Top 9 Most Expensive Rugs Online – The Most Luxurious Rugs

Rugs are a great way to spruce up a boring space. Typically, they are quite affordable accent pieces. But as is the case with any type of home décor, there are the “luxury” options as well.

Why would someone buy a luxury rug? Just like cars, art, and more, rugs can be a symbol of wealth and style that some desire to show off in their home. From multimillion-dollar auctions to high-end rugs available for sale online, let’s take a look at some examples of the most expensive rugs.

Some of the Most Expensive Rugs in the World

The value of high-end rugs lies in a number of factors. Rugs and carpets can be expensive for any number of reasons. Rug collectors and general art fans alike can attest to a rug’s value based on factors like:

• The rug’s age
• Whether the rug is handmade or not
• The material of the rug
• The density of the knotting
• Condition
• Country of origin
• Provenance of the art piece
• Uniqueness or complexity of the rug design

High-end rugs can be sold at art auctions and online directly from the owner or host gallery. Often, antique rugs are sold at auctions and less historical rugs are sold directly, though this isn’t always the case.

1. Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet from the William A. Clark Collection 

This particular rug is the most expensive rug to ever have been sold at auction. The carpet is dated somewhere between 1600 and 1650 and is Persian – very desirable in the world of luxury rugs. Sotheby’s in New York sold this rug for $33.7 million in June of last year.The price was estimated between $5 and $7 million but the price quickly rose at auction. This rug is the only known rug with a red backdrop that contains this particular design and is weaved in this particular fashion. Before being sold at auction, the rug was on display in multiple museums including the Corcoran Gallery of Art, the Textile Museum, the Asia House Gallery, and Fogg Art Museum.

2. Kirman “Vase” Carpet

This rug, dubbed the “most expensive Islamic work of art ever sold,” sold at Christies in London to an anonymous phone bidder. The sales price was in pounds, but the price equates to roughly $9.59 million – about 20 times its estimated sales price.The rug, from the mid- 17th century, is bold and vibrant and is an excellent display of classic Persian rug-making techniques. It is long and narrow, measuring 11 feet 1 inch by 5 feet.The elegant coloring and high quality of preservation certainly contributes to making this rug one of the most expensive rugs ever sold.

3. Pearl Carpet of Baroda

This unique rug sold at Sotheby’s Doha for over $5 million, securing its place on our list of the world’s most expensive rugs.What sets this particular rug apart is the material it is made of and adorned with. The rug is primarily made up of silk and fine deer hide and is accented with Basra pearls, English colored-glass beads, approximately 2,500 diamonds set in silver, as well as rubies, sapphires, and emeralds all set in gold.The intricacy of these stones as well as their inherent value as a precious stone contribute to making this one of the most expensive rugs in the world.

4. Silk Isfahan Rug

This colorful, knot-dense rug from Central Asia sold at Christie’s in New York for over $4 million. It was handmade in the 1600s and is made of pure silk.Rugs from this region are very desirable as they are of notably high quality. Persian art historian Arthur Pope held the rug in high regard. “Nothing further in the way of refinement, imagination, perfection of technique, or infinite charm of color was produced in this period,” he said.In addition to being of a high historic value, the rug was even previously owned by Doris Duke.When you do the math, the sale price of this rug equates to about $105,000 per square foot.

5. Louis XV Savonnerie Carpet 

Infamous rug artist Pierre-Josse Perrot designed three carpets of the same design – his last sold at Christie’s in New York for over $4 million. These designs were originally intended for the Crown Furniture Repository in France and were woven sometime between 1740 and 1750.Christie’s provided provenance information for the item.“Probably commissioned by the Royal Garde-Meuble de la Couronne from the Duvivier workshops at the Savonnerie between 1745 and 1775. Probably one of the many carpets sold from the Garde-Meuble at the time of the Revolution to settle the debts of the major suppliers to the state such as Chapeaurouge or Bourdillon. Almost certainly purchased in the 1950s or 1960s and thence by descent.”

6. Safavid Silk, Wool, and Metal-Thread Prayer Rug

This rug outperformed its estimated sale price by a long shot at an auction at Sotheby’s London. The piece was estimated at $127,368 to $191,052 but ended up selling for over $4 million.The carpet is inscribed with Persian verses in Nastaʿlīq script. It is assumed that the rug was a diplomatic gift from the Persian court of the time to the Ottoman Turks.

