For three decades, Claremont Rug Company founder and president Jan David Winitz has searched out and acquired major collections of art level antique carpets. Recognized by publications ranging from the New York Times to the Robb Collection to the Financial Times of London for his discerning taste and expertise, he has worked with clients, employing an eight point methodology to identify finest collectible and investment-level carpets.
- WOVEN BEFORE THE ADVENT OF THE COMMERCIAL PERIOD - Throughout the 19th Century, and in some locales up to World War I, these are carpets little affected by the restraints of the international commercial market, providing a direct link to the artistic and cultural heritage from which they stem.
- USES EXCLUSIVELY PURE NATURAL DYES - Unlike chemical dyes, these colors from plant and other natural sources soften and "mature" over time, and offer much greater variety and depth, thereby increasing the carpet's beauty. The skill of creating a vast array of awe-inspiring colors, including seldom-found exotic hues, no longer exists, which enhances the allure of the best early rugs.
- UTILIZES TRADITIONAL DESIGNS & COLORS IN A UNIQUE FASHION - Often commissioned as original works of art for fine homes, these are the antithesis of modern commercial Oriental carpets, which merely offer adaptations of standardized themes and color combinations.
- REFLECTS GREAT FLUIDITY OF DESIGN AND COLOR - There is a sense of substantial visual depth, texture and movement, which draws the viewer's gaze across a fascinating, continually varying composition.
- POSSESSES AN OVERALL SENSE OF BALANCE AND HARMONY - Every individual aspect of the carpet's design and color palette is developed fully and given importance, yet all elements work together as a harmonious whole.
- CRAFTED WITH SUPERB MATERIAL - The wool is lanolin-rich, which imbues the colors with depth and luster, and gives the surface a three dimensional effect as well as insuring great resiliency and durability.
- EXPRESSES AN ORIGINAL ARTISTIC VISION - The weaver either masterfully reinvents the traditional motifs and colors of the region or successfully achieves an innovative, captivating departure from them.
- IS EXCEPTIONALLY WELL-PRESERVED RELATIVE TO ITS AGE - A turn of the 20th century carpet with elevated artistry and in extremely good condition is a strong investment. A mid-19th century piece with some skillfully executed restoration usually has significantly greater investment value than a carpet in unblemished condition from circa 1930 or later.
