'Having a carpet in your home is like starting a relationship'

Jane Strachan

• Last Updated: November 13. 2009 4:26PM UAE / November 13. 2009 12:26PM GMT

Karen Harrison-Taylor’s life at home is a constant shuffle to ensure the best placement for her rugs. Hanging on the wall behind her is an Isfahan with more than 100 birds woven into the design. Delores Johnson / The National

If you are going to collect carpets, the Middle East must be the best place in the world in which to find yourself. But when Karen Harrison-Taylor moved to the UAE some 23 years ago to take up a job here, she hadn’t yet caught “the bug”.

It was through an American friend who was moving back home and planned to sell carpets in the US that this British expat, who works in the educational arena in Abu Dhabi, was introduced to the world of knots and pile, heft and weave.

“My friend spent the whole of her end-of-service payment on carpets, having done a huge amount of research on the subject,” says Harrison-Taylor. “I tagged along with her on her buying trips, sat with her in souqs drinking tea with dealers, learning about this fascinating world.”

And so began a passion that continues to this day. “I had no idea how much work went into carpets and, more importantly, that each one has a story to tell, whether it’s about the region from which it comes or the people who made it” she says, gesturing around her at the Qums, Nains, Tabrizes, Gabbehs, Baktiaris, Shiraz and others that cover her floors and line her walls.

Harrison-Taylor’s strongest interest lies in the less common pieces, such as the Isfahan that contains more than 100 birds, some rose-like flowers and unusual pinks and blue hues. The design and colouring enhance the financial worth of the piece, but investment value is not the main reason why she likes and chooses a carpet; she simply enjoys having it in her life, examining every square centimetre and seeing new aspects to it every time she looks at it.

And while she is passionate about her collection, she is a careful buyer. “Having a carpet in your home is like starting a relationship – you have to be sure you can live with it on a long-term basis. A good carpet seller will let you take a piece home so you can live with it for a while to see if it really works. For me it is essential that it is aesthetically pleasing and that I will not tire of it.” Her best sources in the UAE have been a dealer in the Sharjah souq and two Iranian brothers who have a small shop close to Dubai Creek.

Harrison-Taylor says that a desirable carpet doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive, adding that there is still very good value to be found in the UAE, although she cautions carpet novices to be wary about some of the tricks of unscrupulous dealers, such as selling as “old and unique” carpets that have had signatures added to them after they were made, or those that have been washed in tea or chemically treated to make them look older. “Be careful, and establish a relationship with a dealer you feel you can trust.”

As with many collectors, she would never sell her carpets, but she clearly feels her choices have been validated when she is able to see significant rises in value in her collection. For example, one wool and silk (Isfahan) that she acquired in Dubai 10 years ago for Dh8,000 has recently been valued by a dealer as worth Dh24,000 – although she would not part with it. Yet she also has some small Tabriz rugs framed and hanging because she loves the cats and rabbits they depict. These are of lesser value due to their smaller size, but the subject matter makes them unusual.

Harrison-Taylor says that collecting is a question of deciding whether you’re doing something for the love of it or building an investment portfolio, or perhaps a bit of both. You have to derive joy from any type of collection today – right now – she believes, rather than amassing goods simply for the sake of their future value. And, she laughs, you have to know when to stop. In her case, that would be about now; she’s had to call a halt to buying any new carpets for the moment, as she has no more space to put them. Her home in York in the UK has already been furnished around them and her Abu Dhabi villa is not quite able to accommodate the present collection.

For now Harrison-Taylor is content with what she has, although life in her home is a constant shuffle to ensure the best placement and lighting for her pieces. Still, she has the satisfaction of knowing that she is a carpet collector in the heart of the world’s greatest carpet-producing regions.

Harrison-Taylor says that the other features to keep in mind include:

The knot count. The back of the carpet will show how tightly it is knotted. The number of knots varies depending on the quality of the carpet; the higher number of knots per square inch (KPSI) the higher quality the carpet. For a Tabriz, for example, an average carpet may be from around 120 up to 842 KPSI. Knotting techniques are specific to the location where the rug is woven and the design pattern used;

Material. Carpets will be wool, silk or a mix of both. While the pure silks are the more valuable, they are not as hardy as the others and need to be treated with care, usually finding a place on a wall rather than the floor;

Origin. For a rug to be Persian, it must be handmade in Iran. A Persian rug is identified by the town in which it was created. For example Tabriz (Northwest Persia), Isfahan (Central Persia) and Baktiari (West Persia) (see map);

Condition. Like all fine pieces of art, the value will be affected by the condition of the piece itself. An antique rug may not be in the best condition and yet may be rare in terms of its design. For Harrison-Taylor, the design and colour of the carpet is of more importance that the condition;

Age. Age enhances the glow of a high-quality carpet. As Persian carpets are hand-knotted and made from pure wool they are durable and their beauty and value will increase with age – a classic example of fine art that appreciates over time.