Home >> Collecting >> Antiques

How to Identify a Chinese Rug Which Was Handmade in China

In the 19th and early 20th century, European and political interest in the Chinese rug industry grew. China's large population was a ready source for cheap labor. Today, China's government controls the cost, production and quality of all rugs. Chinese rug making has been heavily influenced by many countries in designs and colors to meet world demands. Chinese rugs can be marked handmade but are actually not. There are some ways to check the rug you are interested in to see if it is a handmade Chinese rug.

Things You'll Need

Instructions

- 1
  
  Most handmade rugs are made with wool
  
  Note the colors used on Chinese rugs. You can recognize a Chinese rug by the six basic tints and various shadings of color: blue, ivory, gold, plum, rose and tan. This palette of colors is used to create a harmonious and delicate arrangement dominated by the blue and tan colors.
- 2
  
  The Chinese dragon is a common symbol
  
  Look for the medallion characteristically used as a design element on Chinese rugs. Chinese art seeks calligraphic form with both floral and geographic symbols. The medallion element is central to the design accompanied by four corners of medallions. These designs have no definite form and are not completed by pendants. The medallions are composed of an assembly of elements, mythical animals, flowers, and geometric figures grouped together in a circle.
- 3
  
  A rug is made by using a loom
  
  Break open the pile and look at the strands of threads used. If the rug has been wool machine spun the yarn will be uniform in diameter from the base of the strand to the tip. If it isn't then you are looking at a rug woven by hand. Handwoven rugs have a knot at the base of the pile.
- 4
  
  There are three kinds of knots: Spanish, Persian and Turkish
  
  Flip the rug on its back and look at the design. A hand-knotted rug will be slightly irregular. There would never be continuous, straight lines running the length of a hand-made carpet.
- 5
  
  Canvas will hide the back construction of a rug
  
  Take special notice if there is a backing made of canvas, jute or duck. Often a label is placed on the back, "hand-made in China." This can fool even the most knowledgeable buyer. These rugs are made with a handheld tufting gun. This technique is used to insert the yarn through a pre-fabricated foundation. From the initial appearance these rugs look handmade. A good rule to follow is: if a rug is handmade then the loops on the back should be completely visible.
- 6
  
  Is the fringe a continuation of the warp?
  
  Take a close look at the fringe. In machine made rugs the fringe is added to the body of the rug as opposed to a handmade rug where the fringe is actually a continuation of the warp.
- 7
  
  Chinese calligraphy is fluid
  
  Look at the selvedges. This is the side edges of the carpet or rug. In handmade rugs they are wrapped by hand. On copies they are machine applied.

Antiques