When you think about upscale interior design, antiques and fine art are naturally the first items that come to mind. Antiques have an undeniable ability to add personality and character to the décor of any home. Because of their uniqueness many people opt to incorporate antiques into their living spaces. Whether it is something handed down through generations or found in an antique shop many homeowners make “antiquing” a hobby in order to add personal flair to their homes.

An antique is an item that is at least 80 – 100 years old and for the most part they are both decorative as well as collectible. An antique item is desired and collected because of its age, beauty, rarity, and use. One type of antique that many people collect for their homes are antique rugs. Funnily enough, many of the antique carpets are comparable and at times even cheaper in price than brand new rugs. Once you establish your budget, size requirements and overall look and feel your quest for the right piece begins!

Antique rugs may be found in many different looks and colors. The more “traditional” style carpets such as Tabriz, Kashan and Khorassan will usually have intricate patterns and can be found in a wide array of colors from the jewel tones to the light and airy. These types of pieces give a regal and elegant look to most rooms. However, modern design tends to be simpler in taste and style. Many of the designs in recent years favor a more minimalistic approach to the interior design. Incorporating antique carpets with subtle colors and a more abstract look (like arts and crafts or art deco) will go a long way and will add a warmth and texture to the space.

Another type of antique carpet that is often used in more modern settings are Moroccan rugs. Moroccan rugs are a fabulous way to invite warmth and create a bright and appealing atmosphere in your home. The simple tribal geometric patterns of these rugs (some of which are taken from the Tattoo designs of the Berber tribes) have been used for some-time to allow a sophisticated look to go with modern furniture. Many historic homes boast these Moroccan rugs such as one of America’s most famous architects of the modern era: Frank Lloyd Wright.

Although, it is more traditional to display your antique carpet on the floor, it can also be displayed on the wall as a work of art (which the antique carpets actually are). In the right lighting you will be able to see the artistry behind these artisanal antique rugs.

A rug tends to be the most expensive item in a room when decorating so it is imperative to get a piece that you will love for a long time. It is also important to purchase the rug from a dealer that you trust. A good dealer will provide you with information, images, and history of the rug as well as give you the option to trade in the rug for a different piece in the future. Be wary of dealers who tell you that the rug will be worth much more in “X” years because there is no way to estimate what any piece will fetch in the future as demands will always change to fit the ever-changing interior design trends. It is best to establish a good relationship with your dealer since down the line you might want to acquire a better piece or might simply want a different look.

So, why buy an antique rug? They clearly allow a very versatile and stylish look for your home decor. With their patina (that can only come with age), texture and their variety of colors and designs, they can liven up any modern, traditional or casual room and make your interior look picturesque and magnificent.

Over the years the trends, patters, and design of interiors have been reinventing themselves every few years but the demand and appreciation for antique rugs has remained. Great antique carpets, just like great paintings will never go out of style and the demand has only increased over the years.

The 17th century marked the later years of the Renaissance, a rebirth in the philosophical ideals of the past. Some of the world’s greatest thinkers lived and wrote during this period such as Issac Newton, Rene Descartes, Thomas Hobbes and Galileo Galilei. But during this time philosophy wasn’t the only milieu budding with brilliance. The 17th century also marked the golden age of rug making in such places as Turkey and Persia, as well as the opening of numerous trade routes that made these beautiful artisan-produced rugs available throughout Western Europe. Today decorators are creating a Renaissance of their own by incorporating these beautiful rugs from the 17th century into modern interior designs.

There are 17th century antique rugs that have survived the test of time and are still available today which makes them wonderful collectibles as well as breathtaking decorative pieces. These pieces originate from all over the world including France (like the elegant Savonnerie and Aubusson styles), Persia (from renowned weaving centers such as Isfahan), India (weavings of the great Mughal empire), Transylvania (rugs woven in the Turkish / Ottoman empire) and many more. This variety provides decorators with a wide array of colors and patterns to choose from which in turn guarantees the ability to find the right piece for the right setting.

