RUGS TODAY

THE WAY RUG AND CARPETS ARE LOOKED AT TODAY
  • RUGS AS ARTS
  • ALT TO ANTIQUE
  • FASHION
  • FLOOR COVERING

  1. AS PIECES OF ARTS (ART D'OBJECT)19th Century SerapiAntique ShirvanAntique Ersari Turkmen
  2. One-of-a-kind, hand knotted functional carpet/rug & weaving
  3. Scattered and fragment pieces of tribal rugs & weaving
  4. Rare and antique or semi antique pieces of artifacts (once collected by the seller’s father or grandfathers.
  5.  (At times, some of these reproductions are made in even better than the originals.

FIRST CATEGORY 
A R T S

DEALERS & THEIR INVENTORIES:
These dealers are still around, but maybe facing a distinction. New generations are not interested to take over an antiqued business, they are not passionate to tell or sell stories or have knowledge or patience to dig histories of some ancient life styles, which sometimes seen as embarrassment for new generations of high tech era.
The business itself is not sustainable in today’s trendy market where fashion or need drive the business. One cares less about someone’s life story in a tribal areas a 100 years ago.
The supply is not sufficient, in fact there are not many old pieces in good conditions available anymore. One could barely see a piece in Bokhara, Samarkand and Ashgabat’s Altyn Asyr Bazaar, locally known as Jygyldik Bazaar once were half full of old Turkmen rugs, carpets, and other artifacts.
So therefore, in my view, helping this category be alive, is almost an issue of cultural survival. Those who import these kind of artifacts are the ones who serve their respected communities with pieces of treasures.

An innovative, almost a revolutionary addition to this kind of operation, which is almost a life line is the “REPRODCUTION” of antique pieces. It’s a revival!
Dealer that sell the first category, often came from some kind rug or art related backgrounds. Either directly from a rug weaving tradition, travelled or inspired by artistic expressions of the oriental rugs, weaving or elements of old cultures from relevant communities whether it is a shaggy Moroccan rug, fine Aubusson needle points, Spanish Gothic rugs, Persian Medallion, distinct Turkmen bold motifs, Kyghyz, Hazara, Baluch, Kurdish or Loristani nomads, Khutan from Uyghur people or Chinese silk to a Fine Hereke Turkish silk pieces. They all come from some kind of backgrounds, reasons, history and evolved in centuries.
Their inventories consist of rugs from yesteryears, designs do not matter whether tribal or traditional, old or new reproductions, but they are “One-of-a-kind” each rug is made or produced by individual families in cottage setups. There may be consistencies in colors of some of the new reproductions where they all look somewhat similar, but individually each one of them is as different as you and I are, as they are made, washed and finished in different times and places by different people.



HAND-MADE REPRODUCTION
Tomorrow's Antiques

This category offers well-made vegetable dyed revival pieces that can very well be tomorrow's antiques. After the DOBAG project in Turkey, it was initiated among Afghan refugees in Pakistan and carried out to Afghanistan. They make better than better rugs in all imaginable colors; traditional rich or decorative- all obtained from natural dyestuffs. To obtain the perfect hues from the natural dyestuffs, they use the luxurious hand-spun wools. So these rugs are definitely made in the best possible way in the market today.



F L O O R   C O V E R I N G
THE 3RD CATEGORY RUGS & CARPETS
Machine-made RugsThis category offers a wide varieties of designer looking imitation of old and new oriental rug designs. Some are hand-knotted and many are machine made area rugs. Some are Branded, but regardless, the machine made ones have no future or investment values. It is the colors that are the main focus in this category of rugs. 2nd focus is the textures; some silk touch, oxidized and or overdyed areas, worn-out areas in the pile, exposure of threads on faces are fashionable these days. India produces rugs made of recycled fabric/Sari and other materials.
Quality or origins are not a matter of concern in this category, leave alone stories behind motifs. Turkey produces printed rugs. This category is very crowded and confusing.