Mudjur Prayer Rug, ca. 1830
Watch
GUEST:
Well, this was a rug that was gifted to my grandfather, I believe back in the 1930s. He was a physician, and it went to my father. They had it as a wall hanging. I believe it to be a Turkish prayer rug, but that's really about all I know.
APPRAISER:
This is a Mudjur prayer rug, which is a prayer rug that comes from central Turkey, from a village near Kirsehir. And it was made in the first half of the 19th century, so 1830, 1840, in that range. There's a wonderful tradition of Turkish village rugs being made from the 15th through the 17th century. Many of them were exported to Eastern Europe, and are now hanging in churches in Eastern Europe. And it's one of our best references. And many were also shown on tables in old master paintings from the 16th and 17th century. So that's one of the ways that we get some of our reference points. This wonderful stepped field has the kind of angularity and graphics that you would find in a very early piece. The spacious corners that are done in this amazing shade of magenta is actually an insect dye. It's called cochineal. This is your madder red, which is a classic plant dye. And all the other shades we see are coming from plants. But that one shade is coming from insects.
GUEST:
Wow.
APPRAISER:
The rug is in surprisingly good condition for its age. Believe it or not, this rug has very little wear. Even though you see areas like this...
GUEST:
Yes.
APPRAISER:
...where the knots are completely gone, and it's just down to the foundation, you'll notice that on either side the colors are completely intact. This is because the material that they used to get the brown was iron, and it was a corrosive dye, and it would eat away at the wool. This is actually a hallmark that collectors will look for that will help to validate the age of a rug. Some other things that collectors really like to see in a rug, and have it be in untouched nature, are its originality and lack of repair. So we'll see that the edges, which are called the selvages, are all original. And at the top and at the bottom you have what's called the flat woven ends, which are also intact.
GUEST:
Is it wool, or is it...
APPRAISER:
It's wool.
GUEST:
It's wool, I see.
APPRAISER:
It's very high quality wool, and it's also woven on a woolen foundation, so the warp and the weft are also wool.
GUEST:
Okay.
APPRAISER:
I would expect a collector to happily pay in the neighborhood of $20,000 for this rug.
GUEST:
Oh, wow. Would that be insurance value also, then?
APPRAISER:
Yes.
GUEST:
I see.
APPRAISER:
Yes, that's a current retail or replacement value.
Appraisal Details
"I have done more research and now feel the rug trade would be more likely to describe this rug as a 'Kirshehir' rather than a pure 'Mudjur.' Mudjur is a village within the Kirshehir region, and there is a very fine line when differentiating between the two designations. This rug has qualities found in both types. Its larger size proportion for a prayer rug is more consistent with Mudjur rugs. The border motifs found in this rug and some elements of its coloration tend to be associated more with Kirshehir. Often these geographical names get associated with specific aspects of rug designs, and the rug trade tends to adhere closely to these guidelines, not acknowledging that there can be an exchange of motifs in such a close geographic region. I consider the retail replacement value to remain accurate."
Executive producer Marsha Bemko shares her tips for getting the most out of ANTIQUES ROADSHOW.
Value can change: The value of an item is dependent upon many things, including the condition of the object itself, trends in the market for that kind of object, and the location where the item will be sold. These are just some of the reasons why the answer to the question "What's it worth?" is so often "It depends."
Note the date: Take note of the date the appraisal was recorded. This information appears in the upper left corner of the page, with the label "Appraised On." Values change over time according to market forces, so the current value of the item could be higher, lower, or the same as when our expert first appraised it.
Context is key: Listen carefully. Most of our experts will give appraisal values in context. For example, you'll often hear them say what an item is worth "at auction," or "retail," or "for insurance purposes" (replacement value). Retail prices are different from wholesale prices. Often an auctioneer will talk about what she knows best: the auction market. A shop owner will usually talk about what he knows best: the retail price he'd place on the object in his shop. And though there are no hard and fast rules, an object's auction price can often be half its retail value; yet for other objects, an auction price could be higher than retail. As a rule, however, retail and insurance/replacement values are about the same.
Verbal approximations: The values given by the experts on ANTIQUES ROADSHOW are considered "verbal approximations of value." Technically, an "appraisal" is a legal document, generally for insurance purposes, written by a qualified expert and paid for by the owner of the item. An appraisal usually involves an extensive amount of research to establish authenticity, provenance, composition, method of construction, and other important attributes of a particular object.
Opinion of value: As with all appraisals, the verbal approximations of value given at ROADSHOW events are our experts' opinions formed from their knowledge of antiques and collectibles, market trends, and other factors. Although our valuations are based on research and experience, opinions can, and sometimes do, vary among experts.
Appraiser affiliations: Finally, the affiliation of the appraiser may have changed since the appraisal was recorded. To see current contact information for an appraiser in the ROADSHOW Archive, click on the link below the appraiser's picture. Our Appraiser Index also contains a complete list of active ROADSHOW appraisers and their contact details and biographies.
