As the third generation to steer the Turco Persian Rug Co. (turcopersian.com), which has been housed in a downtown Toronto location on Richmond St. E. since 1906, Kasparian has a deep appreciation of, and respect for, those who carry on the ancient craft of making hand-knotted rugs.
“These rugs withstand the test of time,” she explains. “They can be walked on, used and enjoyed every day. After all, they were originally made to be used as saddle pads on horses and camels, or for the walls of a tent —sometimes in the dusty, windy environment of a desert. They are made to last. And yet the value will appreciate over time, like a painting.”
Today, Turco Persian Rugs has two showrooms separated by a small courtyard; one side is home to a huge selection of collector pieces, some of which date back to the 1800s, and the other houses a growing contemporary offering. Walking through the space is like strolling through a museum dedicated to the ancient history of weaving and to showing how it’s evolved over a few thousand years.
As the recently-minted president of the company, Kasparian is delighted when people come in off the street just to look because she’s on a quest to share her family’s love of, and knowledge about, Turkish and Persian rugs.
“I just want to clear some of the smoke and mirrors in this industry,” says Kasparian. “You see these signs (for places selling carpets) that say 80 per cent off, going out of business. And yet the guy is still there three years later. That creates a wary market.
“I’ll be at a show and see a carpet described as 100 per cent Chinese silk, when I know it’s synthetic. Or I’ll see a carpet where the design is actually painted on. We encourage people to come in, look around, ask questions — because the more they know, the better it is for us. “
Kasparian and her team have lots of tips for consumers. She points out, for example, that a hand-knotted rug will never have precise measurements. “Only a machine can give you a perfect eight by 10 feet. When it’s made by hand, there’s bound to be just a little bit of imperfection.”
She also advises would-be buyers to examine the fringe of a carpet. “Look to see if it’s irregular — it may have been added at the end, which means it’s more likely to fall off. In real hand-made rugs, the fringe is woven in.”
The origin of the wool used will also determine quality and longevity, says Kasparian. Wool from New Zealand, she points out, is very lush because the sheep graze on lots of grass and the climate is moderate — unlike Afghanistan, which has a drier climate and more extreme temperatures and where the wool tends to be brittle and of a lesser quality.
“I was in Turkey earlier this year and I saw so many sheep grazing around rivers,” says Kasparian. “It occurred to me that made sense — every living thing needs water to grow properly and the wool of the sheep is no different.”
Higher quality wool will produce a better “twist,” making it easier to spin, and it will have better “memory,” meaning that it will keep its shape longer.
Knot count is another indicator of quality, says Kasparian, just as it is with bed linens. But as with bed linen, it’s not the only factor. Counts can go up to a very detailed — and very expensive — 1,000 per inch, but a count of 200 knots per inch will create a very dense, durable carpet. More typically, they’ll run around 80 to 100. Below that, and the weave can get too loose. There are, however, exceptions. “Heriz carpets usually run between 75 and 90 knots per inch. They’re considered cheaper, but the quality is very good,” says Kasparian.
Turning the rug over to examine the back is one easy way to gauge knot count. “If you can count them just by looking, or it’s looks loose and messy, that’s not a good sign,” she cautions.
The fact that Turco Persian also cleans and repairs carpets has added to Kasparian’s understanding of what makes a good product. “We see what lasts, and we see that the resale on the cheaper rugs is not there".
Vicky Sanderson