Atelier · Valuation
Rug Appraisal
Written valuations for inherited pieces, insurance and estate division — prepared by specialist rug appraisers.
When a valuation is needed
Inheritance
An inherited rug is hard to place without expertise — the gap between a decorative piece and collector quality runs into orders of magnitude. A fair division needs a defensible figure.
Insurance
Without a documented value, household insurance replaces the depreciated value on its own assessment. A valuation beforehand is the only basis that holds when it matters.
Sale or purchase
Before a sale, an independent valuation gives certainty about the order of magnitude — and before a purchase, about whether the asking price fits the piece.
Damage claim
After water, fire or moth damage, both the value before the damage and the remaining substance are assessed.
What is assessed
The value of a hand-knotted rug comes from several factors that have to be read together.
- Knot density
- Knots per square metre — the single most important indicator of fineness and labour.
- Material
- Wool quality, silk content, hand-spun or machine-spun, type of dyeing.
- Origin and age
- Knotting region, workshop, period — as far as construction, pattern and materials allow it to be read.
- Condition
- Pile height, edges, fringes, earlier repairs, colour stability, distortion.
- Rarity
- Pattern, format, a master weaver's signature, collector relevance.
- Market
- What comparable pieces actually achieve at present — not what is asked for them.
What the valuation contains
A written valuation identifies the piece unambiguously (dimensions, material, construction, knot density, origin, condition), documents it photographically, and states the assessed value together with the basis used — replacement value and market value are not the same thing, and for insurance the distinction is decisive.
The process
Inspection of the piece at the gallery or at your premises. For several rugs or large formats we come to you. The written valuation follows afterwards.
Effort depends on the number and complexity of the pieces. You receive a fixed price in advance.
Request a valuation
Send us photographs of the front and reverse along with the dimensions — that is usually enough to identify the piece.