Wool is the foundation of the world's great hand-knotted rug traditions. From the finest kork pile of Kashan to the bold village weaves of the Caucasus, we are specialist buyers of handmade wool rugs across the UK. Free valuation, honest assessment, fair prices. No fees.
Wool Rug Types We Specialise In
Almost every great hand-knotted rug in history is a wool rug. Silk gets the attention, but wool — specifically the quality, preparation, and dyeing of the wool — determines the character, longevity, and ultimately the value of the vast majority of rugs you will encounter as a private seller.
Not all wool is equal. The difference between kork wool from the chest fleece of a mountain sheep and the coarser wool from a lowland flock is the difference between a rug that retains its lustre and softness after 150 years of use and one that looks dull and worn after thirty. Understanding wool quality is the single most important factor in assessing any handmade rug.
If you have a handmade wool rug — inherited, purchased, or acquired over the years — and you are considering selling, we would like to hear from you. Our specialists assess wool quality from photographs and provide an honest, expert valuation within 48 hours.
The grade of wool used is one of the most significant value factors in any handmade rug.
Kork (also spelled "kurk") is the term for wool harvested from the soft undercoat of the sheep's chest and flanks — the finest, most lustrous fibres on the animal. It is expensive, time-consuming to harvest, and reserved for the highest-quality city workshop rugs.
Kashan kork rugs are among the most prized of all Persian pieces. The pile has an extraordinary silky sheen that deepens rather than dulls with age. Under raking light, kork pile shows a characteristic lustre that is quite different from ordinary fleece wool. If your Persian rug has this depth of sheen, it is a strong indicator of kork quality — and a significant factor in value.
Where to find kork: Fine Persian city rugs — Kashan, Isfahan, Tabriz, and Nain from the mid-20th century. Also some fine Caucasian workshop pieces.
The majority of handmade rugs use regular fleece wool — the full clip taken from the body of the sheep at shearing. Quality varies widely depending on breed, altitude, pasture, and preparation. Highland breeds from Iran, Turkey, the Caucasus, and Central Asia typically produce better pile wool than lowland commercial breeds.
The key quality indicator in fleece wool is lanolin content. Well-washed but not over-processed wool retains natural lanolin — the oil secreted by the sheep's skin — which gives the pile its softness, slight sheen, and resistance to dirt. Antique rugs with high natural lanolin content have a characteristic buttery softness when you press your hand into the pile. This is a hallmark of age and quality that cannot be faked.
Where to find quality fleece wool: Most antique Persian, Caucasian, and Anatolian village and tribal rugs use high-quality regional fleece wool.
Village and tribal weavers typically spun their own wool from local flocks, creating yarn with more character and variation than commercial yarn. The slight irregularities in twist and thickness that result from hand-spinning are not flaws — they contribute to the warmth and vitality of tribal pile work and are valued by collectors.
However, coarser village wool — used in more utilitarian tribal pieces — has a harsher feel and does not hold the fine knot density required for detailed design work. These pieces are valued for boldness of design and tribal character rather than technical refinement. The market for authentic tribal wool pieces remains strong among collectors who value cultural authenticity over polish.
Where to find tribal wool: Qashqai, Bakhtiari, Baluch, Shahsavan, and Kurdish tribal weavings. Also Afghan Ersari and Yomut Turkmen pieces.
We consider all conditions including worn, faded, damaged, or repaired pieces. Age and rarity matter more than cosmetic condition for genuinely antique work.
If you are unsure whether your rug is hand-knotted or tufted, check the back. A knotted rug shows individual knots; a tufted rug shows canvas or latex backing. We are happy to help you identify your rug before you commit to a valuation.
Three simple steps — entirely online, entirely free.
Take four photographs in natural daylight: the full front face, the back (showing knot structure), a close-up of the pile and fringe, and a detail of any area of interest or damage. For wool rugs specifically, a close-up of the pile taken at a low angle under raking light will show the sheen and condition clearly — this is very helpful for assessing wool quality remotely.
Upload your photos and tell us the dimensions (length × width), where the rug came from if you know, any labels or markings on the back, and your estimated age if known. Any information helps — but even if you know nothing about the rug, we can work from photographs alone.
Within 48 business hours, our wool rug specialists will respond with a full assessment — identifying the rug type, weaving origin, likely period, wool quality, dye type, and a fair market purchase offer. If the rug is not something we can buy, we will tell you why and where you might find a buyer.
Six factors determine how much a handmade wool rug is worth on the current market.
Kork wool commands the highest values. Quality highland fleece wool in good condition is next. The sheen, softness, and lanolin content of the wool are assessed from close-up photographs.
Natural plant and insect dyes — madder, indigo, pomegranate, weld — are the hallmark of quality. They age harmoniously and are a strong indicator of age and collectibility. Synthetic dyes, introduced from the 1870s onwards, produce harsher, less valuable pieces.
Kashan, Isfahan, Tabriz, Kazak, Shirvan and Oushak command premiums. Tribal pieces from recognised groups — Qashqai, Baluch, Turkmen — have strong collector followings. Origin is assessed from construction and design vocabulary.
Pre-1900 antique wool rugs attract the strongest collector interest. The natural ageing of wool — the softening of dyes, the gentle compression of pile, the mellowing of the overall palette — adds an irreplaceable character that underpins value.
Room-size pieces in wool (particularly antique Oushak, Sultanabad, and Mahal pieces above 3×4m) attract premium prices. Large antique wool carpets are scarcer than smaller pieces of equivalent quality.
Even wear is expected in old wool rugs and does not disqualify a piece. Structural damage, harsh chemical washing (which strips lanolin), and clumsy restoration are more damaging to value than natural pile reduction.
Read our full guide: What Affects the Value of a Rug?
The single most important indicator of age and quality in a wool rug — beyond construction — is the dye. Wool takes natural dyes exceptionally well, and the combination of quality wool with natural plant or insect dyes creates a surface that improves with age rather than degrading.
Natural dyes used in the wool rug traditions include madder root (producing reds and pinks), indigo plant (producing blues, often over-dyed on yellows to create greens), pomegranate rind (yellows and tans), oak gall (blacks and dark browns), and cochineal insect (brilliant reds and pinks). These dyes are bound chemically with the wool fibre through a mordanting process using iron, alum, or chrome, creating a permanent colour that mellows and softens over time rather than fading harshly.
Synthetic aniline and chrome dyes, introduced from the 1870s onwards, produce initially brighter colours but tend to fade unevenly and harshly, and lack the warmth and complexity of natural dyes. A rug with harsh, discordant fading — particularly pinks and oranges that have bleached while blues remain vivid — is likely to have synthetic dyes and will be valued accordingly.
The good news for sellers is that genuine natural dyes in an old wool rug are unmistakable to a specialist — and they significantly increase the value of the piece.
All types of handmade rugs valued and purchased across the UK.
Specialist buyers of all Persian rug types, all periods.
Pre-1900 pieces assessed at full collector market value.
The key factors that determine what a handmade rug is worth.