Antique Serapi carpet, circa 1880

With the British Antique Dealers Association Fair opening next Wednesday 13th at 11am we thought we would share some carpets we will be displaying on our newly designed stand A38.  You will find this beautiful antique Serapi carpet showcased in the BADA Handbook to coincide with us showing it at the fair.  In remarkable condition, this type of persian carpet has always been appreciated for its subtle tones and intricate vines and floral motifs.  Woven in the mid to late 19th century Serapi carpets are finer, softer and usually more refined than their Heriz cousins.  This piece is no exception, we hope you can find the time to visit the fair and see for yourself.  

We are  proud and delighted to announce that we have moved into our fantastic new larger showroom within the main barn still located at The Old Parsonage in Crondall.  With this exciting move our inventory has also grown with the space, with an even larger selection of antique & modern carpets & rugs.

It would be a pleasure to show you around our new showroom,  open Monday through Saturday 9.30 until 5.30. Please come and enjoy the fabulous new surroundings with a glass of wine or champagne and peruse our vast array of interesting carpets, rugs, runners, kelims, aubussons and cushions - all of which are viewable on our constantly updated website.

From traditonal antique Persian rugs over 100 years old to contemporary carpets hand woven in India, there is a wide range of styles and prices to suit your requirements.  Our professional service offers customers the opportunity to view any of our inventory within your own home.  If there is a particluar carpet or rug you are interested in having browsed our website please feel free to contact us to arrange an appointment to visit us in Crondall or to arrange a home visit.

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year and hoping to assist clients old & new in 2013.

Best wishes, Farnham Antique Carpets

The carpet image on the right is a close up of a beautiful antique Heriz carpet we have just purchased that has delightful rich reds & blues, perfect for warming up a cold room this winter.  If you would like photographs of the carpet please contact us for more information.  We will be adding it to our 'New Arrivals' section next week.

As well as this lovely antique piece we have also been busy updating our website with interesting decorative carpets & rugs.  From modern silk Tabriz carpets to traditional modern Aubusson & an unusual square antique Ziegler carpet, we feel it is vital to have a varied selection of styles to suit everyones interiors.  So even if we do not appear to have the perfect rug for you on our website, please do contact us with your requirements as we are constantly evolving in the rug world and new interesting pieces will always find their way to us.

In 2013 we will be adding some designer rugs to our inventory to further enhance our catalogue of styles so please keep an eye out for an announcment via our Newsletter.

The LAPADA Art & Antiques Fair in Berkeley Square opens its doors tomorrow for the preview.

For opening times please click here.

To the right is an image of our stand which we set up today.  This year we have our usual collection of Persian town carpets & rugs, together with our recently purchased Caucasian pieces, including some interesting hall runners.  A further highlight being a collection of fine silk rugs woven to the highest quality at the turn of the last century.  

We hope you can find the time to join us, if you do not yet have a ticket, we have included a downloadable E-ticket below.

Recently added to our 'New Arrivals' is a particulary unique antique Bakshaish carpet.

Woven between 1870 -1890 it is rare to find a Bakshaish of such large proportions in exceptional condition and with an extremely open ivory main field. Having been under a dining table in a country house for the last 25 years it shows just how durable quality antique carpets can be. Other than a good clean and some restoration to the sides and ends the carpet has withstood all the dinner parties that have been thrown at it over the years!

The town of Bakshaish is located in the north of Persia very close to Heriz. Like Heriz carpets and rugs, designs are always geometric with large floral motifs and diamond medallions. It is rare to find a carpet like this with such a vast amount of open space with the three medallions not surrounded by flowers, vines and birds. Also Bakshaish differ slightly as they are generally coarser in weave than Heriz with a larger weft structure. Bakshaish colours tend to be royal blues and softer reds but they loved to use the camel beige tone and as used in abundance on this piece the off white/ivory tones.

