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Britain has, for centuries, been one of the most important markets for Persian merchants. I can confidently say that today some of the rarest Persian antiquities are housed in this country. From the exquisite 16th-century Persian Rugs at Hampton Court Palace to the priceless Ardabil Carpet (one of the most famous pieces in the world) exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum. William Morris, then an art referee at the V&A, considered it one of the museum’s most significant acquisitions. He had lobbied fervently for its purchase that had included a national campaign to raise funds.

I soon had to break the news to the customer that she had defaced a rare yet distinctive piece worth tens of thousands of pounds that was specially commissioned and imported by the Manchester-based German company Ziegler over a hundred years ago.
There is no subtle way of putting it. Such an error is unthinkable in European countries such as France, Italy, Germany, or Switzerland. The average British consumer’s inability to tell the difference between a quality Persian rug that will last generations and a cheap disposable copy is no different from the inability to distinguish between an Aston Martin and a Škoda.

For what it’s worth, we were able to restore the Ziegler rug by recreating the same natural dyes and reweaving an entire corner of the piece. I wish I could say that this was an isolated incident. It was the worst mishap that I have come across, but it is in no way isolated.
So if you have a Persian rug that has been in the family for generations, it is very likely to be a valuable piece. So please get it valued. Take it to a reputable local oriental rug dealer, failing that, most auction houses around the country will have experts at hand that could tell you more. These days, most will also give you a tentative idea of what you have with an emailed photo. Then learn about it and learn to look after it, and it will most probably serve you for generations to come.