Journal

Handmade rugs have always added color and texture to our homes. But if one must establish an era, when oriental rugs in general and Persian rugs in particular, achieved an ever present status as part of home decor in many western capitals, one must start by their flourishing popularity during Victorian era in England.Queen Victoria’s…

From left Sam and Farzan Navab, circa 1990. The man with an expensive car.. Many years ago, when my brother and I had just started our business, a man driving an expensive car stopped by at our store and asked why I thought he should purchase a handmade rug? He said ”I own a good…

Loyce Houlton Courtesy: discogs.com One snowy evening in February 1995, just before closing, we had the distinct pleasure of serving an older couple visiting our shop. I remember the evening vividly because normally on a snowy day in Minneapolis we would have no customers let alone on a cold and snowy evening. The couple specifically…

Lake Como We took the train from Lausanne, Switzerland, where my mother and sister live, to Milan, passing by lake Como along the way. If you haven’t been there, you may think it’s just another lake, but its name belies the enormity of the place. Lake Como is huge and is made up of small…

As the U.S. prepares to withdraw from the Iran Nuclear Deal, now is the time to invest in Persian rugs The Rugs We All Know and Love As early as the Renaissance, Persian rugs have had a powerful hold on the Western imagination. You can find them in paintings by Vermeer and Rubens. Hundreds of…

A few years back a colleague pointed out the amazing value of the sheep to the oriental rug industry. He remembered having gone to the countryside for a picnic with his grandfather. "Look at those sheep, " his grandfather remarked upon spotting a herd. "They are truly precious animals. They provide wool for rugs and,…

The small town of Hawley, Minnesota, is located east of Moorhead at the intersection of the Buffalo River, U.S. Route 10, and the Burlington Northern Railroad. There is, of course, nothing unusual or particular about this small town of 2,000 people. Except for Bob Hest — an artist, painter, and Twin Cities personality who unexpectedly…

We recently visited the city of Shiraz in southern Iran. A city located somewhat close to the Persian gulf(only a 45 minute flight to Dubai). Greeks And Persians As it happens this city is also our mother’s ancestral homeland. Over fifty years ago my brother and I used to travel to Shiraz during holidays, and…

On a Saturday morning in July of 2017 I had the distinct honor to have a brief audience with the Dalai Lama. On Friday evening, Jampa Tenzin, our sales manager (in the photo standing to the left of his holiness) suddenly called me and asked if I wanted to meet the Dalai Lama? For years…