The decor of any room in the house can be enhanced by the use of an antique rug but a 17th century rug undoubtedly becomes a conversational piece. The reason 17th century rugs are so popular and sought after in today’s decorating market is that they are much more than a rug or simple floor covering. These historical artifacts from ancient times are true works of art, made from the finest silks and wools available during a time when true craftsmanship was honored and valued. In fact many of the first imported rugs during the 17th century were not used as floor coverings at all but were proudly displayed as table and wall coverings instead (which is one reason why these pieces are still in useable condition today). Some use the smaller rugs in the same manner today – to add beauty to a room’s decor by using the rug as a wall hanging where it serves as a focal point of art for the room.

Incorporating the beauty of rugs from the 17th century into today’s decor lends an historical accent to any room of the house. 17th century rugs have a story to tell and since they have recently been escalating in demand and price they are proving to be one of the smartest home decorating investments that can be made.

One trend for this year is the resurgence of mid century and Art Deco interiors. Art Deco was central in the early 20th century and spanned from 1900 to the beginning of the second world war. This decorating style focused on furniture as art and finding unique ways to incorporate art into decoration. Textiles are featured prominently and there were different types of wood, leather, and precious metals.

The revival of Art Deco is bringing in some interesting color mixes: black with either green, red, or ashen. Black lacquer wood and chrome are predominant materials in furniture construction, also ebony and light-maple woods as well. The upholstery fabrics are velor and other lush, comfortable fabrics. The furniture is basically novel and shiny yet comfortable and functional.

Popular Art Deco lighting fixtures that one would expect to see in such interiors include wall sconces, goblet shades, and bronze and flute lamps. Floral and numerical patterns are included in the actual construction as well. They match well with other accents which include nickel mirrors, fluted vases and bronze sculptures. Luscious textiles include leather which has a luxe, glossy look which suits Art Deco.

Antique Tapestries are a great compliment to Art Deco and modernist decors. It goes without said that true vintage and antique rugs are making a comeback since the new production out there today will never have the patina and if you are going to invest in your interiors nothing will ever compare to the real thing. Funnily enough, since the prices of many of the real McCoy’s are comparable to the new productions it simply begs the question – why not get the real thing? Besides that fact that the antique pieces simply look better, the new rugs and carpets have no real value once one acquires them just like a new car – once you buy it and drive it off the lot it’s resale value will plummet whereas the antique pieces will always retain some of their inherent value.

One always should start with the rug when decorating their house. Fabrics come in a wide range of colors, patterns and price ranges the options or almost limitless. Therefore it is always easier to find a nice fabric to match the rug but to go the other way around will be extremely difficult since finding the right rug might take longer and will probably cost more than the fabrics themselves.

So before you begin your interior design keep start with the perfect rug and everything else will fall into place.

Colors:

Classic Revival: a color palette of grey, mushroom, sky, desert, sand, taupe and white are a great starting point for elegance in your home.

Hopeful: grassy green, vibrant violet, sunny yellow, warm tangerine, and soft pinks are colors which can assist you in evocatively creating a mood simply by selecting a new color scheme.

Bold yet subdued: ocean blue, tomato red, and amber gold are vibrant colors which can be welcoming yet are not overpowering for the occupant of the room.

“When designing a room I always start with the carpet. In this Study on the Upper East Side, I found a carpet design that has a wonderfully playful African vibe: its warm creams, browns, blues, and mustards undulate across the floor. The upholstery fabrics and wall paint colors play off of them as well as the colors and textures of the parchment goat skin desk, custom desk chair, and the hand painted custom sidetable.”

- Interior Designer Adrienne Neff

Adrienne Neff Design Services, LLC

www.adrienneneff.com

Nazmiyal Staff among Veranda Magazine team with New Moon personnel: From left to right: John Kurtz - of New Moon, Sara Wells, Lady from Veranda team , Christina Davis, Erika Kurtz, Ned Baker, Sara Moores, Omri Schwartz, Padi Nazmiyal, Jason Nazmiyal, Denise Kuriger, Sasha Lanka, Montana Timchula, Angela from Veranda, Deborah Sanders, Katie Brockman and Veranda team

