What did the rug makers intend?  I’m unsure, but this exceptionally fine, yet playful, silk rug hails from China around 1880.  The square size of the rug may represent it having been used as a table carpet or meditation rug. 

It conveys many little stories all within the same frame, using detail, characters, and the muted tones of blues, grays, oranges, and browns.  Perhaps the animals depicted even helped anyone who sat on the rug meditate to an even deeper state.  Let us enter the carnival of this rug.

The orange firework in the rug’s center is just like the sun–all else revolves around it.  Two birds flank this flower, as if circling prey.  Framing the birds are tawny, blue, and orange flowers.   

Further out still, are hidden Shishi Lions.  Also known as Guardian Lions or “Foo-Dogs” in the West, these mythical dog-like lions are loyal, and were believed to have powers of protection. 

Some believe that Chinese dog breeds such as Pugs and Chow-Chows may have been bred to look like them.  In any case, it seems the ones in this rug are living up to their reputations, shielding some of the smaller animals from the bigger, scarier animals to come, such as the Tiger and the Purple Beast.

The rug’s third border is a gentle world, where rabbits play, surrounded by little quails.  Between each is a bouquet of orange and white flowers.  And then, we have quite the menagerie.  On the bottom left hand side, a purple flower sprouts towards the center.  

Above that flower, a ram runs upwards.  Lucky for him, he lives in a rug–in real life, gravity would present him with some problems. 

Past him is a rooster, a larger quail, and a white elephant.  Likely significant, such pachyderms were a key element in the Buddha story, as well as sacred in ancient cultures.

At the top left hand corner, we see more animals who are content to defy gravity.  A regal bird sits, facing a purple creature of undetermined origin. 

What is this creature’s name?  I shall call him Han, in honor of “Han Purple”.  After all, he was likely colored using with that very dye, employed in the decoration of China’s Terracotta Army sculptures.

As the only brightly colored animal here, clearly, Han clearly has a flair for the dramatic.  This rug is a stage, and Han is a key player.  Yet, what is he?  A dragon?  An elephant with a stunted trunk?  Is he laughing, or roaring?

Two peacocks calmly sit to the right of him.  On their right sits a tiger.   

Hopefully for the peacocks’ sake, neither Han nor the tiger grow hungry. 

On the top right hand corner, cascading flowers lead us to a fox. At first it seems that he is looking at a hen, but on closer inspection it is actually a fern.  

That fox will be waiting a long time if he is expecting a meal.  Below the fern and other flowers sit a peaceful pheasant and bull.

A strange couple, they are–I wonder why the pheasant is so calm and hasn’t flown away?

The bottom-right corner shows a flower bursting up towards the center, full of buds that almost give it the appearance of a Shishi Lion face.  Next to it is a donkey, wrapped in red-vines.    

Two pheasants and a bull sit to the donkey’s left–the bull calm, the pheasants with wings spread dramatically.  

These pheasants apparently do not have an amiable relationship with their bovine, at least in comparison to the peaceful pheasant and bull above them. 

Surrounding the pheasants, in the final, symmetrical border of the rug, are more quails, with the familiar orange and white petals.

What are your thoughts?  Have you concocted a narrative for this carnival of animals?  Perhaps you are too busy looking into Han and his fantastic, regal adventures.

Fantasy rugs are extremely rare.  They're often silk, and either from Tabriz or Heriz Iran. The history of such rugs stems back many centuries, and the quality is outstanding.  Production of these carpets ceased around 1900, and they are almost never seen by the public.

Some find this rug crude and nai"ve in its motif.  Personally, I am captivated by the rich layers of fantasy woven into the carpet.

The angels amuse me.  They are not kneeling in awe, but seem quite comfortably settled, sitting airily among the gorgeous flowers and leaves around them.  

Their hands point upward toward the crown, and they wear elaborate flowers on their heads.  While angelic, their mischievous smiles make me think they are in on a joke we were never told.  Or maybe they’re gossiping about the birds above.

Their white robes seem to be made of flowing silk, tied with a blue belt.  But how could anyone have a waist that small?  As I said, this is fantasy. Persian rugs often use white as a color of purity.

Traveling around this rug is like floating through an exquisite garden.  I like the angle of the huge blue leaves that float just beneath the angels.  They are half-turned, as if they are blowing in some celestial wind.

