The Vintage Collection

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.

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.

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.

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.

Not so big in size but absolutely grand in terms of design – such indeed is this vintage Moroccan rug. Thanks to the thorough hand-weaving of the finest wool by a skilled artisan, the piece is distinguished by softness and durability which enabled it to survive until this day without the slightest signs of blemish. If properly maintained, it will serve its owners for many years bringing in timeless chic and a breath of oriental elegance. The main field bears an abstract pattern rendered in light and steel blue shades, complemented by a red outline and a pale orange border, finished with an off-white fringe that gives the composition a playful and ethnic feel. Shaggy, qualitative, and charming, this Moroccan vintage rug is a perfect choice for any contemporary interior arrangement. A specialist rug dealer in oriental and western antique oriental rugs and carpets, Doris Leslie Blau’s impressive collection of antique rugs for sale includes rare Turkish, Persian, and Indian masterpieces, many of which date back to the Medieval Age. Some of these rugs are so rare that no more than a few exist in the entire world. From versatile flatweaves to shaggy hand-knotted area rugs or runners, Moroccan rugs are both decorative and functional. They are valued for their technical qualities, expert use of fibers, great tensile strength, and abrasion resistance. Without a doubt, the original tribal Moroccan rugs from the Doris Leslie Blau collection bring character and a touch of worldliness to an interior.