair, but a client might think it is overdone.

Repairs should be made in order to maintain the integrity of the rug. Collectable,early and important pieces should not be overrestored.They must conservate very gently and keep originals as much as possible. Holes that have been stitched up must genlty open and replace foundations. Selvedges should only be replaced if they cannot be expeditiously salvaged. Worn areas can be protected by adding old wool to the surface of the carpet. This procedure is called repiling or as “khav.

A perfect restoration must match the design, color and the texture of the rest of the rug .There are still restorers use old techniques of repair. Despite certain age-old remedies used by those restorers to blend it with the rest of the carpet, such as slight staining with tea or singeing with a flame.This kind of operations damage carpets and bad for the nature of the rug.All materials must be natural and organic as the time the carpet has been woven.

A reliable old carpet dealer should be contacted to see if a rug merits repair. The majority of dealers are objective in the performance of this valuable service which should not cost too much money. But some of them may ask you not to repair the piece but exchange with a rug from their collection.But the piece may worth much more than they think.This is one of the reason why we have this website.
The dealer should be able to recommend a restorer that is honest, reliable and competent, and other dealers may be asked for their opinions . One must be patient as a good restoration takes time. Major repair should not be done at cleaning facilities because they generally do not have qualified restorers capable of handling difficult jobs at a fair price.

REPILING

The term repiling means the replacement of lost, badly damaged or worn knots and the reinsertion of the pile with a lot of patient. The amount of patience required depends on the size of the damaged area and the fineness of the weave in the rug to be repaired.

Damage to the pile can be made by moths,continual traffic on one or more parts of the rug resulting in wear or by fire. Moths usually devour the woollen parts of oriental rugs; where the warp, weft and pile are all of wool the moth will eat through them completely, leaving a hole. If the foundation is of cotton, the damage will only extend as far as the pile.

Rugs in use on the floor often receive heavy wear in one or two particular areas, due to their continual exposure. These areas will, therefore, show signs of wear earlier than the rest of the rug. A common occurrence is the wearing of a rug around the legs of a dining room table yet the centre of the rug remains in good condition.

Rugs may also need repiling as a result of burn damage from cigars or cigarettes and burnt cinders from an open wood or coal fire. Rugs with a thick pile obviously receive less damage than those with a short nap. If the burn has only singed the very uppermost ends of the pile and the knot basically remains intact, the burnt tips of the fibers should be trimmed with curved scissors. This will leave the trimmed area with a slightly lower length of pile than the rest of the rug, but this does not matter as it does not normally affect the beauty or stability of the rug. However, if the burn has damaged the actual base of the knots, this area will have to be cleaned of the damaged knots and new ones will have to be reinserted. Where the burn is even more serious and the warp and weft threads have been destroyed by fire, this will require reinsertion of new warp and weft threads before the repiling process can be executed.

How to Repile

To carry out a lasting repiling job, it is essential that the warp and weft (the foundation) be firm, undamaged and in good condition. Damaged warp or weft threads cannot support the insertion of new knots and must therefore be replaced. Rugs must first be cleaned before repiling is carried out. If the pile is not cleaned first and then is cleaned after repiling, the yarns, which once matched will no longer match for the original likeness in colour was made with a dirtied colour.

Natural fibres, like wool and silk, of comparable colour, quality and age should be selected for the replacement of the pile. Man-made fibres should not be used even if they provide the perfect colour match. Matching the fibres should be done in a natural light as fluorescent light distorts the shading. We have good selections of yarns at our workshop in different quality type of wool and silk for different rugs like Angora wool, Kashan wool, Heriz silk and needlepoint wool all vegetable-dyed. We know it is worthwhile taking time over and over for the selection of the matching fibres as a well-matched yarn is one of the secrets of an invisible repiling job.

When we start repiling; we remove the remains of any knots left within the damaged area. Moths usually digest the wool from the front (but sometimes the back) of the rug, but part of the knot will remain trapped between the warp and weft threads. Particles of damaged knots will also remain in the cases of wear or burns. We remove the damaged or partly damage knots by inserting a needle from the front of the rug between the warp and weft threads and the remainder of the knot will then fall away at the back. Then we determine whether the type of knot used on the rug is Persian or Turkish as the new knot should match the original knot. With a threaded needle or hook re-knot the pile into the damaged area with the correct knot. Following the colour and design is made easy by following the design of a similarly patterned area elsewhere in the rug (often at the opposite end as many rugs are symmetrical). Examine the similar design from the back and count the number of knots used in each colour per horizontal line, for example, two blue, three red, two blue four brown and so on. With the correct colour for each stitch, work horizontally in the same manner. As each knot is re-inserted, leave the loose threads about half inch longer than the rest of the pile. When the damaged area has been completely repiled it should be lightly ironed from the back with a warm iron in order to settle the newly-knotted pile into position. With a pair of curved scissors carefully and evenly trim longer threads to the same height as the rest of the pile of the rug.