Many of the cream-colored flowers unfold up like a crown, and indeed, just above the angels there is an elaborate crown, floating on blue garlands and what looks like a stately birthday cake. 

Above the crown two large grey birds perch on impossibly slender branches.

They are the only creatures in the rug that seem indifferent to their surroundings.  They may have job security, but they look slightly bored with their duties.

Perhaps they think we humans, sitting and analyzing the patterns of carpet on which they live, are for the birds.

Royal blue is used very carefully in this rug to direct the eye towards the intricate canopy at the top.   

Blue dyes were quite expensive at the time, so those who could pay for such lavish color were demonstrating their wealth. http://www.wovenonline.com/carpet-blog/persian-rug-symbolism

This crest truly is fantastic, made of flowers, rich blue designs, and two very chirpy birds. 

Is this the canopy of heaven? The most gorgeous hot air balloon you’ve ever seen? 

And what is the meaning of the seven flowers flowing from the center tree? 

I don’t know, but gazing at it makes me smile as I try and tease out the meaning woven by artists centuries before me.

The whole rug is almost like a fountain in mid-burst.  Intricately detailed cream leaves intertwine with royal and pale blue flowers, shooting towards the top. 

Like a heavenly waterfall, they then flow down to the bottom of the carpet, leading us back to the amused angels.

To me, this Wak Wak rug is extraordinary with its gorgeous colors and rich layers of fantasy.  What kind of mischief are the angels up to?  What do you think?

Let’s start with the most unusual carpet I have ever seen.

Its origin is a mystery.  None of the experts, including myself, can explain its colors and design.

I will never sell it.  Is it the rarest carpet in the world?  To me, it is.  Because of the animals, the colors, and especially because of the way I found it.

Bermondsey Market, 1988

"Get your hands off that rug!" 

The old silver dealer glared at me, his thick arm waving me out of his stall.  I had dared to peek underneath his pile of silver to try and glimpse the rug that was protecting it from the rain.

It was about 7:00 a.m. on a rainy Friday morning, in the Bermondsey Market, one of the most famous antique markets in Europe.  I was 20 years old.  My younger brother, Daniel, and I had scoured the market searching for treasure — an unusual rug that someone had just possibly overlooked.

We were late.  Bermondsey opens at 4:00 a.m.  All the good deals were gone by 7:00.  Still, I continued to hunt. 

Then I spotted the silver vendor in a beat-up stall at the far end of the market.  An old rug was thrown over his candlesticks and tea-trays to protect them from the rain.

"Can I just look at it?" I asked. 

"No!  I can’t get my silver wet!"

He was a tough-looking bird, a real Cockney with wiry arms and grizzled grey hair.

I tried to separate the layers of carpet so I could get a peek.

"Get away from that rug!  It’s rubbish!"  He glared at me.  I obviously wasn’t a buyer, and I was damaging his merchandise.

"Just let me see it, please," I said.  I stooped down and fumbled to separate the layers of soaked carpet before he chased me off.

He was coming out of his stall with a raised stick in his hands.  Desperate, I yanked open the sopping layers of carpet and stood staring at the most beautiful designs I had ever seen.  I think I stopped breathing.

I quickly put the rug back. 

The dealer calmed down as soon as he saw me back off. 

 "You’re right," I said.  "It’s nothing special."   I tried to sound bored.  "How much do you want for it?"

"£180," he shot back.

I was nervous and sweating with excitement.  Suddenly I heard myself say, in a pure Cockney accent, "Come on mate, you gotta be joking."

We settled on £160. 

Bringing the Rug Home

It wasn’t until after bringing the rug to my father’s warehouse and seeing the impression on my father’s and my grandfather’s faces that I realized what an important piece of art I had found.

My grandfather Rahim established the business over 65 years ago in Iran, in Tehran, specializing in unusual rugs.  My father had continued it and established the business in London after the revolution in 1978.  

They both had extraordinary knowledge, but more importantly, they had a love for rugs.  It was in their veins and blood, as it continues to be in mine.

But being reserved, understated people, they just said, "Yeah, it’s OK.  Just put it in the corner.  You can wash it next week."

But I had seen the light in their eyes.  I was a little disappointed that they hadn’t made much of my find, but I came to understand that their love and their pride in me was not based on my ability to make money or find a deal.

