Antique Oriental Rugs by Nazmiyal

By definition, antique oriental rugs are more than 80s years old while vintage rugs refers to the decorative oriental and modernist rugs that were made during mid-century (20th century) – such as the mid-century modern Scandinavian rugs and Moroccan rugs. However, many other features set these pieces apart from their newly created counterparts. On the surface, new oriental rugs may resemble their “cousins”, the – antique oriental rugs, but the similarities stop there. The quality and construction of antique oriental rugs and carpets are two of the great differentiators between those created then and now. These differences affect the overall look and feel on a broad level through small and large changes in the dyeing, spinning and weaving process. The difference between new and antique oriental rugs goes down to the fiber used to produce these masterpieces from the past. Using millennia-old processes, world created iconic antique oriental rugs that would stand the test of time and add to their international legacy.

Antique Khotan Rugs
Antique Khotan Rugs Interior Design By Tucker and Marks Design

With natural dyes, ancient techniques and countless hours of tedious work, these weavers creating long-lasting works of art that acquire a gentle patina and luster with age that contributes to their characteristic charm. With the advent of modern technology and chemical dyes, patterns were watered-down for mass-production and regional traditions that were millennia in development were changed forever in little more than a century. Antique oriental rugs in general (not only antique Persian Rugs ) include hundreds of patterns and cultural symbols that are combined with construction techniques accentuate the unique regional qualities. Despite modern advances and high-tech manufacturing processes, the gestalt of antique oriental rugs and oriental carpets produced by master weavers in the city, artisan craftspeople in independent villages and tribal individuals is incomparable. Antique oriental carpets and antique oriental rugs were created using bygone methods and traditions thatheld a deep significance to the people who wove them. to the people who wove them. Many of these antique oriental rugs and oriental carpets are filled with symbolic figures and motifs that have been used within a culture for thousands of years.

Antique Bezalel Carpets
Antique Bezalel Rugs Interior Design by Lorri Morris Design Inc.

To a semi-nomadic tribal group, universal and region-specific symbols such as water, animals, birds, people and amulets were vital to protect their family and resources. Often created for specific purposes, antique oriental rugs and carpets from Persia, Turkey, India, Europe, the Caucasus, China and Tibet and so many other regions were produced by craftspeople who put their heart and soul into every step of the process. Over the centuries, the weaving of oriental rugs and carpets has evolved from a cultural craft into a livelihood and an art form that captures many diverse traditions. The craftspeople and master weavers who created these antiquities used exacting precision to executive intricate patterns that today’s high-technology advances are unable to replicate. The quality of the wool, fiber and dyes has changed drastically over the centuries as the labor-intensive processes were traded in for time-saving alternatives. Natural dyes and pigments extracted from plants, minerals, insects and other substances contribute to the soft lustrous patina that new creations may never acquire.

Antique Sultanabad RugsAntique Aubusson Carpets

Hand-spun wool produced from local wool fortified with a unique mixture of minerals and metals enhances dye absorption and adds to the lustrous qualities and subtleties of regional oriental rugs such as those seen in the antique Persian rugs. Spinning, dyeing and weaving each represent labor-intensive tasks requiring specialized skills. In some cases, dyers made a living by supplying high-quality dyes to local weavers and craftspeople. Many of these natural dyes required sophisticated processes to extract and set the dyes while others, such as the golden-yellow dyes created from the stigma of the saffron flower, were created from some of the most valuable trade commodities at the time. Due to the limited number and increasing rarity, antique carpets and rugs make solid investment Rugs. For example, the best and rarest antique Persian rugs & antique oriental rugs have maintain their value exceptionally well over the years where the value of a newer pieces depreciate rapidly.

Antique Bakshaish Rugs
Antique Bakshaish Rugs Interior Design By Lori Morris Design Inc

Although antique rugs make excellent investments, they can often be acquired without a significant increase in cost compared to the newly manufactured oriental rugs in todays markets. There is no question that Antique oriental rugs and carpets make outstanding decorative objects as well as investment pieces for serious collectors and / or buyers who wish to beautify, soften or complete an interior space while making a sound financial decision. The world of antique oriental rugs and Persian carpets presents endless possibilities; one region alone (such as antique Persian rugs) can produce an exceptional variety of patterns in many of classic colors. The aesthetic appeal of antique oriental rugs is only one of their alluring charms. One of the universal factors that attract collectors around the world is the craftsmanship and rich history of each pattern and motif embodies the romantic notions of an earlier time.

