News & Information on Antique Oriental Rugs and Persian Carpets

Image by LollyKnit via Flickr

Rug origin: Design vs Structure: The truth of the origin is on the backside of the rug. This is why, when examining a rug, most experts, after looking at color and design, will turn the rug over to determine its origin. They look at the structure of the rug; the warp, the weft, the type of knot.

The weave pattern is often what reveals the identity of the rug.

The design and color on the front of the rug, while it draws much more attention, is not as dependable a source for determining the origin. There was more interchange between groups of weavers’ design styles, than of their structural techniques.

by Joan Guryan

Gabbehs were not originally produced for the retail market. I was introduced to Gabbehs about twenty years ago, when Jason Nazmiyal exhibited his collection in Millburn, N.J. It was the first time that Gabbehs would be presented in the United States. George Bornet, leading expert on Gabbehs, introduced the collection. Because they became a favorite of mine, I have included them in my own personal collection.
Different from other antique rugs they were not influenced by commercial demand. These works of art were not created to order, but to fulfill the weaver’s own artistic endeavors, and for their own personal use.

by Joan Guryan

Design patterns found in Caucasian Rugs:

Flower patterns do not play an essential role in Caucasian rugs. Usually the design patterns in Caucasians are geometric, often without symmetry. If flowers designs are present, they will generally found in the border, or used to complement a geometric pattern. They will not be a dominant factor as they are in many Persian, or Indian rugs.

by Joan Guryan

What make’s Khotans so interesting!

Recently, I have become interested in Khotan rugs. They reflect the political history of the area. You can see the influence of several cultures, among them Chinese, Turkey and Iran.

You might see pomegranates, the East Iranian influence, rosettes giving it a turkish feeling, and finally lattice work, which is typically Chinese. It is amazing when you look at one of these Khotan rugs; it is a fusion of cultures.

My introduction to Antique Rugs.
Let me introduce myself. I am Joan Guryan, and I fell passionately in love with Antique Rugs twenty years ago, when I was decorating my first home. That was when I met Jason Nazmiyal, who sold me my first rug. We had a simpatico of taste; he articulated my thoughts as only an expert could. He nurtured my interest by sharing his knowledge. I began to look at rugs with a more educated eye. But more than the knowledge of where it was made, or how; why one area used one type of fiber, or used one type of knots, my fascination was in the design and the colors, the story it told.

The first rug I bought was a Caucasian, to be specific it was a Shirvan, and very unusual for it’s size. With its stick figures, both human and animal, and its other geometric shapes, I could imagine the story it was telling. Like art, we often are unaware of the artist’s thoughts, but we have made a connection, which somehow connects us to another human’s life; thus making the world a little smaller.

It is 20 years later, I have bought many rugs since, the first is still in my living room, and I have never tired of looking at it. I have continued to by my rugs as if they were pieces of art; which is probably why they are such a source of satisfaction.

Nazmiyal.com was recently featured as the lead story on the front page of RugNews.com.

The story told of a recent acquisition, made by the experts at Nazmiyal when they bought an antique Ziegler Sultanabad Oriental rug once owned by Sigmund Freud, the reknown father of Psychology.

Many interesting details about the purchase are included in the article, so visit RugNews.com. In addition, the rug can be viewed on our site at: Freud Sultanabad Rug # 3382