The Experts were Dumbfounded

I showed the rug to academics in the rug world, but I felt they were dumbfounded.  Through books and museums, I tried to find a similar rug, but I never did.

For a close example, although the rug is century older, see here. 

Since we really couldn’t track down what it was, my family decided not to market it for sale.  The rug became my personal property once our family was no longer involved in a partnership.  At that point I decided never to sell it.  Sometimes I don’t know if it’s the rug I love as much as the way I bought it.

Crazy, Fantastic Animals

I used to be afraid of animals.  When I lived in Iran we never had domesticated pets — all the animals were wild dogs or cats. So as kids we were always warned to stay away from animals.

With this rug, I got over my animal complex.  I’m making up for lost time.  Now I can’t get enough of them.  All 22 of my rugs have crazy, fantastic animals in them.

I personally like the way the animals are shown in rugs as opposed to other art forms.  The animals are not so abstract.  They look more story-book. 

What I love about this rug, is that even though the animals are vicious and violent, and their faces are very angry, I can’t help feeling amused by them.

Because, in a way, the rug doesn’t take itself seriously, and the sense of whimsy is almost hilarious.  Every time I think about the animal faces, it puts a smile on my face.

This rug is an animal kingdom.  There are 24 animals, 18 birds, and 2 butterflies.

The rug is like a trip to the zoo.  Except, while you never quite know if the zoo animals want to come out and say hello, these guys aren’t hiding. They may be playing, they may not, but they are ready to amuse you.

My favorite animal by far is the boar.

My private name for him is Kchersci — "Fatso" in Farsi.

Most of the animals have purple in them, a highly unusual color, but the boar has more purple than all the others.  Then again, since he’s Kchersci, he’s got more of everything than all the others.

The fact that Kchersci is standing, almost isolated, makes me empathize with him.  Is he lonely? An outcast? An individualist?  I don’t know, but I feel for the position he takes.

I love the color purple.  The boar and all the branches in the rug are purple.  The color has a lot of significance in Kabbala. 

http://www2.kabbalah.com/k/index.php/p=zohar/zohar&vol=26&sec=908  

Purple represents royalty, (it was Cleopatra’s favorite color) and whenever I look at the rug, it gives me the feeling that this was done for royalty.  The color purple also has other significance, it is associated with wealth, spirituality and power.

http://desktoppub.about.com/cs/colorselection/p/purple.htm 

The purple branches are very unusual.  I haven’t seen branches of trees that are purple in other rugs.

I love anything that is asymmetrical..

Look at the wild dog.  His body is not all there.  In 20^th century rugs, the creators were so interested in perfection, they would never show half his body, they would think that’s wrong.  Why would this rug showcase a creature whose body is only partially depicted?

All the primitiveness and imperfections of this rug make it perfect for me.

Look at the animal above the wild dog. 

We see half his back with this tail — who is he?  Is he going home, or going away?  Perhaps he had a quarrel with the golden creature below, who may be seeking to bite his tail.  Either way, this again signifies the perfection of imperfection.

Look at the big bird —   a real character and a bit of a philosopher.  He too has purple in him. Is he royal?  I like the fact that is taking advantage of the animal under him and he’s getting a free ride. 

He may even be flapping his wings and crying out, "Come now, go faster!  I’m a busy one, and I have places to go and creatures to see.  Hah!  It’s so difficult getting things to go my way…"

The expression that I get from the animals is that they are all trying to run away from something. 

It’s a chase, and they’re trying to run each other off.  Or at least around the tree.

The only ones that seem to be harmonious are the birds.

Almost all the animals, except Kchersci, are in flight.  (To be fair, Kchersci would need an Albatross’s wings to get off the ground.)

And they look surprised, sometimes I think they are laughing. 

The animals in the rug have such power that they bring

to mind one of my favorite movie scenes:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjLCJKoot4U.

The power and movement of the animals add to my love for this rug.

At the bottom left, there are two devil heads coming out of the purple branches.

These make me laugh.  For devils, they certainly are not the most threatening demons that they could be. They even blend in well amongst the other animals.

And the fact that I can’t link the devils to what was behind the imagination of the person who made this rug, makes it all the more exciting and valuable to me.

Marvelous and Strange and Curiously Modern

In certain areas of the rug the designs are all packed together, almost crammed into one another.  As if they were camouflaged. 

Notice that the purple lines are branches, and all the animals are hanging on to these branches.  This is a highly unusual design; I haven’t seen one like it.