Antique Kerman Rugs
Antique Kerman Rugs Interior Design By – Lisa Bartolomei Interior Design

Womens Fashion – Winter Fashion FAUX Pas

Winter Womens Fashion New York City

Furry Vests, Winter 2011

Furry Vests, Winter 2011

 

 

Winter Womens Fashion New York City – With winter fashion being in full swing as we, New Yorkers are subjected to freezing temps and bone-chilling pockets of wind, there comes a time where one draws the line with his or her styling choices. Yes, we need to bundle up to protect ourselves from acute frostbite, which means more layers, thicker clothes, and woolen garb. On the other hand, by no means does this burst of frigidity mean bust out the fashion faux pas.

Michael Korrs Puffy Vest

Michael Korrs Puffy Vest

This season, there is some spotted fashion that is curdling my blood worst than the mere thought that soon snowpocalypses and blizzards are on their way. Fur, animal hats and scarves, puffy vests, chunky sweaters, and Uggs are popping up around every corner, and I am forced to bite my tongue before I call PETA or worse. Looking like you just came straight out of the forest having skinned a melee of animals is not okay by any stretch. Furry vests, popularized by the likes of Rachel Zoe, have women traipsing the streets looking like modern-day hybrid-racoon-polar bear people. Not cute. Not cute at all.

Animal Winter Hats

Animal Winter Hats

Also, in terms of accessories, animal hats (and we all know which ones I’m talking about) that have ears and faces and dangling fuzzy balls are not for the 20 to 30 something year old professional. Fuzzy hats with cute little penguins on them are for children and children only. Scarves, gloves, and aforementioned hats with fuzzy balls dangling from every corner screams pre-school. So, unless you have succumbed to attaching your mittens to your jacket, back away from the cartoonish animal gear.

Men's Fox Hat

Men's Fox Hat

Puffy vests and Uggs are two trends that just won’t seem to go away. PLEASE go away! Puffy vests are not cute on anyone instead they make you look like the Michelin mascot or a big ol’ marshmallow, a marshmallow who deserves to be splattered with hot chocolate. Just because it’s winter does not mean there is an excuse to be sporting a neon orange puffy vest. No way. No how. Lastly, Uggs. That’s all I have to say about those god awful poor excuse for boots because they’re oh so comfy.

Check out our Winter Fashion Faux Pas:

Men's Puffy Vest

Men's Puffy Vest

Women's Polar Bear Hat

Women's Polar Bear Hat

Animal Hat and Mittens

Animal Hat and Mittens

Uggs

Uggs

Women's Furry Vests

Women's Furry Vests

 

Art Deco Monday

 

Kicking off the week with a positive energy art deco rug!

 

It’s Monday again! While I usually pick a few antique rugs to share with you, this week I have decided to share only one very special and breathtaking art deco rug! The rug is so magnificent and the the fact that it is so large earned it a single spot for this week.

As I spent more time looking at it I realized how close it comes in feeling to the great art works which came out of the Bauhaus School which opened its doors in 1919.

Vintage Art Deco Rugs

Art Deco Rug Bauhaus

Just to give a sense of comparison, I have included here an image of a Knud Merrild painting. While stylistically they are different, it is not hard to see the similarities and how well an Art Deco rug will work with a Bauhaus Painting.

Knud Merrild Bauhaus Rugs

Knud Merrild Bauhaus

Astor Suite at The Plaza Hotel NYC’s Most Expensive Rental

Astor Suite at The Plaza Hotel

NYC’s Most Expensive Rental

The Plaza Hotel

The Plaza Hotel

NYC’s Most Expensive Rental, the Astor Suite at The Plaza Hotel New York - One cannot deny that New York is one of the most expensive cities in the world with its slew of shopping venues, feast of fancy restaurants, and luxurious high-rises. It goes without saying that the cost of living and rent tend to be fairly pricey. With today’s tumultuous market, rent and mortgages seem to be skyrocketing in the city that never sleeps where the average Joe pays anywhere between $1,500 to $4,000 a month for rent. Yes, RENT. That may seem like quite a steep cost, but how about paying $165,000 a MONTH for rent? New York’s priciest rental has finally been revealed. Welcome to the Astor Suite at the Plaza Hotel.

