Friday, September 5, 2008

The Rug Shop


Sweet narghile tobacco,
Brazier coal fire.
Mothballs and musty wool,
Furniture polish and 4711 German Eau de Cologne.
Cardamom-scented Turkish coffee,
Fresh lemonade tinged with rose water and orange blossom.

It was the winter of 1961. I was 11 years old. This pot pourri of scents encircled me as I entered my grandfather’s carpet shop. Etablissement Azar E. Nahhas & Associates, Saida, Lebanon.

The shop hummed with contentment. Elegant Persian rugs hung above stacks of neatly folded carpets. Hand-polished furniture glowed from the corners: olive and light oak, ebony and mother of pearl, walnut and acacia wood, all intricately carved into tric-trac tables, writing desks, and chairs. Antique brass lanterns dangled from the ceiling and gleaming silver ewers stood on table tops.

My grandfather, Jeddo Azar, sat behind his desk at the deep end of the shop and looked over his horn-rimmed glasses as I pushed open the shop door.

¨Ahlan, Ahlan wa Sahlan, Ya Habibi. It’fadal wa foot. Ta’ala hoen, wa I’teena bausee. Ya habib, Jeddo.¨

(¨Welcome, welcome, my dearest. Come over and give grandpa a hug. Dearest grandson.¨)

Youssef, the office boy, stopped stoking the coal fire and got up to fetch me a chair and a glass of freshly squeezed lemonade.

I took the lemonade, declined the chair, and climbed onto a carpet stack, dangling my legs and kicking my heels rhythmically against the heavy, soft wool of a magnificent Tabriz carpet.

…………………………………..

18 years later, I felt a familiar emotion as I entered George Yeremian’s shop, Indo-Iranian Rugs Ltd, on Temperance Street in Toronto, Canada.

Distanced by 6,000 miles and two decades, the two shops shared a link to rugs and carpets hailing from ever more distant places: Turkey and Turkmenistan, Isfahan and Kashan, Armenia and Azerbaijan, India and Afghanistan. Here was a 19th century Kashan from Central Persia, a weathered yet still graceful survivor (two World Wars, three Middle-Eastern wars, and multiple generations of small and large feet). There a charming Isfahan, allegedly the original purchase of a Canadian diplomat in Iran. The lure and magic of oriental rugs was back upon me.

Written by "Roro"
…………………………………..

Lamb-soft Kurk wool, bristly coarse camel hair. Indigo blue, deep red madder. Pure cotton, fine silk. Pistachio green and aubergine. Colours and textures harmonized into delicate flowers and stark geometry. These products of wool and loom originated in steppes and deserts, villages and cities.

After 30 years of discovery and appreciation, here are some of my favourites from our collection:



1) Yomut Turkomen Asmalyk (camel trapping), Central Asia, 19th century

2) Silk mini pattern Holbein rug, Afghanistan, 20th century

3) Western Anatolia, Melas prayer rug, mid 19th century

39 comments:

Oremas Blog said...

Carpet Tiles Dubai
Carpet tiles Dubai price
Office Carpet Supplier Dubai
Buy Best Carpet Tiles in Dubai

Unknown said...

we are provide good quality of carpets, rugs and flooring stuff visit our site carpets

RanaGhouri said...

Here we are providing you varieties of carpets. carpets in dubai

RanaGhouri said...

we have super carpet check here supercarpet

RanaGhouri said...

href="https:// Here we are providing you varieties of rugs. Here are some special kind of hand made rugs OfficeBlindsDubai

RanaGhouri said...

Our store have huge collection of carpets,rugs. Here we are introducing hand made rugs Our store have huge collection of carpets,rugs. you can visit us just clicking on our site. ModrenRugsDubai

RanaGhouri said...

Our store have huge collection of carpets,rugs. Here we are introducing hand made rugs Our store have huge collection of carpets,rugs. you can visit us just clicking on our site. ModrenRugsDubai

Anonymous said...


Our store have huge collection of carpets,rugs. Here we are introducing hand made rugs. you can visit us just clicking on our site. ModrenRugsDubai

Anonymous said...

Here we are introducing hand made rugs. you can visit us just clicking on our site. ModrenRugsDubai

rana said...

WE ARE PROVIDING QUALITY EDUCATION.best academy

rana said...

best education system acadmymumtazabad

Kami said...

best educatoin systemmumtazabad acadmy

Noreen said...

Here are some special kind of hand made rugsOfficeBlindsDubai

Saud Khan said...

Best Academy In Multan Best Academy In Multan

Nida baig said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nida baig said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Best islamic videos. islamic videos

rana said...

Best Carpets, duplex Blinds by just clicking Home Curtains Dubai

blogger tips and triks said...

carpet in dubai

we are

Anonymous said...

click here multan

studymotivation said...

jojoba oil in usa

we are providing jojoba oil in usa for skin, face and whole of the body our product us very good for man, women and child any one contact here

Anonymous said...

For Carpets click here Wall Carpets Dubai

Anonymous said...

we are providing Makeanapplike

we are providing Makeanapplike in 24 hours.

Anonymous said...

we are providing F95zoneus.com

we are providing F95zoneus

Unknown said...

The Capital capital smart city map is based on the concept of becoming the first Smart City in Pakistan due to its intergraded smart Features, facilities because and Grade-8 development.

Anonymous said...

For Curtains, Rugs, Carpets click here Curtains in Dubai

Anonymous said...

For Hand made Carpets click hereHand made Carpets

firoz mahmud said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Talha said...

click here for best academy in multan Best Academy in Multan.

Unknown said...

best medical college

Hamza rjp said...

The article written is really great
Persian Rugs In Dubai

Anonymous said...

Bollywood Hot Photoshoot

Romaana said...

click here for more details. best quality carpets.

Natasha Anjum said...

best carpets

Painting Services in Qatar said...

Great Information you are sharing with us thanks Keep doing like this
Painting Company in Qatar

iftikhar ahmad said...

Best Carpets

iftikhar ahmad said...

Best carpet

iftikhar ahmad said...

vip

Sundas said...

Cheap clothyes in lahoreCheap clothes shop