Q: I bought this used rug about 15 years ago. I wondered if you could identify it for me and tell me what it is worth. One end is starting to fray, otherwise it is not very worn. The rug measures about 31 by 61 inches, and has the original Iran Cotton tag.
A: What you have is a Persian Sarouk from the late 1920s or early 1930s. The piece is very nice and has a somewhat unusual size. Most of these pieces were painted in New York when they came into the country. The American market wouldn’t support the “pinkish” color and the pieces were painted red by immigrant workers. This piece appears to be unpainted, which is also somewhat rare. I’d say that at retail here in this store we might sell this carpet for between $1500 and $1800.