A truly magificent carpet that would obviously suit a dining room again or as it is a wonderful carpet we would be bias and say it could work anywhere! We have some fabulous high-res images of this carpet and would be happy to send them over via email to anyone who would like them. Please contact us to receive them.

The long weekend is finally upon us and after all the Jubilee celebrations have finished why not visit us at this years Olympia International Fine Art & Antiques Fair in London.  We are located on stand E41 with an exciting variation on our stand design which will showcase some of the best Persian, Turkish and Caucasian carpets and rugs we have acquired over the last year.

A rare mid 19th century Serapi carpet will be displayed inside our stand along with a vibrant late 19th century Bidjar rug.  In contrast a perfect condition pale ground Turkish sivas carpet will be among our inventory on show, alongside a rare collection of published Caucasian rugs - some of the best we have ever seen.

We hope you can find the time with the show running for 10 days to visit us, and if you would like an invitation left at the entrance please do not hesitate to ask.  For more information on visitor opening times please click the link here.

Best wishes, Farnham Antique Carpets

A good reason to write a newsletter is to share some exciting news!

Our rare antique Zejwa rug has been shortlisted through to the final group for the 2012 LAPADA 'Object of the Year' competition, heading through to the next round of judging.

After the success of last years entry, an unusual green Karachov rug reaching the final, we will be hoping this perfect condition Zejwa rug can go one step further.

Woven in the northern Kuba region of the Caucasus this particular type of rug are easily distinguishable due to their elaborate repeating 'Sunburst' motifs.  As with any hand woven rug each piece will have different attributes which help determine the rugs beauty.  Being a nomadic weaving often their shape can be distorted as the looms get removed from the ground and set down again once the weaver has moved on and settled on a new location.  This rug displays great accuracy in weaving technique, as each motif has carefully been woven with a good degree of symmetry.  Often one or all three large 'Sunburst' motifs will be varying in size and shape thus making the rug look primitive to the eye.  The weaver who set out 140 years ago or more to construct this rug took great pride in their work and ended up producing an exquisite piece, enhanced by the natural dyes allowing us to marvel at a rare piece of rug weaving history.

You can view the rug on our website by clicking here.

Every year there is a peoples vote, so if you feel our Zejwa rug should win the peoples vote, you can register your opinion by visiting the LAPADA website here.

Are the dates for the 2012 BADA antiques fair.  We are looking forward to showcasing a good selection of new stock and hope to see you on our stand A38 at the rear of the fair,  adjacent to the restaurant.

We will be exhibiting a large oversize 18 x 12ft Serapi carpet.  A beautiful all over design smaller Heriz carpet circa 1880,  together with a great collection of smaller Caucasian and Persian pieces. 

If you do require a ticket left on the door for yourself or a friend please do get in touch and we will be glad to help.

Wednesday 21 March 2012

11.00 – 21.00 – Opening Day 

Thursday 22 March 2012

11.00 – Event A  - The House & Garden Style Report: the major interior and decorating trends of 2012.
With Carole Annett, Commercial Retail Editor and Julia Page, Retail Editor, House & Garden 

20.00 – 23.00 – Charity Gala Dinner in aid of HITS

Friday 23 March 2012

11.00 – Event B  -  Country Life and the English Country House: the story of an unusual partnership.
With John Goodall, Architectural Editor, Country Life

Monday 26 March 2012 

11.00 -  Event C  - ‘A covetous and greedy fellow.’ Canaletto and the British.
With Colin Wiggins, Special Projects Curator at the National Gallery

Tuesday 27 March 2012

11.00 – Event D - ‘Royal Protection and Modern Collecting:  
A guide to the BADA Fair’s Loan Exhibition.
With Robert Miller

December is a busy time of year and we understand that everyone wants their homes to look great for Christmas.  If you would like us to help find the right carpet or rug to complete your room and add that warmth during this cold time of year we would be happy to be of assistance.

Our cleaning & repair workshop will be working hard right up to Christmas,  so if you need advice on rug repairs, cleaning or require underlay for a rug that has a mind of its own please contact us and we will endeavour to find a solution.