Repiling is a true life saver adding years to the life of a rug. The pile covers the bare foundation of the rug and prevents it from disintegrating.

SELVEDGES AND CORDS

After the warp threads have been strung on the loom,the first stage in rug making is the weaving of the kilim ends or selvedge. This is achieved by weaving a weft thread in and out of the taut warp threads which, when beaten down with a heavy metal comb to form the kilim ends. Like the fringe, the kilim end acts as a protective barrier and they are truly beauty at most of tribal rugs such as Beluchs and Turkomans.When one of the weft threads in the kilim work begins to work loose, there is cause for alarm. One by one, the weft threads will break away from the rug until the actual knotted pile is reached. This in turn will begin to disappear, knot by knot, row by row, causing serious damage. When there is no kilim end left at all, the weft threads are loose and the knots are already beginning to disappear, the situation is more serious and needs restoration. We carefully remove any knots which are loose until there is an undamaged and complete weft thread passing on top of a row of knots. Remove only the loose knots,preserving as much of the rug as possible. Then we add new warps by needle and add wefts with best matching color and material. Then secure where the last weft line ends. This is reweaving the missing or damaged area and stop the loss.

In most oriental rugs, the side cords are formed by two or more warp threads additionally bound and secured by the weft threads. As the rug is knotted row by row, so the weft thread secures the knots and binds the cords. On most rugs, the side cords have an extra woollen binding besides the weft threads. The side cords have no resilient pile and, acting as the exterior guards to the rug, they receive constant wear and tear; therefore, side cords will often be the first areas requiring attention.

Damaged side cords are also cause for concern needs action taken immediately. If left unrepaired, the cords may break away completely from the rest of the rug and, with the pile unprotected, the knots will then fall away. Side cords should be checked regularly and carefully, for they may often be damaged without appearing so.

There are different materials used for cords like wool, cotton and goat hair. Specially Beluch and Turkoman rugs has goat hair cords so we use exactly the same material for repair.

Water Damage

Most varieties of Oriental rugs have wool pile, but many have cotton warp and weft (the warp is the foundation upon which knots are tied to create the pile; the weft runs over and under warp strings between rows of knots to strengthen the rug from side to side). This cotton foundation can be weakened, and sometimes actually rotted, if the rug is wet repeatedly and not properly dried.

A common cause of such damage occurs when potted plants are placed directly on a rug. The plant is watered regularly, the pot leaks, and the rug under the pot stays permanently damp. Within two or three weeks the foundation of the rug can become so weak that chunks can be torn from the affected area by hand. If you use planters near a rug, try to place them on a slim legged stool, or a caster-based support that lets you see under the pot and allows for ventilation. After watering the plant check to be sure the rug under it is completely dry.

Another form of water damage can affect rugs used in a basement or other area below grade level. If the basement floods the potential for damage is obvious. The rug must be removed quickly, properly cleaned, and allowed to dry completely. A more insidious form of damage can be caused by using a rug over a damp floor (as is often the case if the floor is cement). Even though the floor is not noticeably wet to the touch, there can be enough moisture to allow microorganisms to flourish in the material of the warp and weft and to degrade the strength of the rug’s foundation.

A rug damaged in this way will often feel peculiarly stiff when manipulated. The rug will sometimes be so stiff it will be difficult to roll, and if you listen carefully to the back of the carpet when it is creased or folded, you can often hear the cracks and popping noises made by breaking warp and weft fibers.

Oriental Persian Carpets

Persian rugs are woven by two different types as Persian tribal rugs-the Qashqais, Afsharis, Baluchis, Bakhtiaris, Shahsevans and Kurds-and  those whose view of beauty is encompassed within the finely woven Persian city rug.Collectors of one type usually have no interest in rugs of the other type.Most of tribal rug collectors think Persian city rugs are too polished,ultimately boring.In the other hand city rug collectors finds the tribal material coarse,unsubtle and altogether unsuitable for use as interior decor.

Contact Us

GADY’S ORIENTAL RUG GALLERY-USA

36 EAST 31st STREET

FLOOR 6,SUITE 605

NEW YORK

NY 10016

TEL: 1-732.492.3683

GADY’S ORIENTAL RUG GALLERY-TURKEY

KLODFARER CAD.ALTAN ISMERKEZI

KAT:3 NO 56 SULTANAHMET

ISTANBUL

TURKEY

TEL: 0090-212.4584525

Good Work

Such a lovely piece…Green is amazing – Aubusson from Greek Islands – Metal thread,silk foundation and fine as a silk rug.

