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| COLORUL PERSIAN RUGS |
commuter ferry to downtown San Diego. One morning I met Cynthia, who was on her way to work at a Persian rug gallery. My visit to this fascinating shop is the subject of today's blog.
Walking
into the 4thAvenue Rug Gallery, 827 4th
Avenue, is like entering an art exhibit with over 1500 handmade
works of art from all over the world—each with its own story. The
colorful vintage rugs are displayed on the walls, piled high on the
floor and tied in rolls along the side. The perfect setting is a 1907
building located in the Gaslamp District of San Diego. It is a long
narrow building with original brick walls, redwood floors and high
ceilings.
Add to this Cynthia, a friendly
and extremely knowledgeable sales consultant, and you are in for a
treat. She has been working at the gallery for over 13 years, has
lived all over the world and is a life-long student of art. She
graciously spent time explaining the rug business to me and I came
away with a new appreciation. My head was also spinning when I
left—as there are as many versions of rugs as there are cities and
towns in the Middle East.
Most
of the rugs in the gallery are from Persia, the former name of Iran.
They also come from Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and other areas.
They are new and used—some over 100 years old. Since they are
handmade, many of the fibers have been hand dyed as well. Made from
cotton, wool and silk, all natural fiber, the rugs can weigh hundreds
of pounds. Colors and shades vary, but the most common are red, blue
and gold.
Two
to four people work together using looms and knots to produce rugs
that can take many years to complete. They can be made in cities
where there are government-sponsored rug factories or in the country,
where the tribal rugs are made.
This
diversity—range of colors and dyes, all parts of the world,
commercial looms and portable looms, cotton, silk and wool, faded and
bold, old and new, patterns, stories, portraits, and knot size could
easily take a lifetime to learn.
There
are hundreds of different types of rugs in this shop, and it would be
difficult to leave the store without finding a favorite or two. I
loved the Tabriz rugs—they are colorful with a soft silky feel to
them. Tabriz, Iran, is one of the oldest rug weaving centers in the
world. I also enjoyed the tribal rugs with their bold colors and
patterns.
I
highly recommend you stop to visit this store. I am convinced you
will walk out with a new appreciation for these lovely handmade rugs
from the Middle East and more than likely a desire to learn more
about the regions of the world that so meticulously weave them.
The
owner of the 4th Avenue Gallery is Arman Jodari, a
second-generation rug expert from Iran with over 50 years of
experience. In addition to importing and selling rugs, this store
does appraisals, cleanings and repairs.
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| RUGS ROLLED AND TIED |
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| HUNDREDS OF RUGS |
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| TRIBAL RUG |
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| TRABIZ RUG |
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| KASHAN RUG |
Excellent post! It seems a great rug museum. If you have interest in Chinese silk rug, feel free to contact me.
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