Our inventory is constantly changing, with every rug that is sold we try and replace it with something as equally exciting, unusual and has the potential to compliment the right interior.  With this in mind our 'New Arrivals' section is updated every week with new pieces so it is well worth taking a look.

We will be open up until Christmas Eve and be re-opening on the 3rd January 2012.  If you would like to visit us in Crondall, please call us to arrange a time and we would be delighted to show you around.

If you managed to visit our stand at the LAPADA antiques fair in London during September you would have seen us exhibting a collection of Caucasian rugs with enthusiasm. These pieces have become even more interesting following a discovery about their provenance.

After researching a little deeper, the collector we acquired the rugs from purchased them all over a number of years from Los Angeles dealer Raymond Benardout, who had two books published.  One in 1983 titled 'Antique Rugs' followed by 'Woven Stars' printed in 1996. We were delighted to see that many of the rugs we acquired are featured within the publications, one even being the cover piece on the 'Woven Stars' edition.

Many of these outstanding examples of caucasus weavings have already been sold to private collectors with only three rugs remaining in stock that feature within the books.  Please see our 'New Arrivals' section here to locate the rugs in question and click 'Download PDF' to view the image of the rug in the book.  This is a rare opportunity to own an early caucasian rug with excellent provenance in perfect condition.

C197 Antique Daghestan prayer rug, dated 1898 view here and click 'Download PDF' to see in 'Antique Rugs'.

C194 Antique Lesghi, Circa 1890 view here and click 'Download PDF' to see on the front cover of 'Woven Stars'.

C187 Antique Kazak, Circa 1880 view here and click 'Download PDF' to see in 'Woven Stars'.

The LAPADA antiques fair located in Berkeley Square is finally upon us and we are pleased to have some exciting carpets & rugs to showcase this year.  The fair is in the heart of Mayfair and is a fabulous day out, with a huge variety on display as dealers exhibit from all over the country.

We would be delighted if you would like to visit us and also see everything else the fair has to offer.  If you still need an invitation please contact us and we will happily send you one, for more information on opening times, please click here.

We are located in the rear marquee next to the bar - we hope to see you there.

We are pleased to announce that our antique Karachov rug has made it into the final of this years Country Life LAPADA 'Object of the Year' competition.

The caliber of this years entries is exceptionally high, with the variation of antiques from the different specialist fields of the finest quality and rarity.  From beautifully carved 16th Century oak furniture to the tiniest intricate 18th Century Japanese Netsuke, we marveled at the standard of objects and are proud to have joined the elite list of finalists.

Our Karachov rug dates from the mid to late 19th Century, woven in the south of the Kazak region in the Caucasus.  The condition is perfect with the lustrous wool this region produced as soft and full as the day it was made.  The vegetable dyes are exquisite with aubergine used in many of the geometric motifs, this is known as an early dye, as later pieces tended to use the synthetic purple which fades to grey.

If you would like to view the Karachov rug for yourself it will be on display at the Olympia International Art & Antiques Fair on the dedicated stand E25 for the finalists of 'Object of the Year' between the 9th and 19th of June.

Please contact us for more information, or view the rug on the Country Life LAPADA object of the year website here.  There is also a peoples vote with prizes to be won, so if you love our rug please vote for us.

The finalists of the competition have been featured in this months Country Life magazine.  See our 'Press' section here.

Kindest regards,

Farnham Antique Carpets

We are pleased to announce we have been shortlisted in this years Country Life LAPADA object of the year competition.

An antique Karachov rug from the Caucasus, Circa 1870 has caught the judges eye putting us through to the next round in the competition.  The rug has been in a private collection for more than 40 years and is in perfect condition.  Originally purchased from Raymond Bernadout in London in the 1960's who was renowned for dealing in the best Caucasian weavings and has written many publications on carpets. 