High above Fifth Avenue with breathtaking views of Central Park, lies the Astor Suite. This outrageous rental boasts a whopping 5,087 square feet with 14 foot ceilings. Imported goods including oak and leather finishings and treatments adorn this palace in the sky. Also, decking out the digs are a collection of antiques from the 18th to 20th centuries. (You know how we love our antiques here at Nazmiyal.) Not to mention the history of inhabitors who once took residence in the suite including John Jacob Astor and JFK himself. The Astor Suite is a sure-fire way to know you REALLY made it in NYC.

Check out pictures of the Astor Suite:

Astor Suite at The Plaza Hotel

Astor Suite at The Plaza Hotel

 

Astor Suite at The Plaza Hotel

Astor Suite at The Plaza Hotel

Modern Art Trends : Robots Design Architectural Sculptural Piece

Modern Art Trends

Architects Gramazio and Kohler & Rafaella d’Andrea

Flight Assembled Architecture by Gramazio and Kohler and Raffaello d'Andrea

Flight Assembled Architecture by Gramazio and Kohler and Raffaello d'Andrea

Modern Art Trends , Architects Gramazio and Kohler & Rafaella d’Andrea - The modern art world continuously undergoes constant innovation in terms of design, mediums, and technological advances. In today’s time and society, it seems that technology is playing an important part in creating the future of art and design. Recently, artists are pairing up with techies to meld the worlds of art and technology. In particular, Swiss architects Gramazio & Kohler and autonomous systems technician Raffaello d’Andrea have banded together to create an architectural piece with robots.

Flight Assembled Architecture by Gramazio and Kohler and Raffaello d'Andrea

Flight Assembled Architecture by Gramazio and Kohler and Raffaello d'Andrea

Their latest project, “Flight Assembled Architecture”, is using a system of programmed flying robot machines to create a sculptural piece by flying foam blocks into a 20 foot tall structure. These beautifully crafted flying contraptions are an extension of the artists at hand using them in a way that could be the future of the art world. Will we live in a society where the artist becomes obsolete and talent will be based in the hands of the inanimate, the robot? Art is ever-changing, and with the rise of technology being folded into the mix of the art world, one wonders what will become of art and the artist.

Holiday Decor And Modern Fireplaces

Holiday Decor

Modern Fireplaces

Decadent Fireplace Holiday Decor

Decadent Fireplace Holiday Decor


 

Holiday Decor & Modern Fireplaces - With the Christmas season in full swing, the time has come where one can’t walk down the streets of New York City without being fully accosted by the smell of pine needles from Christmas tree vendors on what seems to be every corner. The yuletide is here and holiday trimmings are in order. One of my favorite areas of Christmas decor is undoubtedly the fireplace. Through their heated design, holiday decor is hotter than ever to welcome Santa through some serious styling.

Themed Fireplace Holiday Decor

Themed Fireplace Holiday Decor

Themed Fireplace Holiday Decor

Themed Fireplace Holiday Decor

The fireplace, not only a portal for the jolly old man toting presents in a Narnia-esque sack of goodies that never ends, but is a place for family gathering to share the holiday spirit, drink a delish boozey spirit, and bask in the warmth on a cold winter’s night. Adorning this festive centerpiece has become an important staple in designing one’s home for the holiday. Garland, lights, stockings, pine cones are traditional pieces that bring the season into light. Themed decor, though, is making some serious splash for this season. Whether, one is rocking around the Christmas tree fully clad an a monochromatic color scheme or adding pizzazz with an arctic circle-esque inspiration that would draw all the penguins from North Pole, the fireplace and its decor have proven to be classic staples for decadent holiday design.

