Most Expensive Rugs and Carpets Sold at Auction (All Time)

About This Dataset

Oriental and decorative rugs ranked by hammer price at public auction in millions of USD. The Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet, a 17th-century Persian vase carpet from the Safavid period, sold at Christie's New York in 2013 for $33.7 million — the highest price ever achieved for a carpet at auction, reflecting its extraordinary state of preservation, the refinement of its design, and the premium collectors place on Safavid Persian rugs above all other textile art from any culture or period.

✨ AI Insight

The gap between the top entry, the Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet at $33.7 million, and the second place, the Kirman Vase Carpet at $9.6 million, is striking, illustrating the extraordinary premium placed on the finest Persian carpets. This disparity suggests that while there is a robust market for high-value rugs, only a select few achieve astronomical prices. Factors such as historical provenance, craftsmanship, and condition play crucial roles in these valuations. The presence of multiple Persian carpets in the top ranks indicates a strong cultural appreciation and demand for this particular style, potentially driven by collectors' desires to own a piece of history.

Source: Wikipedia

Key Findings

Auto-computed highlights from this dataset

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Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet (17th C, Persia) leads with 34 in 2016.

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Average value in 2016: 3 · median: 3.

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2013 recorded the highest combined total across all categories.

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Gap in 2016: Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet (17th C, Persia) is 11.6× larger than Transylvanian Rug (17th C, Ottoman).

Most Expensive Rugs and Carpets Sold at Auction (All Time)

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Data Insights Below

Data Insights

Numbers, trends & sources behind this chart

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Data Points

8 categories · 6 years

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Top Value

33.70

Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet (17th C, Persia)

Auction Price (Million USD) · 2013

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Metrics

Auction Price (Million USD)

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Period

2008 – 2016

6 years of data

Rankings & Full Data

8 records · Auction Price (Million USD) · ranked by 2016

✓ 8 sourced

#	Category	2008	2010	2011	2013	2015	2016	Change
🥇	Clark Sickle-Leaf Carpet (17th C, Persia)	—	—	—	33.70	—	—	—
🥈	Kirman Vase Carpet (17th C, Persia)	—	9.60	—	—	—	—	—
🥉	Emperor's Carpet (17th C, Persia)	—	—	—	6.20	—	—	—
4	Ardabil Carpet Pair (16th C, Persia)	—	5.50	—	—	—	—	—
5	Star Ushak Carpet (16th C, Turkey)	—	—	—	—	4.80	—	—
6	Ming Dynasty Dragon Carpet (16th C, China)	—	—	4.10	—	—	—	—
7	Safavid Polonaise Carpet (17th C, Persia)	3.70	—	—	—	—	—	—
8	Transylvanian Rug (17th C, Ottoman)	—	—	—	—	—	2.90	—