The Vintage Collection

Samarkand weaving center is the birthplace of some of the most intriguing and diverse carpets in the world. This vintage Samarkand rug is a remarkable example of this astounding craftsmanship influenced by almost every existing oriental weaving culture, from Persian and Turkish to Indian and Chinese. Although made almost seventy years ago, the vintage rug boasts a spare design with a somewhat modern vibe. Its main field is left almost entirely empty – there are just four slightly erratic lines separating the corners. The entire strength of the composition lies in the decorative borders that carry mysterious abstract shapes and botanical motifs. The color palette of sandy beige and brown is versatile, elegant, and warm, ready to complement a wide array of decors. However, appearance is not the only merit of this incredible treasure. The vintage Samarkand rug was expertly hand-knotted of the finest wool in accordance with old and refined weaving techniques and dyed with natural dyes only. Such thorough making ensured the carpet’s durability and quality. If properly maintained, it will serve its owners for generations without any signs of wear, bringing in its recherché charm.

A fragment of an early 20th-century wool rug by William Morris. Even though the original overall design of the carpet is unknown, this lovely fragment stands out on its own, with lavish details of tulip blooms, and large leaves in warm colors on a crisp background. The composition recalls blooming gardens in the bucolic English countryside. William Morris was a textile designer and multidisciplinary artist associated with the British Arts and Crafts Movement. He was a major contributor to the revival of the traditional British textile arts and methods of production.

This circa-1945 Moroccan vintage runner rug features a bold raised pile multicolored all-over geometric design that shifts from soft pastel hues in pink and lilac to autumnal oranges and browns. Whether used to connect adjacent rooms or to decorate narrow spaces, the vintage runner rug is a striking modernist statement. Moroccan vintage runner rugs have typically been woven by tribal peoples for their utility rather than for decoration. These vintage carpets experienced a growth in popularity in the West when mid-century modern designers such as Le Corbusier paired the thick piled Berber rugs with their minimalist furniture. Many of these Berber antique carpets are woven by the Beni Ourain peoples from the Rif Mountains near the city of Taza in northern Morocco. Colors vary from neutral shades to bright, stand-out hues, with designs ranging from geometric simplicity to free-flowing abstraction. The primitivist feel of many Moroccan-style area rugs makes them attractive to modernist collectors.

Who has not heard about Ingegerd Silow? Both master weaver and talented designer, Silow was for a longtime involvement in the development and popularization of Swedish weaving, a craft that is an important part of the country's culture. This Swedish flat weave rug bears the signature of Ingegerd Silow, undoubtedly a sign of her approval. Its masterfully composed color palette is filled with light shades of blue, white, and gray, accompanied by just a tiny bit of yellow to make it more lively. The antique rug pattern is a great example of classic Swedish design - simplistic forms and orderly composition, bound to fit any type of accommodation. On the main field, we can see snowflake-like shapes, connected to each other by straight gray lines. The beautiful fringe on the vintage-looking rugs' top and the bottom parts is a nice finishing touch, which gives it even more charm.

Those people interested in Swedish flatweave rugs have certainly heard of Ingegerd slow. Not only was she a talented weaver, but also a great lover of her country’s art. Silow’s legacy lives on in numerous beautiful carpets, just like this one. Woven circa 1954, the rug immediately draws attention with its elegant design and distinctive color palette. In the center, we can see something that was probably inspired by central medallions appearing in vintage rugs. Using classic geometric shapes the weaver was able to create an original creation, something that you won’t see in your everyday antique rug, but only in a true piece of art. In the corner, we can see the signature of slow, a silent sign of her approval. The color palette is composed of warm tones of brown and mustard yellow, highlighted by silvery gray and just a splash of beige.

A second-quarter 20th-century Moroccan rug, the Beni quatrain carpet, the oatmeal field with a lattice of solid black hooked motif lozenges within a black border with a delicate oatmeal zigzag line. Although today we use Moroccan rugs to bring tactile comfort and aesthetic appeal to interiors, their original purpose was warmth and insulation. The Morrocan Rugs of the Atlas mountains were hand-woven using the sheep’s wool provided by nomadic herds. And the antique rugs in NYC provided thick bedding, crucial for the inhospitable climate, of the nomadic people. The cream and neutral colors common to Moroccan vintage oriental rugs sold en mass today harken back to a time when dyes and colors were by no means a priority.