Check out some of favorite holiday looks:

Fireplace Holiday Decor

Fireplace Holiday Decor

Traditional Fireplace Holiday Decor

Traditional Fireplace Holiday Decor

Children's Fireplace Decor

Children's Fireplace Decor

Color Themed Fireplace Decor

Color Themed Fireplace Decor

New Rugs This Week

Selected New Acquisitions of Antique Rugs 

Hi Everyone! Its Monday again, as is the case on Mondays – I would like to share with you a handful of our most recent acquisitions! Below you will some antique rugs ( and vintage rugs ) that I would like to share with everyone! Hope you like the new selection I picked! 

 

Antique Oushak Rug  Antique Serapi Rug  Antique Khotan Rug Art Nouveau Rug

              Rya Rug    Moroccan RugMoroccan Rug

Antique Rugs In Every Language

 Ever wonder what the term “Antique Rugs” looks like in other languages?

Antique Rugs in Chinese is ????

Rugs, just like people, come from all over the world and each one is unique. We at Nazmiyal understand that everyone feel more comfortable in his or her native language. So with that in mind, we have now incorporated a new feature to our site. With the click of a mouse you can now translate the site’s text into a slew of different languages! So if you are in France, Italy, Germany, China, Israel or Saudi Arabia you can now learn about these beautiful works of art without having to even know one word in English! The internet is a wonderful new frontier, filled with new options and tools that transform only make our life easier but brings us all closer together.  

Ever wonder what the term antique rugs looks like in a different language? If so then take a look below:

Arabic - ???????? ???????    Simplified Chinese - ????    Traditional Chinese - ????

Czech - starožitné koberce   Danish - antikke tæpper   Dutch - antieke tapijten

French - tapis anciens   German - antiken Teppichen   Hebrew - ?????? ??????

Hungarian - antik sz?nyeg   Italian - tappeti antichi   Swedish - antika mattor

Finnish - Antiikki matot   Korean - ??? ???   Norwegian - antikke tepper

Farsi - ??? ?????   Polish - Antique dywany   Portuguese - tapetes antigos

Romanian - covoarele vechi   Russian - ???????? ?????   Spanish - alfombras antiguas

Japanese - ?????????   Turkish - Antik kilim

 

 Click the flags below to translate the site to the language of your choice: 

 

Arabic
???????? ???????

???????? ???????

Simplified Chinese
????

????

Traditional Chinese
????

????

Czech
starožitné koberce

starožitné koberce

Danish
antikke tæpper

antikke tæpper

Dutch
antikke tæpper

antieke tapijten

French
tapis anciens

tapis anciens

German
antiken Teppichen

antiken Teppichen

Hebrew
?????? ??????

?????? ??????

Hungarian
antik sz?nyeg

antik sz?nyeg

Italian
tappeti antichi

tappeti antichi

Swedish
antika mattor

antika mattor

Finnish
Antiikki matot

Antiikki matot

 

Korean
??? ???

??? ???

Norwegian
antikke tepper

antikke tepper

Farsi
??? ?????

??? ?????

Polish
Antique dywany

Antique dywany

Portuguese
tapetes antigos

tapetes antigos

Romanian
covoarele vechi

covoarele vechi

Russian
???????? ?????

???????? ?????

Spanish
alfombras antiguas

alfombras antiguas

Japanese
?????????

?????????

Turkish
Antik kilim

Antik kilim


Men’s Winter Fashion Trends : Tartan Plaid

Mens Winter Fashion Trends

Vivienne Westwood Fall/Winter 2011

Vivienne Westwood Fall/Winter 2011

Mens Winter Fashion Trend - With winter here as we brave the month of December, fashion trend alerts all ring for tartan plaid this season. Tartan plaid made a shocking comeback over the past two fall/winter seasons, but with 2012 coming into view, this winter season tartan plaid is grabbing some serious attention from major labels and trendsetting fashionistas alike. No longer is the staple of plaid just about the lumberjack or Brooklyn hipster nor is tartan plaid solely exclusive for Scotsmen and their kilts, but it is here to truly define that trendy chic style this season.

