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Glossary/AntiqueProvenance

Antique

Made before approximately 1930. Rare, less available, and carrying a different weight of history.

Definition

The conventional definition of "antique" in the rug trade is a piece over 100 years old, i.e., pre-1925 by current reckoning. This is the definition used by US customs (pieces over 100 years old may qualify for duty-free import as antiques) and broadly followed by auction houses.

In practice, "antique" is often applied more loosely, to any piece that reads as genuinely old, regardless of whether it meets the 100-year threshold. Tilwen uses "antique" or "old" for pieces with credible evidence of pre-1930 production, and notes the basis of the attribution.

Genuine age is worth establishing with evidence rather than a label. Much of what circulates as "antique" in lower-end rug retail is misattributed, overdyed, or reproduced.

Why it matters for buying
A true antique, with evidence behind it, is worth more than a vintage piece, but the word means little on its own, and in generic rug retail it is often just marketing. What gives age its value is the evidence for it. The basis for any age attribution at Tilwen is stated in the piece description.
Related Terms
VintageMade before approximately 1980. Old enough that the ageing is part of the object, not damage to be apologised for. Evidence of a life.Tribal AttributionThe practice of naming a rug after the tribe or community that made it. Often accurate. Sometimes commercial mythology. The difference matters.Condition GradesFour grades: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair. Each described specifically in the listing. Nothing graded optimistically.
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