It’s Best to Buy a Kilim for Its Looks, Not as Investment

It is unwise to assume that a kilim is rare or well-designed because it is old; there have always been both good and bad artisans.

While antique kilims are sometimes purchased as investments, those who deal in them say it’s best to buy a kilim because you like it rather than because you believe it will appreciate in value.

There are four basic categories of kilims:

* Antique flat-weaves made more than 100 years ago;

* Old kilims, made this century, which clearly show different tribes and regions;

* Modern, commercially produced kilims, woven in village workshops, often to retail specifications, and

* New facsimiles being produced in Turkey and surrounding areas. These are traditional in style and form but are made commercially. Usually they are made with synthetic dyes, but often it is done so well that it is difficult to tell them from those made with natural dyes.

For price advice, consult the periodicals Hali and the Oriental Rug Review for prices paid worldwide in the major auction houses.

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In caring for kilims, regular vacuuming is important, but not with an upright vacuum cleaner because it can increase the wear. A good shaking once or twice a year removes dust and grit.

Care has to be taken with washing, because natural dyes will run; it’s often better to have a dusty kilim than one with colors running into each other. If they do run, however, it is possible that a good carpet cleaning company can rectify it.

A pad must be put under a kilim that is used on a bare floor. It not only stops the rug from slipping, it also prolongs its life.