News & Information on Antique Oriental Rugs and Persian Carpets

One of the great divides in the rug world is the distinction between newer rugs and those that can be termed antique. This is a distinction that operates on various levels involving artistic and technical quality, rarity, and, of course, price. New rugs are not simply those that arrive in the market direct from a manufacturer without ever having been used, but also those with an age of thirty years or less. Antique rugs are those at least eighty years old, while “old” and “semi-antique” rugs fill the gap between the new and antique. But these other categories are of little import; it is the fully “antique” label that really matters. Antique rugs have hand-spun wool, their colors are made with all or primarily vegetable-derived dyes, and they are produced with designs rooted authentically in traditions hundreds of years old. Unlike new rugs, there is a finite number of rugs made before 1920. This number may shrink, but it can never increase. Antique rugs not only have quality, but rarity as well, and this tends to increase their value with the passing of time.

But there is another divide of this sort, although it is not as well known. This is the divide between rugs designated as antique and those known as “Early Period” rugs and textiles, those made before 1800. Given the essential fragility of woven art, rugs of this age in anything approaching good condition are far rarer than antique rugs of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. This makes them even more expensive than nineteenth century pieces, but their rarity has also made Early Period pieces somewhat unfamiliar to the larger rug-buying public. Instead, early rugs or carpets and textiles of this kind have so far been primarily of interest to specialist collectors. This is unfortunate, since many early pieces are carpets of a substantial size, which, if in sufficiently good condition, make excellent decorative rugs. For those who can appreciate the particular beauty and superior artistry of Early Period rugs, they remain a largely untapped resource for high quality interior décor. A few examples from the Nazmiyal Collection will suffice to illustrate this point. Continue Reading »

We are pleased to announce that Jason NAZMIYAL was asked to participate in a panel discussion at the New York Historical Society. This stimulating panel discussion about antique rugs and carpets, From Tibet to Timbuktu and the Art of Collecting Fine Rugs and Textiles was moderated by the pillar of the New York rug scene, Mary Jo Otsea, who has long headed the rug and carpet department at Sotheby’s New York. Jason represented the community of rug-dealers, while rug collectors and the professionals who advise them were represented by Judith Glass and long time collector Kurt Munkacsi respectively. The discussion was lively and informative, and touched upon a wide range of issues relevant to building an important collection. Why one collects, what one collects, how one recognizes what makes a piece desirable or important are all pressing issues for collectors. But what emerged most from the discussion was the very special and symbiotic relationship that exists among those who collect and dealers and advisors who facilitate their collecting passions. Collectors have more in common with dealers than they think, when it comes time to sell or de-acquisition a piece, and dealers often buy like collectors, not simply for profit but with their hearts, Continue Reading »