This past Thursday the Nazmiyal Collection hosted an opening celebration at its Manhattan gallery for a new line of contemporary Tibetan rugs, produced by the renowned carpet firm, New Moon. Made in Nepal and designed by John Kurtz, New Moon has in recent years established a new standard of quality in the production of contemporary Oriental rugs and carpets. Known for their crisp, clean design with roots in traditional patterns as well as cutting-edge modernism, New Moon represents the very best in terms of weaving technique and materials, and unparalleled quality control. The event featured a special presentation by Veranda’s associate editor-at-large, Catherine Davis. Great carpets have always been all about wool and color, and New Moon has broken new ground by managing to uphold this traditional principle, while also asserting an aesthetic of modernist simplicity in which “less is more.” Said gallery founder, Jason Nazmiyal, “We couldn’t be more pleased about working with New Moon. For over twenty years we at Nazmiyal have striven to provide discriminating clients with the very best in antique carpets, and now we will be able to offer them the very best in new carpets as well.”

John Kurtz of New Moon with Catherine Davis (Associate Editor of Veranda Magazine), and Jason Nazmiyal

Omri Schwartz with Coco Arnesen (Coco Arnesen Design), and Barbara Rossi

Veranda Team

Stefanie Bishop and 2 guests

Omri and unknown guest

One of the great commonplaces of the rug market is the supposed distinction between antique rugs of the sort sought after by collectors and those that appeal to clients who are primarily interested in decorating their homes or offices. This sweeping distinction involves a range of underlying oppositions – the difference between the design traditions used in village or tribal weaving and those used in urban rug production, the difference between small rugs and trappings versus larger or room-sized rugs, a rich and varied palette versus one that is cooler and more limited, and a knowledgeable interest in the rare and esoteric as opposed to a desire for what is simply beautiful or attractive.

Antique rug collectors come off as scholars more or less, endowed to one degree or another with a learned historical perspective. They tend to approach rugs from the vantage of ethnography. They are interested in tribal or regional distinctions and the place of a given piece in a larger development. They want pieces made for local use, which they see as authentic, in opposition to rugs made simply for commercial export. They tend to acquire pieces of scatter size or smaller that typified village and tribal weaving, where larger rugs were less common. Collectors accept and admire the often quirky or wild design sensibility and coloration of tribal and village rugs.

Decorative rug enthusiasts, on the other hand are interested in acquiring ornamental floor coverings that work within a larger, coordinated system or plan of interior furnishing. Consequently, they tend toward rugs that are bigger, whose designs and coloration are more subdued or less obtrusive, and therefore capable of blending in more easily with their surroundings. Since rugs of this size tended to be made in urban-centered workshops, it was the more sophisticated oriental design tradition of the cities that became synonymous with the notion of the decorative rugs and the taste they appeal to. Owners of decorative rugs are also assumed not to be immediately concerned with the historical development or rarity of the pieces they acquire, but primarily with their visual appeal.

Seen in these terms, the difference between collectible and decorative antique rugs would seem to be a gulf as wide as the Grand Canyon. But as with all polar oppositions, those sketched above are predicated on assumptions, often simplistic, which obscure and distort what is really a more complex situation. Collectors interested in antique nomadic tribal weavings do acquire larger rugs or main carpets, just as those interested in classical Persian, Turkish, or Indian carpets must consider buying pieces fifteen to twenty feet long or more. Collector pieces of this sort will inevitably go on the floor, and as such they must function as interior furnishings, or, dare one say, as decorative rugs. And while actual statistics may be lacking, it is virtually certain that many collectors use even scatter size rugs as floor covering, or as furniture throws, where they too function as an integral part of interior décor. Nor is it clear that collector pieces are essentially equatable with tribal and village rugs. Collectors of early Turkish, Persian, and Indian rugs are clearly interested in pieces with classic Islamic urban design, the same types of design that inspired most of the decorative rugs of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. What is more, various urban-derived small sized Turkish and Persian rugs of the nineteenth century, Hereke, Ghiordes, Farahan or Kerman, are considered collectible. From this perspective much of the distinction between collectible and decorative rugs collapses.

