News & Information

Contributed by Jason Nazmiyal
Monday, 27 November 2006
The Wagireh or Sampler rug is perhaps the most enigmatic of carpets. Made as a template or pattern for the design and production of larger carpets, they are generally small pieces the size of a scatter rug or mat. They did not show the entire design, but only the basic or fundamental portion of the various larger decorative elements of the field and borders, along with selected individual motifs, which could then be expanded according to established symmetrical repetitions to produce the complete composition.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Contributed by Jason Nazmiyal
Monday, 27 November 2006
The Scandinavian region became aly found their way home with Viking merchants active in Russia and the Byzantine Empire. In the centuries that followed such trade ties introduced the knotted pile carpet from Ottoman Turkey. Indeed one of the earliest surviving Turkish carpets comes from the parish church at Marby, Sweden.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Written by Joan Guryan
Friday, 17 November 2006

Focus, or accent?

Is this rug the focal point of my room, or an accent? Do I want you to walk into the room and have your eye go directly to the rug. If this is the criteria, then I am buying the rug, as I would any piece of art. The quality should be fine, and the design should be unique. Your furniture should have good lines, but the fabrics you use can be neutral. When the rug is the focus, you often want to pick it first, before the fabrics.

If I am looking for a rug to bring a room together, give it warmth, enhance the existing furniture then criteria is different. This choice is no less important than the focus rug. In some ways it is the more difficult rug to pick. It must be beautiful, but soft; it must complement, or increase the beauty of the rest of the room. When I buy a rug this way, I bring large enough swatches to put next to the rug. You will usually know which rugs will definitely not work. More likely, you will find several that you think will work. The next step will be to bring them into your home; most fine rug dealers will allow you to do this for you.The quality of the rug must equal to the other furnishings in the room.

Medallion, or open field?

The medallion rug is one with a definite design in the center of the rug; it is the focal point of the rug. An open field rug has an all over pattern in the center of the rug surrounded by a border. If I am looking for a rug that is going to sit under a coffee table or dining table, or a bed, I am not interested in a medallion rug. Why cover up the most important part of the rug? Then I am more interested in an open field rug. But, I want to find one that has a great border, the area that is going to get the most attention.

Any area, where the view of the rug is unobstructed , the choice is yours. It is often a good place to use a rug with a medallion.

Where to use a great runner?

If I have a large room that has multiple purposes, I may use a runner to act as a natural divider. A runner can direct traffic flow between to adjacent rooms. I may use a very narrow runner as a table decoration.

Prayer rug?

I can see using a prayer rug, if it is in good condition, in an entry way. It is a rug that goes in one direction, drawing your guests into your home. If I find one that cannot handle a lot of traffic but is really unique, and the design is very pleasing, I can always find a place on the wall for it.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Written by Joan Guryan
Thursday, 09 November 2006
Twenty years ago, when I first became interested in antique rugs, I was spending my summers in a small rural town in Vermont. I was definitely a novice, though I thought I knew a little more than I did. One of the major events of the weekend was the local auction, at the firehouse.

You always arrived at these auctions early, to preview the auction items, and catch up on the local gossip. You could fine anything from farm implements to fine china. So, occasionally there were antique rugs. While very often these were American antique, such as hook rugs, sometimes there were antique Persian rugs.

One particular auction day, my husband and I arrived early; as we looked around I spotted what I thought was a Sarouk. The rug, though beautiful, with rich blues and reds, did not meet my criteria for buying it. Simply put, I did not love it. Being a novice, I was not sure of it’s value. I was swept away by the excitement of bidding on something I thought might be a treasure. Someone else thought so also. I was approached by a gentleman, who sensed my interest. He asked me if I was interested in becoming his partner on thisrug . I decided that half the investment on something I was unsure of was better than 100%. In hind sight, he probably just wanted me out of the picture, so I would not drive the price up.

Well the gentleman and I bought the rug very cheaply; no one else was bidding seriously on it. We went back to my home to settle up. When I looked the rug over carefully, I decided that not only did I not like it for myself, but it was not such a prize. So I was happy to have Ali buy me out.

I learned a valuable lesson. Stick to my criteria; buy only what I love, from someone I trust. Also, continue search for knowledge about antique rugs.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Written by Joan Guryan
Thursday, 02 November 2006
A rug has many uses, to cover an unpleasant looking floor, to define, a space, to set boundaries in a room. It can be a focus, or bring a room together.

The presence of a rug in a room can be a statement in itself, much like a piece of art on the wall. the choice to own a unique rug with a particular design, or weave says much about a person’s lifestyle, and sense of design.
A rug can be used to warm up a room. It can totally change the mood of a room. Whatever you reason to place a particular rug in a room, you are creating your own unique environment.
Enjoy!!

Popularity: 5% [?]