The following is a complete listing of our Antique and Semi-antique rugs and carpets in current stock. They are arranged in order of size, starting with the smallest.
Each and every piece has been personally and carefully selected, based on 45 years of experience buying Antique rugs. I only buy exceptional pieces in perfect or near perfect condition, preferably untouched by restoration, alterations, heavy wear, artificial "antique wash" treatments or any other interference that would negatively effect value.
The quality must be top end, as must be artistic merit, visual appeal and, ideally, a degree of relative rarity within its group.
Click on images to enlarge. More images of each lot available upon request.
In this group there are 12 pieces of older stock that are temporarily offered at Special Summer Sale Offers, ending August 2018. This section updated 18/6/2018.
A very pretty little rug with good, natural colours, excellent wool and free of repairs. The side cords have been oversewn in places. A nice thing for a wall, or anywhere, at a price of a small water colour painting.
€825.-
A typical example of the small but highly decorative "poushti" (cushion) size rugs woven in Ravar at this time. Rugs like this would rarely have been walked on if owned by Persians, rather they could serve as seating mats while entertaining guests, or beautiful wall decorations. Areas of slight wear but generally in fairly good condition.
€625.-
A beautifully woven example of the now very rare pictorial pieces woven in the late 19th C. Usually such pieces depict previous Persian rulers or other persons of historical importance; more unusually you see religious scenes such as this Madonna & Child image. The signature panel at the top reads "Maryam and Isa", Mary and Jesus. In perfect condition throughout with full pile, no repairs, original sides and ends.
€1250.-
A finely knotted, pretty little rug, technically slightly too small to serve as a practical prayer rug but more intended as a decorative work of art. The pale sky blue colours are typical of Teheran rugs, as is the fine weave pale blue cotton wefts. The rug has lost 3 knot rows at the lower end and there are two minute spot repairs along the side cords, otherwise it is in very good condition throughout. A very nice thing to have on the wall at a modest price.
€1350.-
A very pretty Baluch rug with glowing, warm colours and lanolin rich wool, drawn in the traditional style of the Baluchi from the Torbat-e-Haidari. The pile is slightly low in places showing minor spot wear, there are a couple of minor repairs to the elaborate end kilims and side cords but generally it's in good shape throughout. Would make a lovely wall hanging!
€1575
A beautiful rug with the presence of real age, showing slight but even all-over wear, with a beautifully detailed "Herati" design on ivory ground. Finely knotted at around 255/sq inch. There are a couple of minute, repaired breaks along the side cords. The ends have each lost a couple of knot rows but generally the rug is in good order for its age. An elegant rug with a beautiful design and excellent colours.
€3400.- SUMMER SALE OFFER € 2500.-
A very pretty little Heriz rug with lovely natural colours including some beautiful blues and greens. Small Heriz rugs are hard to find, the vast majority woven in the region around a century age were large carpets or runners. In good condition apart from fractional loss of 1-2 knot rows at the lower short end, very slight, even surface wear that only reflects its true age.
€SOLD
A strong, decorative Baluch in good condition throughout. For further info on this piece, click on Recent Acquisitions, and scroll down.
€1650
One of leading experts on Baluch rugs, Michael Craycraft of Adraskand Gallery in San Fransisco, held an important exhibition exclusively featuring vintage Baluch prayer rugs. Plate 31 features an almost identical rug with the same rare kilim brocading which he attributes to the Sarakhs group. Our example is in virtually perfect, original condition, with full pile, intact kilims and side cords. Although it is in perfect pile with many generations of wear left in it, this rare and beautiful rug might deserve a proud place on a wall, being such a superb example of Baluch tribal rug art.
€2900
Rug weaving in Abadeh is merely over a century old, inspired by the weavings traded in the bazaars by the various tribal groups passing through. Old examples were well made with good, natural colours and properly spun wool. The design seen here is known as "Zil-i-Soltan", a complex all over composition featuring vases filled with exotic flowers. In excellent condition throughout.
€1600
This is a curiosity whose exact origins are up for debate. The weave is Kurdish (brown wool warps), the colouring and design highly reminiscent of rugs and kilims woven around Sanadaj, yet there's a distinct Avshar feel to it. Without elaborating here, suffice it to say it is a beautiful, quirky and endearing rug with lovely natural colours and great wool, in very good condition. The side cords have been oversewn and the upper short end reduced by 1-2 knot rows, now secured.
€1800
Several works on antique Baluch rugs have been published, perhaps the most informative one by Jeff Boucher, Baluchi Woven Treasures, where describes a huge range of weavings by this group. Plates 6 and 11 in his book are closely related to this charming rug which features a rare inclusion of scatter details in white in the middle of the rhythmic grid design. In very good, original condition with full pile except areas piled in black wool, the original kilims and side cords present.
€1950
A charming, quirky rug with plenty of character and spontaneity, clearly woven without cartoons or written design guidance. Instead the weaver has worked from memory in a style inherited from previous generations of family weavers. The superb colours are all natural and fast, meaning the rug can be washed repeatedly without fear of colour running which is a huge problem in contemporary rug production. Note the two human figures at the top end, indicating this was probably woven as a gift, or dowry. In excellent, original condition, with full, lustrous pile, only one or two minute spot repairs.