The rarity of this particular rug lies in its striking condition, age and colour, woven with a green background with two white chartouche motifs in the centre making it a vivid tribal weaving.  Green is generally know as a holy colour and more often was used in prayer rugs.

We hope to progress through to the final of this years competition so please take a look at the rug in question by clicking the link here and if you feel this should be the 'object of the year' please vote for us, we would greatly appreciate it.

Many thanks, Farnham Antique Carpets

We have some exciting new features now available on our website, aiming to make your carpet or rug search even easier and of course more enjoyable.

New Arrivals - from the drop down Carpet menu you will see a brand new addtion to our website. When we add a new carpet, rug or runner, whether it be antique or modern, large or small it will appear here in New Arrivals.

We hope you find this a useful tool to keep up to date with all the interesting antique and modern pieces we are adding to our inventory.

Spring is nearly upon us and we have just completed setting up this years BADA fair which opens tomorrow at 11.00am.  The BADA fair was described in this weekends Telegraph as follows - 

Bada bing!

The Bada Antiques & Fine Art Fair, organised by the British Antique Dealers’ Association, is an annual seven-day event that brings together 100 dealers from around the country. Let’s be clear: this is no bric-a-brac event. Rather, expect rare and fabulous specimens that date from antiquity to the 20th century. 

We have a wonderful selection of carpets and rugs on the stand,  this year we have a superb selection of newly acquired caucasian rugs which have been within a private collection for many years. This being the first time they have been available to market for the last three decades.

We look forward to seeing you there,  if you have not received a ticket or would like another for a friend, please send us an email and we will get a ticket out to you in the mail.

Please click here to sign up for My Gallery the latest addition to our website.

My Gallery provides you with the ability to add as many carpets, rugs, runners and anything else on our website you like onto your own personal online gallery.  This way you can return to view what you have saved at any time.  Furthermore it  provides you with a message board so you can contact us directly with any enquiry you may have.

There is also an upload feature where you can send us your images, to show us a rug that needs repair, valuation or you are just curious to know what you have!

The preview for this years Olympia Winter Fair is fast approaching so if you would like to receive an invitation there is still time please contact us and we will happily send you one.

We are really looking forward to this years fair as we have some exciting antique carpets, rugs and runners to showcase, including an unusual Anatolian runner from the late 19th Century.  The fair gives us a chance to meet up with old friends and clients or occasionally both! and hopefully meet some new faces too.  The variety and quality of antiques continues to grow each year making this a must visit fair if you are interested in exquisite and elegant objects from all over the world.

The preview starts on Monday 15th November at 4pm and finishes at 9pm.  The fair opens at 11am every day and runs until Sunday the 21st, if you require more information on opening and closing times, please see our events section.  We look forward to seeing you there.

The Lapada Fair preview opens this evening from 6pm - 9pm, we hope to see you there.  This is a picture of our stand we set up yesterday with a good selection of beautiful pieces on the wall, we also have over 60 carpets, rugs and runners on our stand so there is lots to see.

We have outlined below the pieces we have displayed on the wall at the show.  

The Lapada Fair opens tomorrow to the public from 11am and runs until Sunday so we can still send you an invitation if you require, please send us an email and we will be happy to do so.

With only a week to go until this years Lapada fair and with everyones diaries filling up fast, please feel free to contact us if you would like to receive an invitation we would be happy to send one to you.

Held at Berkeley Square in London, the Lapada fair is situated in a glamorous purpose-built marquee with all that Mayfair has to offer close by.  It would be a wonderful day out and with the fair running from Wednesday 22nd until Sunday 26th September we are sure you can find the time to visit one of London's leading antiques fairs.

Lapada is the largest UK association of professional antique dealers with more than 90 members exhibiting, there will be a vast array of quality items, from the finest furniture to exquisite jewellery and of course antique rugs!

We sincerely hope you will find the time to come and see our stand - D4, as we always try to make it as interesting as possible with a varied selection of some of the most beautiful antique Persian, Russian, Caucasian and Turkish weavings on display.