To put it somewhat differently, many, perhaps most collector rugs can also be decorative rugs, while some, but not all decorative rugs are collectible. So, if antique tribal and/or classical pieces with richer color and strident designs, even smaller ones, can be used as decorative rugs, then what aspects of the conception of antique decorative rugs discussed above do in fact distinguish them from collector pieces? It is the notion that essentially decorative rug buyers have no real interest in the history and development of designs, and that they are looking for pieces with subdued design and coloration. But who says that the affluent, tasteful, highly educated buyers who largely constitute the clientele for decorative antique rugs have no interest in the history or artistic development of the piece they acquire, or that with some encouragement, they could acquire such interests? And who says that they want designs and colors that will fade into the woodwork so as not to overwhelm the surrounding upholstery and window treatments? These too are simplistic assumptions, and to the extent that they are true, they may not represent the genuine, unfettered sensibilities of the clients themselves, but rather the opinions and strategies of the interior designers who represent them and who define and control market trend.

The proclivity of many interior designers or decorators for rugs with neutral or soft coloration and less obtrusive, allover repeat designs is well known in the rug trade, and it should come as no surprise that rug dealers cater to such taste in the interest of selling rugs. But what is less clear is whether the designers are catering in turn to the taste of their clients, or whether they are in fact imposing their own taste for their own reasons on those clients. It is far easier to coordinate a room around an unobtrusive rug than to do so with a piece whose design and color make any kind of expressive artistic statement. But if decorators encouraged their clients to appreciate central medallion designs and the beauty of saturated vegetable dyes, and if they took the trouble to impart something of the history behind the designs, who is to say that market trend might not be vastly different than it is now.

Nor are collectors without responsibility for the polarized view of collectible and decorative rugs. Why is it that an outstanding Serapi, Bakshaish, or Sultanabad carpet should not be collectible, although few if any collectors would admit it? As marketplace rugs produced for commercial export, they apparently lack the cultural authenticity that is so enticing to collectors. But why? Serapi, Bakshaish, and Sultanabad carpets arose from a larger, conscious revival of traditional rug production in nineteenth-century Iran, much the same as nineteenth century Kazak, Karabagh, or Shirvan rugs represent a similar revival in the Caucasus. And why do we assume that pieces which still entice collectors – nomadic tribal rugs like Turkomans or the great village weavings of the Caucasus – would automatically have more cultural authenticity, when it is documented that their production in the late nineteenth century was fostered and controlled by the Czarist Russian government precisely for commercial export to the West? There can be no doubt that a divide between collector and decorative rugs is widely thought to exist among rug enthusiasts, but it predicated largely on subjective perspectives which have become so ingrained over time that they have acquired the status of unquestioned validity.

It may be useful to conclude by examining number 896 from the Nazmiyal Collection, seen above, a carpet that does not fall readily into the collectible or decorative categories, and which poses a sort of challenge to collectors and decorative rug buyers alike. This is an early twentieth century antique English piece produced as part of the Arts and Crafts Movement. Its design is based closely on classical Turkish rugs of the so-called Small Pattern Holbein type made in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The field has a pattern of quatrefoil medallions and interlace roundels staggered alternately in vertical columns. The border is of the so-called “pseudo-Kufic type with interlacing reminiscent of the field, perhaps the most interesting border type known on Turkish rugs of this type. Even the coloration of the piece with its emphasis on reds, blue greens, aubergine, and gold flows the Turkish prototypes closely.

Now who would buy such a rug? Certainly no collector. But why not. The piece is a genuine Arts and Crafts antique, and like all good antiques it has the aura of another time and place. A collector would have the knowledge to appreciate the historical reference so central to the Arts and Crafts Movement. A collector, moreover, might appreciate this rug as the heir to a longstanding English tradition for imitating Holbein pattern rugs that began with needlework copies of Elizabethan times. At 10 x 12 feet, this piece would make an ideal room-size decorative rug for an owner with a collector mentality, especially since Small Pattern Holbein rugs themselves were never made in so large a size. Yet to acquire this piece a collector would have get beyond the idea that this is not an authentic, original early Turkish carpet. But what rug has such authenticity. We now know that the small pattern Holbein carpets were themselves close adaptations of earlier and contemporary Timurid carpets produced in Iran.

And how about decorative rug clients? Would they see this for the impressively decorative work of art that it is, or would they consider it “not decorative” because the colors were too strong, or the design too bold and dense. In actuality this rug would make a spectacular anchor or focus of a well-designed interior carefully coordinated with the right furniture and upholstery, or perhaps even with Arts and Crafts furnishings. And if the client were inclined such Arts and Crafts taste, might they not also enjoy the idea that the piece exemplified the Movement’s penchant for historical allusion or reference?