€2400
Ensi was a dowry rug woven with the specific purpose of covering the open tent door in a Yomut yurt (tent) during the wedding festivities. Usually finely woven, these beautiful rugs were never in use on the ground for as long as they remained as family dowry heirlooms, perhaps only displayed on the wedding anniversary. This beautiful, early example with its bold "eagle" border end panels is in excellent condition throughout, full pile showing no wear, original ends and much of the side-cords (one side has been partly rebound but as original). One of the best Yomut Ensis I have come across in a while, ex Swedish private collection.
€4500.-
This is quite an exceptional small Meshed rug, falling in size between the two traditional formats zaronim and dozar. The weave is super fine for a wool rug, at approx 400 knots pr square inch, placing it way above the norm for Meshed rugs of this period. It may well be a smaller "model" woven by Saber, famous for their exceptionally fine larger carpets of this appearance and quality. In perfect condition throughout.
€3600.- SUMMER SALE OFFER € 2500
A charming rug of a well documented group with good, natural colours, lanolin rich wool and solid workmanship. In very good condition with near full pile throughout, original side cords and end finishes. Some minor securements to the kilim ends and overbinding in spots on side cords have been undertaken since photography.
Ref: T. Runge, One Woman One Weft, Pl. 21
€1650.-
This beautiful, and unusual, Tekke "Bokhara" rug has spent most of its life to date on the wall - on this image you can see the stitch for the back webbing along the top kilim end. Probably never walked on, it is in totally original, untouched condition throughout with full pile, original side cords and complete kilims, woven on a warp of wool and goats' hair, free of repairs. A rare feature is the variance in design along the top and bottom end border, something you normally associate with the "ensi" group of Turkoman tribal rugs. A gem!
€2850
A beautiful, delicately drawn and softly coloured rug from one of the better known master designers of Tabriz at the time. The contrast of open space and dense corner and border decoration takes considerable understanding of what makes a rug attractive and pleasing to the eye. The pale blue cloud bands on the ivory field are a delicious feature.
Finely knotted at over 250/sq inch, the rug is in excellent condition apart from the rebound selvedges and a few spots of slight wear. The size is also unusual in the general Persian repertoire.
€3200.- SUMMER SALE OFFER € 2400.-
A very beautiful example of this famous group of Tabriz rugs, sought after world wide both as decorative and collectible pieces. The warm, light palette of light colours contrast beautifully with the skilful outlining in black and midnight blue. The complex design is equally superbly drawn, with a multiple set of borders that still works so well with the relatively open field. The knot count is super fine, in excess of 320/sq inch.
In excellent condition throughout with original side cords, full pile, no loss except the actual kilim strands at each short end, only one minute repair near one corner.
€ 4900
The Demirci Kulas are classified as among the most traditional of rugs woven in Asia Minor, their production reaching back to the 15th C. Sometimes called Komurcu Kula, meaning charcoal burner, this refers to the typical charcoal brown ground shared by most examples. This piece is in remarkable condition with full pile and original kilim ends and side cords present. There is a very small repair to the lower right corner comprising a stretch of 3 inches of end kilim, a reweave of the actual corner involving a half dozen knots including less than an inch of side cord.
Ref: Adil Besim, Turkische Teppiche, Pl. 24, and Antique Anatolische Teppiche, Austrian Collections, Society of Vienna, Pl. 21.
€3900.-
At first glance this highly decorative rug is clearly a Baluch weaving, until you look more closely at certain weave, dye and design features. Kurdish and Baluch groups lived and migrated in close proximity in this area and often "borrowed" rug design ideas from each other. Kurdish features in this rug include the use of brown wool and goats' hair in the structure, the very elaborate kilim ends usually seen around the Kurdish rugs from Quchan, plus the subtle use of a lovely green colour rarely seen in true Baluch rugs. In very good condition showing only slight, overall wear plus some minute repairs to the kilim ends.
€1900
A beautiful 19th C Baluch rug of great character, originality and presence. The narrow outlining in brown has corroded slightly, creating a relief effect in the design that you often see in really old examples. The general pile is still very good, meaning the rug can well be used on the floor. The end kilims are beautifully woven, the lower one showing some minor damage which has since been restored. Original side cords and no other repairs. For a vaguely related example, see J. Boucher - Baluch rugs, pl. 11.
€2500
A robust, tightly knotted and decorative "Bokhara" rug, in excellent condition throughout apart from missing 2-3 knot rows at each short end. Antique "Bokhara" rugs are increasingly difficult to find, still in the top ratings for furnishing purposes where they tend to sit comfortably both in classical and contemporary settings.
€1950.- SUMMER SALE OFFER € 1450.-
With their curvilinear designs, tight knotting and fine wool, Tafresh rugs differ from the main style of Hamadan rugs. This example feature the oldest and most commonly found design in the region with an elaborate 16-foil medallion repeated in the corners. Tafrish also feature a different range of colours including an apricot and pale sky blue as seen in this rug. Apart from a few minute spots of slight wear and some oversewing of the side cords, the rug is in very good condition throughout.
€2400
This stunning rug is a great example of vintage Persian understanding of design and harmonising colours. The ivory ground contrasts beautifully against the deep indigo border and the chestnut inner field, lifting the entire composition to a very satisfying overall effect. The use of multiple colours reminds me of the famous advice given by Paul Gaugain to his art students:
"Oh you painters who ask for a technique of colour, look at carpets and there you will find all knowledge."
In excellent condition throughout with only marginal spot repairs to ends and sides, the side cords mostly original, nothing missing at the ends, a few small areas showing very slight wear. The lanolin rich wool pile makes the natural colours glow like jewels. A beautiful rug, suitable for floor use as well as a major art statement on the wall.
€5200