7. Bokara Rug Company Antique Persian Fine Kashan Rug

This Bokara rug, a modern consumer rug, is available for sale for over $144,000, down from a manufacturer suggested retail price of almost $300,000.The rug uses “the finest of wool” and “authentic Persian designs” according to the manufacturer. This rug is hand-knotted in Iran so you can be sure of the quality.One benefit of a modern rug over an actual antique rug is that it often comes with a warranty, as is the case with this rug. With the $144,000 price tag comes a 1-year warranty.

8. Isfahan Antique Rug Persian Carpet Hand-Knotted Classic 

While some rugs do sell for tens of millions of dollars, other examples of high-end modern consumer rugs prove to be just as luxurious.This Isfahan Antique Rug is made up of very high-density, hand-knotted wool with silk – about 1 million knots per square meter. Knot density is one of the key factors in valuing rugs based on quality.The rug was handmade the city of Isfahan, named “most beautiful city in all Islamic states.” The rug is currently available for sale online for over $73,000.

9. Antique Oversize Persian Tabriz Carpet 

Decaso, a decorative arts society, is offering this oversized wool rug for sale. The item is currently hosted in the Fred Moheban Gallery.The Persian rug is quite large, measuring more than 11 feet by 17 feet. It is also an inch thick. The condition is described as excellent. These combined factors, coupled with the antique rug being Persian, contribute to a reasonable price tag, all things considered.

Product	Image	Details	Price
Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet from the William A. Clark Collection		This particular rug is the most expensive rug to ever have been sold at auction.
Kirman “Vase” Carpet		This rug, dubbed the “most expensive Islamic work of art ever sold,” sold at Christies in London to an anonymous phone bidder.
Pearl Carpet of Baroda		This unique rug sold at Sotheby’s Doha for over $5 million, securing its place on our list of the world’s most expensive rugs.
Silk Isfahan Rug​​​​​		This colorful, knot-dense rug from Central Asia sold at Christie’s in New York for over $4 million.
Louis XV Savonnerie Carpet		Infamous rug artist Pierre-Josse Perrot designed three carpets of the same design – his last sold at Christie’s in New York for over $4 million.
Safavid Silk, Wool, and Metal-Thread Prayer Rug		This rug outperformed its estimated sale price by a long shot at an auction at Sotheby’s London.
Bokara Rug Company Antique Persian Fine Kashan Rug		While some rugs do sell for tens of millions of dollars, other examples of high-end modern consumer rugs prove to be just as luxurious.
Isfahan Antique Rug Persian Carpet Hand-Knotted Classic		While some rugs do sell for tens of millions of dollars, other examples of high-end modern consumer rugs prove to be just as luxurious.
Antique Oversize Persian Tabriz Carpet		Decaso, a decorative arts society, is offering this oversized wool rug for sale.

Not Your Everyday Rug

These rugs are obviously not for everyday use, as they are the most expensive rugs ever to be sold, but they are certainly impressive regardless. These rugs are typically regarded as art over functional pieces and, due to their age, are rarely actually used.Rugs like the previously mentioned are antiques and are usually sold in auctions. You may have noticed Sotheby’s and Christie’s as two of the more commonly mentioned auction houses. They are the top art auctions in the world, especially in the realm of antique rugs and carpets.

An online blog about Persian and Oriental rugs explained the value behind these seemingly exorbitantly priced rugs.

“Persian and Oriental rugs are, by nature, expensive and treasured items. While many do not appreciate or have the knowledge to appreciate the intricate artwork involved in the creation of Persian rugs, the workmanship and hours that go into making them alone can explain the cost…. In fact, for many city-woven rugs, artists paint the pattern of the rug in intricate detail before the rug’s knotting process even begins. Like paintings, there are many thousands of rugs, all of different qualities and values. There are famous master weavers like there are famous artists and there are famous rugs like there are famous paintings.”

Antique Rugs Are a Form of Art

Though they may not be your cup of tea, the Persian and Oriental rug market remains of interest especially when pieces begin selling for over $40 million. Rugs are fine art just as paintings, sculptures, and other mediums.

However, the art form can be appreciated by individuals of any income level. Only the most premier antique Persian rugs sell for multiple millions of dollars. As with any form of art, you can certainly purchase less renowned or well-known pieces for your own home. The art form can even be appreciated in galleries and museums, sometimes for free.

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