And I’ve never seen a geometric flower on a rug of this kind.

However, I’ve seen it in 20^th century decorative art.

The flowers coming out of those branches are hard to identify — even by experts.   Are they daisies?  Lilies?  Long gone flowers, that we perhaps will never know the names of?  I can’t be sure, yet they are wonderfully strange to me.

And what about the person in the rug?

He is almost Cubist.  He looks as if he is hanging onto the tree for dear life.  Perhaps he is saving himself from the animals?  Maybe he was the royal zoo-keeper, and the animals got away from him.  Or perhaps he fancies himself a dancer, leaping into mid-air and then grasping on the tree while he holds his pose.

He certainly seems calm about it.  Or perhaps resigned.  Or perhaps he is meditating, and has reached a level of enlightenment and calm that many of us only dream of one day achieving.

And how curious that the two creatures locked in genteel combat should be the Dragon and the Tiger- modern-day symbols of the rising empires of China and India.  Even curiouser are the curves of their bodies, swirling around so they almost appear to be one entity.

A MYSTERY THAT WILL NEVER BE SOLVED

The whole rug is a mystery that will never be solved.

We have no idea what the artist was thinking of — it is a story that will never be told.

We cannot know for sure — when it was made, or due to its weaving technique, its place of origin.

The fact that I have never seen something like it from this period makes this design even more special to me.

I take it out about once every six months just to look at it.

Not only is it one of the rarest carpets in the world, it was my first "real steal."

When the family partnership dissolved in 1997, this rug was the catalyst for me to start collecting antique rugs that have funky, fantasy animals in them.

This is the jewel of my collection.

WHAT WE KNOW OF THIS RUG:

A late 17^th - early 18^th century Indian Deccan silk "Fantasy" animal rug.

Warp: cotton, white natural, very fine

Weft: silk, unpiled, with two shoots alternating

Pile silk, original ends

Condition: light wear, wide tear at top

The rugs of the Deccan kingdoms emulated the brilliance of the Mughal court designs, but were also influenced by the close trade links with Persia.  Their revenue exceeded that of all of the Mughal provinces.  The tradition of carpet weaving continued in the Deccan after the Mughal Empire and through the establishment of the Eats India Company.

The animals in the Persianate Fantasy Animal rugs are found in a wide range of classical Persian carpets and art from the Timurid dynasty into the Safavid (1501-1722), periods. These animals are also seen in Mughal art from the 16^th and 17^th centuries.  The concept of a wide range of mythological creatures seems decidedly contrary to the "naturalistic" style that came into vogue around 1600, but the animals feature prominently in rugs from the period. 

When I asked the auctioneers for images, they responded asking us to give them some time since the rugs lots were in the cellar. When I followed up a few days later, they said the rugs were so heavy from being wet that they could not carry them up in order to take pictures.

Sitting in my New York office, I thought the perfect storm might be hitting. After jumping on a flight to London, I had the privilege of purchasing 14 of the most beautiful Samarkand rugs.

My next step was to consider - how does one present this to prospective customers? My initial idea of creating a catalog led me to a more in-depth study of these rugs, which in turn, led me to a higher appreciation for this art form. Over the next year, I purchased an additional 38 rugs, and the catalog was an immediate success with our clients. And not only for those just buying the rugs, but for those that have a fascination with eclectic sensibility.

Samarkand Mailer
(download available)

As these rugs were predominantly long and narrow in size, our clients most common concern was if we had standard sizes of 15 x 12 or 15 x 20.  Their curiosity and need led me to a re-imagination of rug making! What if we created new versions of the carpets inspired by the Samarkand designs?

I felt our biggest challenge was creating them to have the same rawness and patina. It wasn’t long before I met a collector of Kilims from the same region, who shared my passion for new products. Together we came up with the idea of using wool from some of his damaged Kilims to create a new line of carpets. His Kilims were flat woven carpets with no pile, and using these materials on a new foundation, the Contemporary Samarkand Collection was born in 2010.

The new Collection truly honors uniting the past with the present and brings forth gorgeous design elements that aren’t often seen in modern carpets. When examining the composition of the main motifs, it is important to understand that these carpets appear to be the result of a logical graphic design. They portray actual botanical tables, such as lush, technical pomegranate gardens reproduced within the space of a carpet.