What makes an antique rug worth collecting? Its age or rarity may catch our attention, but the answer often becomes clearer through years of looking closely, asking questions, and sharing what we see with others.
On September 27, more than 60 collectors, friends, and rug enthusiasts gathered at the Nazmiyal Collection showroom in New York for Collectors in Conversation, an evening hosted with the Hajji Baba Club. Bruce Baganz, Mary Jo Otsea, and Mike Tschebull joined us for a discussion about antique rugs, textiles, and the experiences that shape a collectors eye.
The Thrill of Collecting Antique Rugs
Part of the pleasure of collecting is that there is always more to discover. A rug may first draw you in through its color or design. A closer look raises new questions about its weaving, condition, history, and the choices made by the person who created it.
Conversations among collectors matter. Each person brings a different eye and a different history of looking. Even experienced collectors can come away seeing a familiar kind of rug in a new way.
Learning to Look Together
The evening brought people with many years of experience together with others eager to learn. Guests had the chance to exchange ideas, ask questions, and spend time among rugs and textiles in the showroom.
That exchange is one of the most important parts of this field. The obvious facts still stand: studying a rug’s origin, age, and comparable examples will always be crucial to the examination of a piece. But there is also value in standing in front of it with someone who notices something others missed, someone with a different perspective. Knowledge grows when we share it.
Community Built Around Curiosity
I have been a lifetime member of the Hajji Baba Club, and it was a pleasure to welcome fellow members and friends to our showroom. I was especially glad to share the evening with my old friend Zach Zaman, the club’s president.
Thank you to Bruce, Mary Jo, and Mike for leading the conversation, and to everyone who joined us. I am also grateful to the Nazmiyal team, who worked throughout the weekend to prepare the showroom and make our guests feel welcome.
An evening like this reminds me why antique rugs remain so compelling. There is the excitement of finding a beautiful piece, and then there is everything we learn by looking at it together. – Jason Nazmiyal • Founder, Nazmiyal Collection
