as a person who has had almost any type rug you can think of, ill break it down for you.. sisals and jutes might be nice at first but over time, and within a couple years or so, the fibers tend to break down because of how rough or "scratchy" they are. i had some good quality ones before in my old beach house and they ended up frayed. this was not even used that much, no pets or kids at the time they can run expensive sometimes , sometimes you luck out and find an ok one but typically they are not cozy or soft on the feet. ive spilled my share of everything on them and after a while you see the stains if you think about it, they are somewhat plain and fit with every decor but their downsides in comfort, cleaning, maintenance and quality is par none to an authenthic good quality persian the oriental/persian rugs ive had all lasted for decades, they are inconspicous to dirt, stains, (because there are so many colors and patterns that you cant ever tell if someone spilled wine or spaghetti,) and despite being made of wool and tightly woven , they are actually soft , cozy or at worst, bearable to your feet as for decor, i used to stay away from persians because i thought theyre more classic , traditional or not modern enough for me, but it really is true when they say it fits with almost any decor. they are meant to be an added value to the room or subtle "star"to the room i think their price is worth it in the end because they havent ever let me down in terms of quality, color vibrancy, feel/touch and design. oh and dont let me.get into shags. i really like them but theyre like jute/sisal in that they look nice at first for a few years but then they collect so much hidden dust and grime and look faded after heavy traffic use you dont want to see my shag rugs now lol or my old sisal for that matter theres a reason persian rugs are timeless and ageless

I went out one last time today, and found another rug. Now I have 2 "finalists", neither being without faults! The new choice has a mostly very light golden oak background a little lighter than the floor for both the main field and the main border--in other words, it seems to be a bit too much of the same thing. It has a black edge, black in the background of the two 1-1/2" borders on each side of the main border, and black scattered about in small doses throughout some of the rest of the design, including part of the medallion. Most of the medallion is a rust color that is close enough to the henna in my other rug that it looks ok. There's very little green in this rug. It's a beautiful densely knotted rug. Negatives-- this rug doesn't look good with the paint (we're not repainting!) or the furniture, and when the sun shines, watch out!-- it really looks like a bright gold, and it costs more. Other than the intensity of the light colored background, this rug seems to balance with the other two rugs as far as the overall look, and it looks better at night. So if we never had the money to replace the 9x12, I wouldn't feel like the room is out of whack. The "black" rug--the other colors in it look good with the paint, the coverings on the chairs that go around the table on it, the present sofa, the other rug in the same room, and the floor. The only negative is that it makes that part of the room so dark, especially at night, that I can almost feel the floor tilting down over there! Also, it seems to be too much for the blue (which looks gorgeous in the daytime, and dark at night) in the DR. If I choose this rug, it seems like my only choice to balance all three rugs would be to get a dark rug to replace the 9x12, and I really don't like the idea of 3 dark rugs. annz, the design of all of the rugs is somewhat related. The experienced daughter of the owner of the decades old place where I got the one rug has been very helpful, given the various constraints I have in choosing this rug. If you could see the color this floor makes the rugs appear, you'd probably understand why I'm giving it the importance I am. Your email did not show up on the screen, BTW. sujafr, thanks for the explanation for posting pictures. DH said he'd try to help me get some pictures loaded some time tomorrow. ideefixe, I'm not looking for antique tribal rugs, just handmade ones with traditional designs. Your suggestion to have a carpet company make a rug for the time being is a good one, except that I need the rug by Sunday! Thank you all for your posts. I hope I'll have the pictures up tomorrow. Anne

shipping on EBTH..agree wholheartedly..unless you're next to it and can pick it up.. (smaller things make sense. big rug..) found another site http://handknotted.com/kazak-rugs?cvosrc=ppc.google.%2Bkazak%20%2Brug&cvo_crid=233257902600&Matchtype=b&cvo_adgroup=49238767896&cvo_cid=987892749&cvo_copy=233257902600%2Bkazak%20%2Brug&cvo_campaign=Persian|Oriental_Beta&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7e6Uipz41wIVDYp-Ch0mwgOuEAAYBCAAEgIPY_D_BwE PS nosoccermom what an amazing site! the liveauctioneers. bad for my budget..good for my soul))

Your rug appears to be quite a good one. It looks almost exactly like a 3 1/2' x 5' that I inherited from my parents, especially in the colors and patterns. I took mine for a cleaning about a year ago by an Oriental rug specialist out here and he explained to me the following, which possibly might apply to yours: Mine is an Iranian Sarouk and was imported to the States around 1918-1925. Sarouks were extremely popular then, but American buyers preferred heavier colors, so after arriving in the States the reds and darker blues were re-dyed to enhance them. If you turn the rug over it should show the exact detailed pattern, but in more pale hues (quite pretty actually). The dealer also said that my rug was worth around $3,000. He said that if well-cared for - vacuumed, occasionally cleaned, and kept free of pet stains it should last another 75 years. I've also been told that these rugs like bare feet on them; that's how they were originally made to be walked on. I think your parents' rug is a beauty and well-worth having! Google "Sarouk carpets" to learn more and compare colors and designs.