Bill Tornades Winter 2011

Bill Tornades Winter 2011

 We all know and have seen the emergence of plaid over the last couple of years for summer/spring as well as fall/winter. Though, what sets tartan plaid apart from the existing buffalo plaid or flannel checks, is its tradition and sense of class. Tartan plaid has been around from the eras of kilts and bagpipers with classic color palettes of reds, blacks, greens, and blues. With its emergence into the spotlight, designers are adding a twist on the traditional look with bold colors and unconventional silhouettes.

Tartan Plaid Fall / Winter

Tartan Plaid Fall / Winter

Whether you’re embodying your favorite Braveheart character, Mary, Queen of Scots, or looking for a dressier solution to the relentless slew of plaid for nights out or the office, tartan plaid is a must. Adding a splash of it in your undershirt makes for a tame trendy look, but for the serious fashion-forwarder, a full tartan plaid suit will have everyone turning heads and following in your footsteps faster than you can say “Oh, Danny Boy”.

Check out our favorite looks here:

Givenchy Tartan Plaid

Givenchy Tartan Plaid

Women's Tartan Plaid Fall / Winter 2011

Women's Tartan Plaid Fall / Winter 2011

Men's Tartan Plaid Blazer

Men's Tartan Plaid Blazer

Women's Tartan Plaid Fall / Winter 2011

Women's Tartan Plaid Fall / Winter 2011

 

Folk Art Rugs

Whimsical Folk Art Rugs 1850′s – 1950′s

Folk art rugs

Folk art rugs

Folk Art

Folk art, by definition, pertains to any work of art that was created by someone who is not a skilled or learned artist. Unlike fine art which would have been created by a person who studied and would be considered in the main stream as an expert artist. An artist might be influenced by different social circles, creating works that he or she hope will be well  received by the mayvins of the art community. They have also spent time learning their and crafting their skill by apprenticing or by simply going to school.

 

In contrast, Folk Art is created by an unskilled person and for the most part it was created with the intent to be used personally or to be given as a gift. Some of the great folk artists had a tremendous amount of raw talent and they used that talent to show what they themselves feel is beautiful without taking into account whether or not the piece has mass appeal. By doing this we (the outsiders) often get an intimate view of the artists world, life, views and emotions. For the most part, people don’t think of rugs when they are talking about the different types of folk art but some of the most collectible rugs in the world are just that – pure folk art!

Caucasian Rugs

Rugs From the Caucasus

 

 

Many of the antique tribal rugs fall into this category. One example of a folk art rugs would be the tribal rugs that originated in the Caucasus. Woven in peoples homes, by “unskilled” artisans, rugs like Shirvans & Kazaks are great examples. Their beauty is seen in the crudeness and primitiveness of the rugs they made. 

 

Vintage Rya Rug

Vintage Rya Rug

 

One other great example would be the earliest examples of Rya rugs from Scandinavia. These rugs were made predominately by women, at home, and then either used in the home or given as gifts. Untrained, these women created magnificent works that embody the essence of the modernist movement.

 

Hooked Rugs

Antique American Hooked Rug

 

America also has a strong foot hold in the world of folk art rugs. What could be a better example than our very own American hooked rugs? Filled with innocence and simplistic designs, these rugs, transport us back to a time when things were much simpler and day to day life was so very different than today’s. While they had their share of hardships, one can’t help but feel and appreciate the simplicity of their daily life.

 

Moroccan Rugs

Vintage Moroccan Rug

 

The last group of rugs that I will talk about today is… Moroccan rugs. Recently we posted an article indicating how these little masterpiece pack as much of an artists punch as any of the great mid-century modern master artisans… you can read that article here: Move Aside Jackson Pollock. Moroccan rugs were so advanced for their time that it leaves many in the art community speechless – how could these simple people create such phenomenal works of art, how could they dream up these designs and colors while, for the most part, living a simple life in the secluded region of the Atlas mountains?

 

Regardless of the specific type of folk art antique rug you pick they all have an artistic significance that will echo through that halls of history. They bring the past back to life and show us the way things were in the most simple and humble way. There is no doubt that these magnificent works of art are just that – magnificent works of art!