Oriental Rugs – The Restoration Process

If you’re thinking of restoring an Oriental rug, you might be interested in the following factual information on restoring Oriental rugs.

“Perhaps the greatest reward in repairing oriental rugs is the knowledge that one is preserving something beautiful. And that the effort of repair and restoration benefits everyone who will find pleasure in viewing the rug." (Peter Stone)

Deterioration of an Oriental rug may be due to the following factors:

Chemical changes
Insect or microbial attack
Exposure to heat
Exposure to light
Exposure to moisture
The way an item is displayed or stored

Restoration of an Oriental rug is an attempt to return the rug to its original or first condition. However, the Oriental rug will never be fully restored to its original glory. Even if the restorer uses the same type of animal or vegetal fibres, the same spin and ply and the same construction features, the restored Oriental rug will never be identical to the original rug.
Key points for restoration of Oriental rugs seem to be age, integrity of the rug, and cost of restoration related to total worth.
There are two major categories of repair when restoring Oriental rugs. These involve two very different techniques:
Conservation – here the ultimate goal is preservation of the Oriental rug which is reversible
Restoration – here the goal is reconstruction of the Oriental rug which is invisible
Restorers are currently striving to develop methods of restoring Oriental rugs which satisfy the requirements of both categories - invisible restoration which is reversible.
Conservation is a conservative treatment, and the methods of attaching repair to the Oriental rug are delicate and minimal. Therefore the rug will not stand up to being walked on, or brushed with a vacuum, or even flexed in careless or frequent handling. If an oriental rug is very old, notable, or terribly damaged, restoration is probably inappropriate, at least if it is not easily reversible.
The judgment of your restorer, preferably one who has had years of experience in the use of different techniques and the knowledge to understand their appropriate application, is an invaluable guide in determining repair procedures for an oriental rug.
If you would like to obtain further information on the restoration of Oriental rugs, please contact Karel Weijand on 01252 726215 or email: carpets@karelweijand.com