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| WHO WE ARE--FAQ'S | |
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"The Ambassadors", Hans Holbein the Younger (1533,National Gallery London) includes a "Large Pattern Holbein" carpet. |
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WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT CLASSICAL CARPETS? |
WHY DO WE USE SUCH BRIGHT COLORS IN OUR CARPETS? WHY ARE WE SO CONCERNED WITH THE TECHNICAL DETAILS OF OUR CARPETS?
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| WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT OUR RUGS | |
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We are dedicated to reviving the classical antique carpets of Anatolia, some of the rarest and most celebrated carpet designs in the world. The original versions of these carpets date from the 13th through the 17th centuries. They are highly valued and displayed in the world's finest museums and art collections. In the last few decades, there has been a resurgence in the art of making carpets using handspun, naturally dyed wool. Sparked by the work of chemist Harald Böhmer and the DOBAG project in Turkey, designers and weavers are again using traditional design and natural materials. We have joined this revival with our collection of carpets inspired by Anatolian masterpieces--including the carpets we know as Lottos, Holbeins and Ushaks. We have studied the geometry, color and structure of these classic carpets in detail, as inspiration for the 21st century. Our designs are not just literal copies of specific carpets, or loosely derived modern interpretations, rather we strive to capture the essence and character of these patterns, as "ambassadors" from the 15th century to the 21st, from the East to the West. Our carpets are hand woven from the highest quality wool, handspun and naturally dyed. They incorporate the details seen in the old rugs, the colored warps and wefts, the wide selvedges and long kilims and fringes. They are crafted by experienced master weavers in cooperative village workshops in Central Anatolia, where the art of knotted pile carpet has flourished for centuries.
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Our designs are produced in special limited editions. As the carpets are hand woven, each one is unique. We are also able to fine tune the details, including size and colors, to suit a collector's or designer's vision for a special piece. Each carpet is fully documented and catalogued, including the pattern's provenance, and the wool and dyes used, and each is signed by the carpet's weavers. Even though our carpets are handmade and artfully crafted works of art, they are of course also completely functional, as textiles to use on the floor, to provide a warm, soft and sensuous surface underfoot (or as table coverings or wall hangings, as we see in many Renaissance paintings). Several hundred year old antique carpets are of course too valuable and rare to use this way, so we are providing a way of making these designs utilitarian again. We must also never forget our infinite debt to the anonymous designers and weavers who first created and refined these magical designs. As gifts to God, or as a material manifestation of the richness of the earth, in its animal and plant life, and the power of the human mind, these carpets will never be forgotten. When you purchase a carpet from us, you will own a unique and precious work of timeless textile art, a part of a long and venerable craft tradition. If you share in this vision, we know the possession of one of these classical carpets will bring a blaze of color and texture to your heart and home. |
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