Pricewise: Oriental Rugs

Guided by a drawn pattern posted overhead, workers hand-knot wool yarn in 36 colors on cotton warp threads. The rug is washed aggressively to fade the colors, and the fringe is trimmed to a vacuum-cleaner-friendly ½ inch. While knot count is not always a mark of quality, this rug's 320 knots per square inch mean better density and resolution.