In the end, this carpet appears neither collectible nor decorative simply because received opinion would judge it in this way. It is perhaps time that antique rug collectors as well as the clientele for the decorative rug market and the interior designers who serve them all broaden their horizons somewhat. Pidgeon-holing categorizations are supposed to help people, but in reality they do not, they only provide constraints. As things stand now, Nazmiyal 896 poses an interesting question – how good can any standard of judgment be that would fail to accommodate a rug of such charm, beauty, and interest?

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.

Nazmiyal 3038, seen above, is a classical Safavid Persian carpet of a type generally attributed to Isfahan, although this has never been proven conclusively. But wherever in Persia this exquisite piece was made some time around 1650, it is an outstanding example of Persian rug weaving at its peak. The field design consists of flame-like, elaborately stylized flowers or palmettes connected by a trellis of fine vines and sinuous cloudbands. Somewhat different palmettes connected by interlacing strapwork vines make up the main border. Those familiar with later antique Persian carpets of the nineteenth century will recognize in this piece the ancestor of many of the great Kermans, Kashans, and Tabrizes produced in the decades just before 1900 as part of a widespread revival of Persian rug weaving.

But the classical forerunners lor originals like 3038 have a special quality that sets them apart. Their drawing is meticulous and full of life because their designs were at that time new, cutting-edge artistic creations emanating for the court of the Safavid Persian Shahs. The palette of these classical pieces is also different with its emphasis on soft golds, greens, blues, and terracottas. The colors are saturated and full of depth, but not strong or harsh. The proportions of the rug are a bit narrow for the length, 6 x 12, but still very usable as a room-size carpet. The pile is very low, lower indeed than many antique nineteenth century pieces, as one would expect for a rug over three hundred years old. But the artistic quality and presence of the piece more than compensate for this.

Nazmiyal 3288 is a Spanish carpet probably woven in the town of Alcaraz in the mid sixteenth century. Early Spanish carpets of this type grew out of the production begun earlier in Spain under the rule of the Moors. But immediately following the Reconquista and the expulsion of the Moors by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1492, Spanish carpets abandoned the Islamic patterns of earlier times in favor of more European designs of Renaissance and Greco-Roman derivation like this splendid piece. Elaborate acanthus vinescrolls sprouting delicate palmettes in deep aubergine sprawl as a network across the warm terracotta ground, while a border of dragon-like s-shaped vines encloses the whole composition. This is a carpet that has the richness of a fine textile like a Renaissance silk brocade or velvet. At approximately 5 x 10 it too would make an excellent room-size rug even though it is also a first rate museum piece.

From the other side of the world comes Nazmiyal 3285, a magnificent Ningshia carpet made in an imperial workshop in seventeenth century China. At first glance the field looks fairly open with a scatter or small rosette-like Chinese cloud motifs in shades of blue. In actuality the field contains a lush allover vinescroll, but it barely shows up given its subtle tone-on-tone coloration is shades of golden tan. The two narrow borders of half-rosettes and fretwork provide a reserved, understated frame for the subtlety of the field. More than three hundred years have not been able to compromise in the least the sumptuous decorative effect of this wonderful carpet.

Nazmiyal 2975 is a saph or multiple niche communal prayer rug of the eighteenth century from East Turkestan to the West of Tibet. Each of the panels is a mihrab, an arch-shaped door or window onto paradise. Although the piece was made for communal worship the ornamental treatment of the details has considerable decorative effect as a runner some nine feet long. The dyes on this piece, especially the green, are simply superb, endowing it with a jewel-like mosaic quality. In view of its delicate condition it would now serve more appropriately as a wall hanging that could provide the illusion of a row of windows.

Early rugs and textiles are certainly not the esoteric “collector items” that they are so often taken to be. They were originally produced as decorative interior furnishings at an elite level of patronage. There is no reason, therefore, that should not function in this way today, so long as they are sufficiently well preserved and treated with care. They offer a superior degree of elegance and artistry that is a notch or two above most nineteenth century rugs. For those discerning enough to tell the difference and willing to pay for it, Early Period rugs are a gateway to a lost era of grace and luxury.

See also:
What is a Tribal or Nomadic Rug?