| ICONIC DESIGNS PROVE ON POINT
AT RUG SHOW AT JAVITS |
NEW YORK - Iconic rug designs made a striking statement at The Rug Show at Javits held here Aug. 30 to Sept. 2, providing a bold, colorful alternative for purists seeking traditional motifs in a market brimming with transitional neutrals. In fact, after being abandoned by many importers, the category saw new niche players such as Andkhuy Rugs of San Francisco make its first foray into wholesaling at the early fall show, and industry stalwarts (such as James Opie, Tibet Rug Co., and Woven Legends) all reporting a satisfying New York event. Tribal looks from the Western Hemisphere also proved popular, and the Javits event showcased Navajo-inspired designs in updated colors from top brands, Art Resources, New Moon and The New England Collection [click here for story]. In addition, three-year-old Modern Tribal Arts' provocative adaptations of tribal rugs grabbed attention with unexpected new palettes and textures. ANDKHUY RUGS
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Abdul Sattar Karimi and Rehman Nazar of Andkhuy Rugs are standing on a Nooristan quality Mumlok carpet. Behind them is a tree of life design in the Aryana quality.
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Newcomer Andkhuy Rugs, a San Francisco-based importer and producer of rugs and kilims of hand spun, vegetable-dyed wool, made a strong presentation of classic tribal rugs in its industry debut as a wholesaler. "We specialize in traditional tribal designs, so you will see very bright colors, especially reds and blues in our rugs," said Abdul Sattar Karimi, adding that the majority of his collection features classic antique designs with a sprinkling of modernized adaptations. A native of the region in Northern Afghanistan for which his company is named, Karimi said his rugs are made in Afghanistan by Turkman weavers. "Our best sellers are Mumlok designs, which are experiencing a revival. Our bright colors are not for everyone, but we are attracting attention because we are doing something different from what you see everywhere in the market." | 
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From Andkhuy, the Nooristan collection rug #35733 above, and the Aryana quality tree of life rug #35727, both hand-knotted in Afghanistan by Turkman weavers.
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| JAMES OPIE RUGS | 
Paul McSweeny at the James Opie Collection booth, which was filled with rugs produced through the James Opie Afghan Rug Project.
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The mantra at James Opie Collection is color is back because it never went away. "We are about color and traditional design," says Paul McSweeny with James Opie Rugs, a repeat Rug Show exhibitor. "We had steady business; we have had a wonderful day," he told RugNews.com. In terms of traffic, the Portland, Oregon-based James Opie Rugs was satisfied with the fourth edition of the show, McSweeny said. On display were the fruits of the James Opie Afghan Rug Project, a labor of love that has provided fulfilling jobs for over 300 village weavers. The rugs are all copies of antiques Opie has sold or published, and considered by experts equal in quality to many of the best pieces from the 19th century and earlier, Prominently featured at Javits were the company's Khamseh rugs, which are finely hand-knotted in Northern Afghanistan with up to 200 knots per inch. The tribal designs boast rich saturated colors from natural dyes on hand-spun Karakul wool. | 
James Opie's Javits show space was overflowing with rugs crafted by village weavers in Northern Afghanistan.
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An Afghan-made James Opie collection Lion Khamseh carpet with distinctive figures and rich vegetable-dyed colors.
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Details of the intricate hand-weaving used to create James Opie reproduction carpets.
| MODERN TRIBAL ARTS | 
Modern Tribal Arts showed (from left to right) a Zeigler Sultanabad in grey, a Kaitag design with large scale sun disk medallion, and a red Bakshaish. On the floor is the Ottoman Bokce.
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"I never wanted to make full-on accurate reproductions," explained Adam Corson, founder of Philadelphia-area Modern Tribal Arts, who pushes the design envelope with innovative takes on traditional textures and motifs to create directional modern looks. "The idea came out of my passion for antique tribal rugs," says Corson, who shared exhibit space at the Rug Show at Javits with the eponymous contemporary rug studio of Thibault Van Renne, based in Gent, Belgium (which Modern Tribal Arts represents in the U.S.). | "I am best known for making the first grey Mamluk rug." -Adam Corson | 
| "We are a great complement to one another. We are not competing in design, but both offering a fresh young approach to design. We had a great show this year. We put a lot of work and diligence into preparing for it, and it paid off," said Corson, who had 12 years of experience running rug galleries in the Philadelphia area before starting Modern Tribal Arts in 2012. After receiving acclaim last year for introducing the first-ever grey Mamluk, Corson unveiled a new Zeigler Sultanabad, also in grey, at the 2015 Rug Show at Javits in a 10/10 Persian weave. "People really responded to it," he said, referring to the juxtaposition of a classic motif and a popular fashion color. | 
| | Modern Tribal Arts' grey Mamluk above and the Grey Zeigler Sultanbad introduced at the 2015 Javits show. | | 
| TIBET RUG CO. | 
Jim Webber of the Tibet Rug Co. elicited double takes at the Rug Show at Javits with a Soumak-weave Pazyryk carpet.
| Jim Webber, founder of Salt Lake City-based Tibet Rug Co., said this was his best New York show ever. "Our contemporary Tibetans sold very well; buyers shopping the Javits show were looking for fresh designs," he reports. But what caught everyone's eye was a Pazyryk carpet with a unique new twist, according to Brian Mehl, director of sales. "Payzyrks are typically pile rugs, and they are ubiquitous; but this was a Soumak weave and people had never seen anything like it before." At the Rug Show at Javits, Tibet Rug Co. also offered up new designs in its popular Soumak range, which Mehl says is a frequent choice by designer clients for use in upscale kitchens in addition to casual interior settings. | 
Detail of the Soumak-weave Pazyryk carpet by Tibet Rug Co.
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A vibrantly-colored new Soumak Suzani crafted of 100% New Zealand wool.
| WOVEN LEGENDS | 
Woven Legends' head designer Sibel Akad and owner Neslihan Jevremovic sit in front of their Sardis rug (SRD-7940) which is inspired by an antique Ottoman Cairene design of the Mamluk Empire.
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First-time exhibitor at the Rug Show at Javits, Woven Legends, which is also participating at the New York International Carpet Show in September, captured the attention of visitors entering the show with a mansion-sized reproduction Medallion/Star Ushak displayed directly in front of the registration booths. Inspired by a 17th century Anatolian antique now in the Museum of Turkish and Islamic Arts in Istanbul, the Yildiz Ushak rug (YLD-2400) by Woven Legends measures 11"7'x25"2'. "35 years ago, when we started production, our only guide was the antique carpet; in that sense nothing has changed," says owner Neslihan Christobel Jevremovic of the Philadelphia-based company. "We are committed to reviving the tradition of carpet making with integrity in materials, design, craftsmanship and people relations." At the show, several exhibitors told RugNews.com that Woven Legends carpets are in many cases superior to the original antiques. When queried, Jevremovic explained, "Yes, our carpets are hailed as 'antiques of tomorrow' by rug experts. We strive to be worthy of their appreciation." | 
A dramatic Yildez Ushak rug by Woven Legends.
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Woven Legends makes a bold statement at the entrance to the Rug Show at Javits with its mansion-sized Medallion/Star Ushak rug.
| 09.16.15 |