Services

Free Delivery

Free Rug Repair Estimate

Antique Rugs, Kilims and Tapestry Restoration

Fringe Repair & Replacing

Rug Reweaving

Rips and Slits

Color Bleeding

Pet Damage (Dog Chewing, Cat Scratching)

Cleaning & Washing

Blocking (Sizing Old rugs)

Appraisal services

Moth Proofing

Consultation

Water Damage Restoration

Ancient Pazyryk Carpets

The world’s most ancient pile carpet was found in the largest of the Pazyryk burial mounds. Its decoration is rich and varied: the central field is occupied by 24 cross-shaped figures, each of which consists of 4 stylized lotus buds. This composition is framed by a border of griffins, followed by a border of 24 fallow deer. The widest border contains representations of work-horses and men.

The once bright reds, dark blues and greens of the carpet are now faded, but must originally have provided a glowing range of colours.

Related articles

• Good Questions: Scrabble Rugs?
• Good Questions: Un-kink this Rug?
• Good Questions: Can An Apartment Look Good With Beige Carpet?Los Angeles

Why Oriental Rugs?

Oriental rugs add beauty and luxury to any home, while their increasing scarcity makes them a valuable investment.With fewer rugs available, those that are deserve the same respect and attention given to other works of art.Correct selection,care and cleaning will keep a rug in good condition,lengthen its useful life,assure its investment value and allow it to be used and enjoyed by generations to come.

Each handmade rug is unique;it is an individual creation of an artist and craftsman.The genius who creates a rug has to follow up his initial concept with months and sometimes years of hard and patient work to embody his moment of inspiration.Thus,every rug stands as a testimony to the infinite care,enthusiasm,skill and pleasure of an often unknown artist who may have worked far away in a different age and place and yet whose aesthetic values can still be vividly experienced and shared today.

Little is known of the development of rug weaving over the next 1500 years.  Certainly,the craft spread throughout Asia and the Middle East through Turkey and up into the Caucasus,along North Africa and into Spain.From these countries,differing types of weaving emerged.Nomadic tribesmen wove rugs for their own domestic use.Rugs were also made in villages and weaving became a cottage industry with scope for making larger and also more delicate rugs;these rugs might be bartered or traded with travelling merchants.Large towns sprang up and the most skillful weavers gravitated towards them.Here,with the encouragement of merchants,rug making became an industry and weavers were organized in groups to supply custom works of art to order,often woven with the finest silks.Finally,powerful rulers,anxious to encourage the arts and thereby enchance their personal prestige,set up court workshops in which magnificent rugs were woven for the palace;some of the greatest artists of the time designed such rugs.In 16th century Persia the splendid baroque palace rugs were created which are now housed in the world’s most prestigious museums.A number of 15th and 16th century groups of Turkish rugs are indeed still called after such artists as Holbein and Lotto in whose paintings they appear.

The art of rug weaving in Persia began to decline from the second half of the seventeenth century as the country became involved in successive wars with the Turks.This decline was largely in the area of rugs commissioned for the court and rug weaving in the towns was not curtailed.This declining trend accelerated by the Afghan occupation of 1722,was not reversed until the foundation of the Qajar dynasty by Agha Mohammed in 1974.In Turkey rug weaving showed no such break.

In the seventeenth and early eighteenth century rugs were made in the Caucasus including the famous Dragon rugs.Distinguished pieces were also woven during this period in Eastern Turkestan and posibly in China.

With the eclipse of the great Persian palace rugs the tradition of weaving was carried on into the nineteenth century by nomads and village craftsmen in Persia.In the nineteenth century quality and artistic merit started to recover and the manufactureof pile rugs began to prosper as trading links developed with the rich areas of industrial Europe.Trading reached its peak in the late part of the century but by the end of the century rug producion in many areas of Persia began to decline due to overcommercialization and the advent of the first chemical dyes.Nevertheless good and sometimes excellent rugs have been made in the twentieth century.As Persia industrialized inevitably the output of all handmade rugs in the traditional areas declined.Industry,mechanization and prosperity have enticed the weavers from their looms.The discovery of oil in Iran effected a complete change, many onetime weavers became employed by the oil and other industries at excellent hourly wages.

Rugs are still being made in most of the established rug-weaving countries but the production of rugs of high artistic merit is limited.Needless to say the price of such works when avaible is high and the law of supply and demand is pushing prices ever higher.Today hand-knotted rugs varying quality are made on a commercial basis in many areas including India,Pakistan,Romania,China and Nepal.Although rugs from these areas are not comparable with those of the past,they are playing an important role in the market today,giving the rug lover a chance to own and enjoy a handmade rug at a reasonable price.