Rugs from Turkey

When I was on my vacation in early August, I 'got lost' in the rug market in Kusadasi, Turkey. I was there so long that my wife and kids thought 'The Turks' had kidnapped me and were about to tell ship security I was missing! Truth is, I love Turkish rugs and collect them myself, and I was like a kid in a candy store. And I know enough just to be dangerous. You can spend a lifetime studying the history and art of handwoven carpets, and I don't claim to be one of those people. However I know what a good rug looks like and how to tell value in one. I went to a number of stores, but in the end I met a gentleman named Besir Fidan and he and I really hit it off. He had thousands of rugs in his family run business, and didn't treat me like a dumb tourist off a cruise ship, and he and I went through hundreds of his rugs. I picked out these you will see below, basically 6' x 9's with a pair of 3' x 4's. They just arrived at my store on Friday. I'm pretty excited about these, the colors are GREAT, they're handwoven wool - on wool, vegetable dyed and were priced below what I get in the states from the importers. They're well woven, lay flat and have a good hand, nice structure and tight knots. The Aw-brush is excellent without being over-done and the colors pop. These are finer made rugs than I normally have in my store and will be a bit more costly.

These are all one-of-a-kind art pieces. While I can fly over there and get more, I have to pick them all out and can't simply order them. Its very difficult to buy a rug without seeing it first in your home, so what I will do with these is sell them all on approval - if you don't like it when it arrives you only pay the UPS charges to and fro, that's it.

The three red-dominate 6 x 9's are available at $ 4,950 each, the smaller 3' x 4' for $ 840 each.

Once we were done with business, we went back to Besir's office and discussed the upcoming Presidential election that he was keenly interested in, the worldwide economy and the Greek financial situation, and the soft retail consumer goods market. He was a very interesting man to talk with, and he works there seven days a week because he says while he loves his brothers, they can't run the business so well. One day he wants to buy a speedboat, too. He told me I had to be his guest for a traditional Turkish lunch so I agreed and he sent out for food. A huge spread was send into his office...he went full out. They all his brothers, sisters and cousins come in the room and I though we were all going to have a rousing good lunch together. But they came there to watch ME eat lunch! They were all fasting for Rahmaden and could only have water. I was highly embarrassed - for there was enough food to feed eight or nice people and there was no way I could eat that much. Ever each lunch with nine people watching and not participating? Yikes!

It was 4 p.m. and the cruise ship was departing at 5 p.m., so I had to go. On the way out Besir said "If you have 5 minutes, I want to show you my own collection that's not for sale". So we went into a locked room and he had about 80 rugs in there that he collects. He's a fan of a particular family that was in the rug weaving business in Obruck, Turkey in the 60's and 70's, and 'signed' each of their rugs with a 'deer' silhouette in the border. I really liked this blue and red rug - it was vibrant and about 40 years old he told me. Long story short, he sold it to me as a favor for me to keep in my own home as a collector, and told me I could have it for what he paid for it. Maybe it was a sales pitch - who knows? But I really liked this rug and took it, not with the intention of re-selling it. My house at home is full of rugs already, and when I showed it to my wife she didn't want to replace what we had down already so its available if someone would like to have it. $ 3,460 (and its about 6' x 9'). Besir said "Do not sell this rug cheaply, its very rare." So I have some mixed feelings about putting a number on this one, but if it doesn't sell I'll talk my wife into it :)

Anyways, enjoy looking at the rugs - ping me if you have a question on them or want to consider a purchase. First photos will be of the 3' x 4's . There are all in my store and I photographed them in the parking lot before bringing them inside.

Here's the new 6 x 9's

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And here is the special blue and red, older collectible carpet (6 ' x 9'). Note the leaping stags in the base of the blue field. That's the family signature on all the rugs they did.

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Those are stunning! I need runners badly. Wow!

These are all beautiful rugs. I'll bet they sell quickly.

If they sell, I have an excuse to fly back to Kusadasi and get some more!

The small 3' x 4' in the very first photo has been sold.

Wow! These rugs are beautiful. I wonder how much a 4 x 6 or a 5 x 7 costs?