WHY ARE TURKISH, PERSIAN AND ORIENTAL RUGS SO EXPENSIVE?

No one can question the beauty of a hand-made Persian, Turkish or Oriental Rug. There are many factors which contribute to the cost of such Rugs. Some of the most obvious considerations are:

•  Design and Weaving Skills - unique designs which are woven by skilled artisans – no one can really put a price on the talented artistry and technical expertise skills which are required to construct these Rugs.
• Production Costs - The high quality of natural materials (wool, silk, cotton) and organic, vegetable dyes used come at a considerable cost. In addition, a large loom is an expense which is is not usually considered.
• Material Costs -  The pre-construction efforts of shepherds, shearers, spinners and dye experts which have to be factored into the material costs.
• Recompensing the Weaver/s - The labor-intensive, time-consuming process of hand-weaving on a loom which has rendered the tradition of Rug weaving an increasingly uneconomical proposition.
• The Age of the Rug – Vintage and Antique Rugs cannot be reproduced and the tradition of Rug Weaving is, sadly, being replaced by commercial manufacture.
• The Origin of the Rug – due to modern-day, geo-political pressures, Rugs from some Countries / Regions are becoming very hard to source.
• Cultural and Historical Heritage  – hand-made Rugs from specific Countries / Region sall have a distinct footprint in time and bear testament to the traditions and living conditions of the place and time in which they were woven.

If we take Point 4 – The Labour costs of Hand-made Rug Weaving in 2024

• A 9 x 12 ft Rug priced at USD $3999.00.
• A 9 x 12 ft Rug is108 Square Feet, or 15,552 Square Inches (108 x 144)
• Let’s say that this Rug is of medium quality and has 150 Knots per Square Inch.
• 150 knots x 15,552 Square Inches = 2,332,800.
• So, one 9 x 12 rug has over Two Million Knots!!!
• A skilled weaver can weave about 5,000 knots/day.
• So, keeping that in mind, 2,332,800/5000 = 466 days. This is the time taken to weave the Rug.
• If 3 weavers work on a 9 x 12 ft Rug this equates to 466 days / 3 = 155 days per weaver.
• If 3 weavers work on a Rug 6 days a week, 155/6 = 25.86 weeks to complete the Rug.
• 25.86 weeks x 40 hours per week = 1034 hours per weaver or 3102 hours total!
• The average hourly rate of pay for a Rug Weaver in Turkey in 2024 is USD $ 3.57 (TRY 115)
• 3102 x USD $ 3.57 = USD $ 11074.00.
• This equates to USD $ 11074.00 for weaving time only!

 So, if we consider the fact that this figure does not include the cost of the wool, silk and cotton, or the cost to raise and sheer the sheep and spin and dye the wool, not to forget the design work, loom set-up and Rug finishing and washing, a Rug priced at USD $ 3999.00 is actually priced at 36% of the actual labour costs to produce it.

The same Rug, if woven in 2024 in the US where the average hourly wage rate is USD $ 22.53, would cost USD $ 69888.00, so USD 3999.00 is 5.72% of the actual labour costs to produce it.

And, as no one can dispute, the finished piece is a work of art, the value of which is inestimable.

 So, taking into account the amount of time, materials, care and craftmanship that goes into creating just a single handmade Rug, and the fact that these Rugs last for decades, you can’t deny the amazing value you are getting for your money!