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.
This section updated 17/8/2019.
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.
€SOLD
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
Finely woven, small rugs around 1 meter square were woven by several Turkoman tribes. They are usually well above average in terms of quality, choice of wool and dyes, suggesting they were woven for a special purpose. The strongest theory is that they were given to the bride upon which she would sit, receive well wishers and accept dowry and gifts.
Several other examples are published, a very similar piece shown at the London exhibition by Bernheimer, Oriental Carpets and Textiles, 1987, plate 37. This example is in perfect, original condition throughout, incl kilims, side cords and full pile, free of repairs.
€2200
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.
€SOLD
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
In 1982 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
A very pretty 19th century Caucasian rug with a rare green ground and a quirky design entirely drawn from the weaver's memory. The main border, variously known as "running dog" or "white eagle", is unique to Seychour rugs. Woven on a wool foundation the rug had good age, cotton replacing all these rugs around the turn of the century.
Areas of restoration along upper short end and borders, also very slight loss at lower short end, generally in fairly good condition for its age. It would make a beautiful wall hanging which is the way Caucasian rugs were always displayed locally.
For reference, see Ian Bennett, Caucasian Rugs, Pl 386
€SOLD
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
Good antique Caucasian rugs are highly collectible and decorative, fitting into both classical and contemporary settings. Good examples with only natural dyes, in original condition, are rare and command respectable prices world wide. This charming example is woven on wool and goats' hair warp unlike later pieces woven on cotton. Having been displayed on the wall for generations, the rug is in near perfect condition apart from a couple of minute corner repairs. It was part of a large continental family collection who treated their rug collection as important works of art.
Several comparable reference pieces are published in rug literature such as Schurrman, Caucasian Rugs, Pl 103, and Benardout, Caucasian Rugs, Pl. 39.
€SOLD
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 finely knotted, robust rug in full pile, only 2 minute repairs, all natural colours. Rugs from Jozan are similar to those of nearby Sarouk but different in both knotting technique and colour preferences. For further info on this piece click Current Stock, Recent Acquisitions, and scroll down.
€2400
A very handsome and highly decorative antique Bidjar rug with a strong centre medallion design, skilfully offset by narrow borders and ivory corner spandrels. One look at the border and you can see it was woven freestyle, not to a rigid cartoon as later examples invariably are, showing the weaver's artistic skill and imagination.
In superb condition with full pile, original side cords and only marginal loss of kilim strands each end. There are a small number of minute, re-piled spots of old moth damage, now all perfected, A beautiful, hard wearing rug with excellent natural colours and rich, glossy wool.
€3200
This wonderful rug features a finely knotted pile of silky "kurk" (lambs') wool, a beautifully composed design in a palette of soft, natural colours. The skills and time involved in making a rug of this quality is extraordinary - even if the weaver produced on average 5000 knots per day the weaving alone would have consumed almost 5 months. In addition you have the intricate design work (drawn separately by master designers), wool spinning, dyeing, polishing and finally cleaning. A rare and elegant piece in today's global rug market.
€3200
A very attractive Caucasian rug in good condition throughout apart from a small area of slight wear in lower left area. The rug has been hung on a wall in its previous life and hence avoided wear and tear exposure. For further info on this piece, click Recent Acquisitions, and scroll down.
€3100
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.-
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 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
€1475.-
A robust, well made rug, in excellent condition throughout, all dyes good except details in synthetic orange, reflected in the price. For further details on this piece, click Recent Acquisitions, and scroll down.
€975
A very attractive, fresh and characterful rug with many touches of freestyle work where the weaver follows her memory rather than work from a sterile cartoon. Good natural colours in a light palette, unusual for Hamadans, in very good condition with its original ends and sides intact, full thick pile, only one minute spot of re-piling in the field.
A similar rug was published by Tad Runge, Maine, One Woman One Weft, Pl. 16
€SOLD
A stunning new acquisition, originally from a fine Swedish private collection, in superb condition with wonderful colours and inspirational design. For further info on this piece, click Recent Acquisitions, and scroll down.
€SOLD
An unusual, highly decorative Baluch rug showing Turkoman design influence, in very good condition throughout, free of repairs. For further info on this piece click Recent Acquisitions and scroll down.
€2400
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.-
