No set of rules can be furnished which will fully protect purchasers against deception. It is well, however, for one, before purchasing, to acquire some knowledge of the characteristics of the most common varieties as well as of the different means employed in examining them.

In the first place, avoid dealers who fail to mark their goods in plain figures. Be on the safe side and go to a reliable house with an established reputation. They will not ask you fancy prices. If it is in a department store be sure you deal with some one who is regularly connected with the Oriental rug department. You would never dream of buying a piano of one who knows nothing of music. So many domestic rugs copy Oriental patterns that many uninformed people cannot tell the difference. The following are some of the characteristics of the Eastern fabrics which are not possessed by the Western ones. First, they show their whole pattern and color in detail on the back side; second, the pile is composed of rows of distinctly tied knots, which are made plainly visible by separating it; third, the sides are either overcast with colored wool or have a narrow selvage; and fourth, the ends have either a selvage or fringe or both.

In buying, first select what pleases you in size, color, and design, then take time and go over it as thoroughly as a horseman would over a horse which he contemplates buying. Lift it to test the weight. Oriental rugs are much heavier in proportion to their size than are the domestics. See if it lies straight and flat on the floor and has no folds. Crookedness detracts much from its value. Take hold of the centre and pull it up into a sort of cone shape. If compactly woven it will stand alone just as a piece of good silk will. Examine the pile and see whether it is long, short or worn in places down to the warp threads; whether it lies down as in loosely woven rugs or stands up nearly straight as in closely woven rugs; also note the number of knots to the square inch and whether or not they are firmly tied. The wearing qualities depend upon the length of the pile and the compactness of weaving. Separate the pile, noting whether the wool is of the same color but of a deeper shade near the knot than it is on the surface or if it is of an entirely different color. Vegetable dyes usually fade to lighter shades of the original color, while anilines fade to different colors, one or another of the dyes used in combination entirely disappearing at times and others remaining. This will also be noticeable, to a certain extent, when one end of the fabric is turned over and the two sides are compared. Two rugs may be almost exactly alike in every respect excepting the dye, the one being worth ten to fifteen times as much as the other.

A good way to test the material is to slightly burn its surface with a match, thus producing a black spot. If the wool is good the singed part can be brushed off without leaving the slightest trace of the burn. The smell of the burnt wool will also easily be recognized. Ascertain the relative strength of the material, making sure that the warp is the heaviest and strongest, the pile next and the woof the lightest. If the warp is lighter than the pile it will break easily or if the warp is light and the weaving loose it will pucker. Rugs whose foundation threads are dry and rotten from age are worthless. In such pieces the woof threads, which are the lightest, will break in seams along the line of the warp when slightly twisted.

Examine the selvage. It will often indicate the method of its manufacture, showing whether it is closely or loosely woven, for the selvage is a continuation of the groundwork of the rug itself. Also notice the material, whether of hair, wool or cotton. Separate the pile and examine the woof, noting the number of threads between each row of knots. If possible pull one of them out. In the cheaper grade of rugs you will often find two strands of cotton and one of wool twisted together. Such rugs are very likely some time to bunch up, especially if washed. See if the selvage or warp threads on the sides are broken in places. If so it would be an unwise choice. Now turn the rug over and view it from the back, noting whether repairs have been made and, if so, to what extent. View it from the back with the light shining into the pile to see if there are any moths. Pat it and knock out the dust. In some instances you will be surprised how thoroughly impregnated it will be with the dust of many lands and how much more attractive the colors are after such a patting. Rub your hand over the surface with the nap. If the wool is of a fine quality a feeling of electric smoothness will result, such as is experienced when stroking the back of a cat in cold weather.

Finally, before coming to a decision regarding its purchase, have it sent to your home for a few days. There you can study it more leisurely and may get an idea as to whether or not you would soon tire of the designs or colors. While you have it there do not forget to take soap, water and a stiff brush and scrub well some portion of it, selecting a part where some bright color such as green, blue or red joins a white. After the rug has thoroughly dried notice whether or not the white has taken any of the other colors. If so, they are aniline.

A rather vulgar but very good way of telling whether a rug is doctored or not is to wet it with saliva and rub it in well. If chemically treated it will have a peculiar, disagreeable, pungent odor.

A fairly accurate way of determining the claim of the fabric to great age is to draw out a woof thread and notice how difficult it is to straighten it, even after days of soaking in water. Unless one is an expert, he should refrain from relying upon his own judgment in buying a rug for an antique.

It may be interesting to know the meaning of the tags and seals so frequently found on rugs. The little square or nearly square cloth tag that is so frequently attached at one corner to the under surface by two wire clasps has on it the number given to that particular piece for the convenience of the washer, the exporter, the importer and the custom officials. The rug is recorded by its number instead of by its name to avoid confusion and to save labor. The round lead seal which is frequently attached to one corner of the rug by a flexible wire or a string, especially among the larger pieces, is the importer's seal, on one side of which will be found his initials. These also are of great assistance to the custom officials.

