Tabs: Tabriz question . . .

[imcarthur]

Tabs or anyone . . .

A local auction house has a couple of Tabriz Mahi carpets that hit the block tomorrow. We have bought from them before & they are what they say they are - no fakes etc.

Description: Handwoven Persian Oriental silk and wool Tabriz Mahi design rug, with medallion and flower-head designs on black ground, cream to tan corners, black border with floral vinery. Approx. 252 cm x 178 m (8'3" x 5'10"). Estimate: $1,200 - 1,400



And its mate:



A similar description on it & almost identical size. They look new & are reasonably fine - although I don't know enough to determine thread count etc.

We were thinking about a maximum of about $1800 - $2K each. What do you think?

Ian

[Dottore]

Those are not great pictures, but they certainly look like Tabriz carpets.

Unfortunately the inherent quality of a carpet lies entirely in its workmanship (including knot count) and artistry, and that is impossible to gauge from those photos.

Tabriz produces some of the finest carpets in Persia—but also produces a lot of crap.

I'll try to take some close up photos of a very fine Tabriz that I have so you know what to look for. That said the price estimate figures indicate a fairly ordinary piece—which doesn't mean bad by any means. Indeed it might be very nice, but it will certainly not be collectible at that price.

[tabs]

Your not buying them to be collectable but to use them. New or newer carpets will be collectable long after you are dead. You have not mentioned buyers premium. Also how does your auctioneer structure his estimates, does he lowball his estimates or high ball them? That can be determined by the prices realized over a span of several auctions. Also the Persians that are said to be Silk, use foundations that are of cotton, so they are not quite.....

I would pay attention during the auction to determine if it is running hot or cold, and I would not chase those rugs too far. I would be thinking OUT THE DOOR in the lower range of the estimate. I usually get stuff one bid further than what I think my limit ought to be.

The market for Orientals does not seem to be very strong.

[imcarthur]

You are right, we are buying them for the cat to hack up hairballs on . . .

15% buyers premium + tax. The estimates are usually close but as with all auctions, some buyers get carried away. Overall the carpet estimates seemed low - which probably reflects the market weakness you speak of although a couple of the Tabriz Nachsheh carpets are $5K -$6K.

Thanks guys.

Empire Auction is the site.

Ian

[tabs]

Tabriz are 6.5' X 9.5"..80 knot to the inch....sold for $230 TODAY

[tabs]

At Empire go to Lot # 246...I bought one just like it for $425 DELIVERED

[tabs]

NAIN rugs do go for a premium.

[imcarthur]

#100 is a Nain. It hit our radar as well.



The dual carpets are for an L-shaped living dining room so they have to be similar. That is what attracted my wife to the Tabrizs. They are a match. With the Nain, we would have to buy another carpet that blends with it at another auction in the future.

Ian

[Dottore]

You may not be a collector, but like anything, with carpets you want to get the best bang for the buck. And you want to buy a carpet that "lives". Many of these mass produced carpets have no "life".

Here's a nice Tabriz I bought when I was young and foolish.



The color and design are truly alive in different light situations.



And the knots and knot count is important. I didn't count here, but I think this is about 600 per inch. And note how pretty and even the knots are.





Lots of Tabriz carpets today are even machine made. Stay away from those. And IMO if the carpet is completely "dead" you might as well buy wall-to- wall.

[imcarthur]

It looks like ~484. I checked a really nice Isfahan that we bought from Empire 7 years ago & it is ~361. We paid $1200 or so for it.

We are (she is) starting to lean towards the Nain but we will go back tomorrow to have a look again.

Ian

[Dottore]

Getting into carpets is as bad as crack. Really hard to stop.

Years ago I took a week off work and accompanied a carpet shop owner from Singapore on a buying trip to Dubai and Oman. He was buying carpets from Persian refugees. Because of the complete worthlessness of the Iranian currency abroad, refugees from Iran frequently converted their entire net worth into the finest carpets they could buy, and then left the country with these carpets and sold the in the Gulf states for hard currency.

What an amazing week that was—spent in carpet bazaars, haggling with refugees over truly exceptional pieces.

I almost packed in a fine career at that point to become a carpet merchant.

[imcarthur]

While we were in Cappadocia this May, our balloon pilot also ended up as a guide for us one day. He & his buddy flew to NYC with a load of carpets & rented a van . They drove to Chicago, LA, & San Francisco peddling their carpets through retail & wholesale contacts. They paid for their trip with enough profit left over to start a carpet shop in Goreme. There is money to be made if you know your carpets.

Oh & we bought 2 small Sumak carpets from his buddy . . . smooth operator for sure. I am always a sucker for a smooth operator. I appreciate the finesse.

Ian

[imcarthur]

Originally Posted by imcarthur

#100 is a Nain.

We bought the Nain Tabas for $900 + buyer's + tax. The estimate was $1000 - $1400. The photo doesn't really do it justice.

As I inspected the carpets, I could see that the higher the knot count, the thinner the pile as well. This one had ~150 knot count & it is medium pile. Net research tells me that this is normal for a Tabas in the Nain-style. We liked it.

Now we have to search for a mate for it.

Ian