How to Tell If Your Vintage Moroccan Rugs Are Real or Mass-Produced
Suggested Meta DescriptionThe rise in popularity of Moroccan rugs in home décor has also unfortunately lead to the rise in mass-produced or fake counterparts. Find out how to tell here.Targeted KeywordsMoroccan RugsBody
Moroccan rugs have been a popular choice for home decor and interior design for decades and it is obvious why.
Vintage Moroccan rugs are beautiful displays of the craftsmanship and artistic splendor of Moroccan artisans. People strive for years to find and purchase a real Moroccan rug to complete the look they want for their home.
Unfortunately, the high demand has opened the door for companies to mass produce Moroccan rugs and advertise them as being authentic. It is important to know the telltale signs of a mass-produced Moroccan rug so that you can spot the difference.
Continue reading to learn more helpful tips on how to spot a real Moroccan rug.
Construction Materials
An easy way to spot a true Moroccan rug is by identifying the materials that it is made out of. True Moroccan rugs are made from 100% sheep’s wool.
Any fabric that is not sheep’s wool is a giveaway that it is not an authentic Moroccan rug. Some materials that mass-produced Moroccan rugs use are silk, cotton, goat hair, camel hair, and even old clothing.
How Soft Is the Moroccan Rug?
Since authentic Moroccan rugs are made from 100% wool, your Moroccan rug should be soft to the touch. Wool comes from the softest portion of animal hair, and it is what is used to make these beautiful rugs.
If your Moroccan rug is not soft to the touch it could be a sign that your rug was mass-produced.
Does It Have a Sheen?
An authentic Moroccan rug will have a natural sheen to it. This is because the wool that is used to create these rugs comes from living animals. The wool is still alive at the time of cutting so it looks much more vibrant.
Fake Moroccan rugs will sometimes use “dead wool”, or wool that came from a dead animal. This wool has a much more muted coloring to it.
Which Tribe Made It?
Another telltale sign of a Moroccan rug’s authenticity is the identifier of which tribe made it. The city, region of Morocco, or the tribe is usually mentioned somewhere on the rug.
Each tribe and region in Morocco has its own process and designs when it comes to making Moroccan rugs, so this is a reliable way of determining if your rug is authentic.
Was It Handmade?
Determining if your rug was handmade will go a long way towards finding out whether it is an authentic Moroccan rug. All authentic Moroccan rugs are handmade and each is unique in its design.
If you are able to find identical rugs that is a sure sign that those rugs are mass-produced and not authentic. This will make the process of choosing a Moroccan rug much simpler.
Turning the rug over is also a great way to check the authenticity. Because each Moroccan rug is handmade it will have imperfections that are more noticeable on the underside of the rug.
Is It Knotted?
There are regulations that the Moroccan government has put in place when it comes to Moroccan rugs. In order to be a true Moroccan rug, the rug needs to be made out of only wool and it must be handmade.
The other stipulation is that the rug must be knotted. If it does not have knots that are tied together at the ends of the rug then it is not an authentic Moroccan rug.
Is The Rug Colorfast?
There is also a test that you can run with your rug to determine if it is a true Moroccan rug. Take a wet paper towel and hold it against the rug. Do the colors bleed at all?
If the colors bleed onto the paper towel it is a sign that synthetic dye was used to create it. True Morrocan rugs will cause no dye to appear on the napkin.
Burn the Rug’s String
This one sounds a little crazy. Why would you want to risk damaging a Moroccan rug by burning it? A real Moroccan rug will be made from 100 percent wool and will not burn.
If you attempt to burn a string on a Moroccan rug and the string ignites you have immediate confirmation that the rug in question is not a true Moroccan rug.
Does the Rug Appear Elsewhere?
With Moroccan rugs becoming a statement piece in home decor, their popularity has grown immensely. With Moroccan rugs appearing in magazines and books it is easier than ever for a company to mass-produce them.
If you are unsure about the authenticity of a Moroccan rug that you’re looking at purchasing, a great strategy can be to do a reverse Google Image search. This will tell you if identical rugs are on the market elsewhere, confirming if it is a fake or not.
Know Morocco’s Rug History
A big tactic that counterfeit Moroccan rug vendors have taken on is selling rugs from the Beni Mrit tribal people. This tribe does not exist. The name derives from a trading town in Morocco called Mrit.
If a rug vendor tries to sell you a Moroccan rug made by the Beni Mrit tribe you will immediately know that the rug is not authentic. Knowing information like this makes it a lot easier when it comes to how to choose a Moroccan rug.
It is difficult to stay attuned to the variations of Moroccan culture, it is important to educate yourself so that rug vendors can’t take advantage of you.
Get Your Moroccan Rugs Today
Moroccan rugs make a great statement piece in any room of your home. They show your guests that you have a strong sense of style and an appreciation of culture.
Knowing how to spot the difference between a fake and an authentic Moroccan rug will ensure that you get the best value for your money while decorating your home with the real thing.
Are you ready to get that rug that will take your guests’ breath away? Browse the selection of beautiful and authentic Moroccan rugs that are available at Hannoun Rugs today and find the perfect one for your home.