Mar
27
2007
For much of the twentieth century the interest in Oriental rugs and carpets has come increasingly to focus on the concept of the antique rug as the standard of excellence, and there are certainly good reasons for this. The influence of western dye and machine spinning technologies, along with the enormous new demand for oriental rugs that developed from the late nineteenth century onward, all contributed to a rapid decrease in quality in terms of the materials, the weave, and the designs. By the nineteen thirties it was easy to tell the difference between rugs made up to about World War One, and those made after. Read the full article, About New Oriental Rugs & Carpets.
Popularity: 14% [?]
Mar
21
2007
Having worked with designers for over twenty years, I can really appreciate what makes Amy Lau so special and distinctive. I wanted to start our “Designer Spotlight” with Amy because of her wonderful sensitivity to color and its role within the design process. The impression of simplicity that she achieves in putting a room together is remarkable. Read the full article, A Conversation with Amy Lau from Forms of Design.
Popularity: 13% [?]
Mar
01
2007
The rug market has never been short of imagination in developing narratives to explain carpet formats, structures, or typological labels. One of the most amusing examples of this is the notion that rugs or kilims woven in separate halves sewn down the middle were made as wedding rugs with one half woven by the groom’s family, and the other woven by the bride’s, and the joining of the pieces as a symbol of the marital union itself. In reality, rugs were produced this way because no wider, large-scale looms were available, and the story evolved to explain away the annoying middle seam to potential customers. Nowadays colorful stories like this are only repeated as amusing anecdotes, rather than as a strategy to make a sale. Read the full article, “Is There Really Such a Thing as a ‘Serapi’ Carpet?”
Popularity: 13% [?]
