Area Rug Collecting (01)

Interview with a Rug Collector
People who collect Turkoman rugs are irreverently referred to by other rug collectors as Turkomaniacs. Essentially a phenomenom which emerged in the ‘50s, Turkoman rug collecting was at the core of tribal rug interest. Ned, who is 60, was educated as a scientist and has a Ph. D. In biology. Employed in industry most of his life, he is presently self-employed as an environmental (pure water) consultant. His interest in Oriental rugs dates March, 1972 when he inherited three rugs -- a roomsize 1930s Kirman, a Sarouk, and a Hamadan. With these three rugs, he and his wife Joan purchased another rug and vissited local rug dealers, mostly department stores and small dealers. Within a few weeks they settled on a 1930s "American", ivory ground Sarouk and a new 3x5 Mir Sarouk. Since then, he's been an avid rug collector. Some of his rugs are shown in this interview.

Persian Rugs and Islamic Art Articles
This is a Web site by Barry O’Connell, who publishes information about Persian Rugs and Islamic Art. This site takes time to focus on rug-makers, with articles nard photographs of how they create their crafts. There are sections on Mazlaghan, Mood, Nahavend, Heriz, Isfahan, Enjelas, Arak rugs and much, much more. Other sections include Turkish rugs, Uzbek rugs, Baluch rugs and more. Noted on the homepage is an article about how to clean rugs, as he visited a rug-cleaning seminar.

The Importance of Afghan War Rugs
For generations, people have desired to own Oriental rug or carpet. Epitomizing the idea of luxury and wealth or bestowing status upon the individual the Oriental rug has found a certain place in the culture of Europe and America. Quality rugs cost a lot, equal to those demanded by the best of English furniture, clocks and silver. It is not unusual to see a rug sold at auction for over £10,000 and indeed much more. This article talks about the demands and pricing of Afghan War rugs.

New England Rug Society
The New England Rug Society is an informal organization of people interested in enriching their knowledge and appreciation of antique oriental rugs and ethnographic textiles. Founded in 1985 as the New Boston Rug Society, it has since grown to more than 170 members from throughout New England who share a common love of the traditional creative textile arts. NERS members gather six to eight times each year at informal meetings that usually feature an outside speaker and focus on a particular theme related to the rug field. All participants are encouraged to bring rugs and textiles to the meetings for discussion and comment. Meetings are held in various locations depending on the subject, including public meeting facilities, museums, local rug dealerships and auction houses, and other appropriate venues. Light refreshments accompany each gathering. Site includes rug resources, newsletter, links and meeting information.