Job Discussion Forums

[bhoove]

Okay, enlighten me about the carpet man. I *really* want to buy beautiful rugs when I'm in the UAE. Are there lots of gorgeous rugs at teeny prices? or is this a "pipe dream"?

Also, what other handmade/authentic goods might I expect to find in the big sandbox we call the UAE?

[veiledsentiments]

OK... what you do is check out the carpets that your fellow teachers have picked up... and then you ask where they got them. I was lucky to have a neighbor that I worked with who had been in the Gulf for years and knew carpets. Thus she "introduced" me to her carpet person. We had tea with him... I didn't shop. I went to a few other shops that other people suggested and went back to the first fellow. At the same time, you gather information on what people have been paying.

Back to the first fellow and spent a couple hours unrolling rugs while he educated me about things to look at in new or old carpets. He sent me home with 3 rugs... just to see how they look on my floor... no money or deposit... only the second time he has ever seen me. I didn't buy any of those three, but you start to learn your taste in rugs. By US law at the time, I could only bring in 5 rugs, and that is what I went home with. My taste runs to tribal rugs... and I only have one that was new.

Teeny prices? No, but much less than what they cost in the US or Europe. And you need to hone the bargaining skills. But the key is... buy what you like... and be very careful... buying carpets is VERY habit forming.

As to other handicrafts, what would be considered local handicrafts is quite limited. The culture was nomadic, so they only made what they needed. There is limited weaving of what were practical items to load up the camel. But, being so close to Iran and India, there is lots of interesting stuff to be found.

VS

[Camel Stick]

...And once you get the carpets, you'll need some lovely, plump, comfy cushions in a rich tapestry of colours with optional bedecking of golden fringes. You can ask them to make them up to the sizes you want - I looked up the standard cushion insert sizes on the internet first. Inside the cushion shops you can choose fabrics from the upholstery sample books. Ask them to include zips so you can remove and clean.

[johnslat]

Dear bhoove,
You might - if you can - want to do what I used to: take someone, (a local, maybe) who knows carpets well and whom you trust, with you to evaluate and haggle.
That certainly worked very well for me in Saudi.
Regards,
John

[antonia v]

I believe the main difference between the cheap ones and the expensive ones is that with the cheap ones the design is printed but with the expensive ones it's woven in.

[johnslat]

Dear bhoove,
"Machine vs. Hand-Made: Look at the back of the carpet. The machines make a uniform warp-and-weft grid that looks wholly different from the variations and slightly wavy warps and wefts of hand-knotted carpets.
The tighness of the weave and, again, looking at the back of the rug to make sure it is as clear a design on the back as it is on the front is another indication.
A Persian rug will have a label on it indicating its country of origin.
A master designer and weaver will sometimes sign their rug. Their signature, and sometimes the date, will be incorporated into design in the middle of the upper edge of the carpet."

http://www.desertrug.com/faq/

And here two other informative websites:

http://www.persian-carpet.info/faq.php

http://www.oldcarpet.com/how_to_know.htm

Regards,
John

[bhoove]

[johnslat]

Dear bhoove,
You could, indeed. I bought so many to give to my family that my sister finally told me to cease and desist - she was putting carpets even in her bathrooms.
Regards,
John

[veiledsentiments]

[littleoldlady]

IN all my years of buying Persian carpets from Meshed/Isfahan, the one important fact I learned is that there is always the tinest flaw in the weave because only God is perfect. I have carpets on my floor which are 80 years old and as good as new. However if you spend a lot of money, buy a " ruh farsh" - an over-carpet protector which can be put in the machine.
Enjoy.

[veiledsentiments]

All of mine on the floor are like LoL's... 50+ years old. They needed repairs, but once repaired and cleaned, they look like new... although the fringe gives it away to those who know carpets. It is an investment that can be passed on to your grandchildren (and hopefully they appreciate it... )

For those who want to spend much less money, there are tons of cheap kilims to mix and match.

VS

[littleoldlady]

Well VS, you know what a certain Persian Princess residing in my humble abode has to say about my lovely carpets......????

[veiledsentiments]

Ah yes... but she will mature and develop better taste. After all, we did.

VS