The traditions of woven carpets have existed for many centuries. The oldest surviving carpet is the Pazyryk carpet, which is more than two thousand years old. It was discovered by Russian Professor Rudenko in 1949 during excavations of burial mounds in the Altai Mountains in Siberia. This carpet had been preserved purely by chance. Soon after it had been placed in the burial mound, grave robbers raided the mound. They ignored the carpet and water poured into the mound through the opening they left, and froze, thus protecting the carpet from decay. The weave of the carpet is of such high quality that it is pretty obvious that carpet weaving was a highly efficient art. There are many such carpets that fall in the category of antique carpets.

Many variables contribute to qualifying a carpet as an antique or collectable. Even emotions come into play. With rarity and age, the value of a hand knotted carpet increases making it worthy of being a collectable, as it has investment potential. In general, carpets over 35 years are considered old, over 60 years, semi antique and over 100 years, antique. It should be noted that while antiquity influences the worth of a carpet, other factors like condition, design, quality, density, uniqueness and rarity are equally important. Prudent sourcing through trade fairs, auctions and private business relations have resulted in the acquisition of some highly coveted pieces for the more discerning carpet lover.

Antique rugs must not be mistaken with reproduction carpets. Reproduction carpets are precise copies of old and antique masterpieces. They are not the actual antique pieces but made exactly the same as the antique versions.

Dealing with antique carpets can be overwhelming especially when one is trying to pick out an antique to suit a particular style. When selecting an antique, decide the kind of mood and theme that you are trying to achieve. With this in mind, it will be easier to narrow down on your choices and ultimately selecting the perfect carpet.