Before closing this chapter a few words in regard to the selection of rugs for certain rooms might be acceptable, though this is, to a large extent, a matter of individual taste; yet in making a selection one should have some consideration for the decorations and furniture of the room in which the rugs are to be laid and they should harmonize with the side walls, whether the harmony be one of analogy or of contrast. The floor of a room is the base upon which the scheme of decoration is to be built. Its covering should carry the strongest tones. If a single tint is to be used the walls must take the next gradation and the ceiling the last. These gradations must be far enough removed from each other in depth of tone to be quite apparent but not to lose their relation. Contrasting colors do not always harmonize. A safe rule to follow would be to select a color with any of its complementary colors. For instance, the primary colors are red, blue, and yellow. The complementary color of red would be the color formed by the combination of the other two, which in this case would be green composed of yellow and blue; therefore red and green would form a harmony of contrast. Likewise red and blue make violet, which would harmonize with yellow; red and yellow make orange, which would harmonize with blue, etc.

Light rooms of Louis XVI style would hardly look as well with bright, rich colored rugs as they would with delicately tinted Kirmans, Saruks, and Sennas. Nor would the latter styles look as well in a Dutch dining room, finished in black oak, as would the rich, dark Bokharas and Feraghans. Mission rooms also require the dark colored rugs. If the room is pleasing in its proportion and one rug is used it should conform as nearly in proportion as possible. If the room is too long for its width select a rug which will more nearly cover the floor in width than it will in length. A rug used in the centre of a room with considerable floor area around it decreases the apparent size of the room. Long rugs placed lengthwise of a room increase its apparent length, while short rugs placed across a room decrease its apparent length, and rugs with large patterns, like wall paper with large patterns, will dwarf the whole apartment. The following ideas are merely offered as suggestions without any pretension whatever to superiority of judgment.

For a Vestibule a long-naped mat, which corresponds in shape to the vestibule and covers fully one-half of its surface, such for instance as a Beluchistan or a Mosul. Appropriate shorter naped pieces may be found among the Anatolians, Meles, Ladiks or Yuruks. As a rule the dark colored ones are preferable.

Hall.—If the hall is a long, narrow one, use long runners which cover fully two-thirds of its surface. Such may be found among the Mosuls, Sarabands, Hamadans, Ispahans, Shirvans, and Genghis.

For a reception hall a Khiva Bokhara, a Yomud, a dark colored Mahal, or several Kazaks or Karabaghs would look well if the woodwork is dark. If the woodwork is light several light colored Caucasian or Persian pieces such as the Daghestans, Kabistans, Sarabands, Hamadans, or Shiraz would be appropriate.

Reception Room.—A light colored Kermanshah, Tabriz, Saruk, Senna, or Khorasan. Usually one large piece which covers from two-thirds to three-fourths of the floor surface is the most desirable.

Living Room.—For this room, which is the most used of any in the home, we should have the most durable rugs and as a rule a number of small or medium sized pieces, which can be easily shifted from one position to another, are preferable. Here, too, respect must be had for harmony with the side walls, woodwork and furniture, as it is here that the family spend most of their time and decorative discord would hardly add to one's personal enjoyment. Many appropriate selections may be made from the Feraghans, Ispahans, Sarabands, Shiraz, Mosuls, Daghestans, Kabistans, and Beluchistans.

Dining Room.—Ordinarily nothing would be more appropriate than one of the Herez or Sultanabad productions unless the room be one of the Mission style, in which case a Khiva Bokhara would be most desirable. Small pieces would not be suitable.

Library or Den.—One large or several small pieces, usually the dark rich shades are preferable, such for instance as are found in the Khivas, Yomuds, Kurdistans, Feraghans, Shiraz, Kazaks, Beluchistans or Tekke Bokharas, the predominating color selected according to the decorations of the room.

Bath Room.—One heavy long-piled, soft piece such as are some of the Bijars or Mosuls in light colors.

Bedrooms.—For chambers where colors rather than period styles are dominant and where large rugs are never appropriate, prayer rugs like those of the Kulah, Ghiordes, Ladik, Anatolian, or Daghestan varieties are to be desired. Those with yellow as the predominating color blend especially well with mahogany furniture if the walls are in buff or yellow tones. The Nomad products are especially desirable for bedrooms on account of the comfort which they afford. Being thick and soft the sensation to the tread is luxurious. An occasional Anatolian, Ladik, Bergama, Meles, or Bokhara mat placed before a dresser or a wash-stand; a Shiraz pillow on the sofa; a Senna Ghileem thrown over a divan; a Shiraz, Mosul, or Beluchistan saddle-bag on a Mission standard as a receptacle for magazines; a silk rug as a table spread, etc., will all add greatly to the Oriental effect.