After the accelerated response in 2020 and an even more pronounced upward trend in 2021, I believe my longtime prediction that we will be the last generation to have access to high-level 19th-century rugs will fully come to fruition in 2022.
Like the scant availability of Renaissance paintings today, access to all artistic traditions has a finite lifespan. We are now seeing the window of availability to the finest examples from The Age of The Oriental Art Carpet, after over 3,000 years, is in the process of closing.
Meanwhile, the ardor for collecting is unprecedented, and the passion to view and own magnificent pieces goes unquenched. I expect even more seasoned aficionados from both across North America and worldwide to find us or return to us this year, interested in assembling or expanding their own significant troves.
Despite the scarcity of true antique art rugs on the international market, I am confident that our extensive network of private buying resources, which we have built and nurtured over nearly a half-century, will continue to afford us with a significant number of Connoisseur-Caliber, High-Collectible, and occasional Museum-Level rugs that satisfy the tastes of our astute clientele.
As they both excite and edify our clients, we aim to continue our New Arrivals and Educational eblast programs this year with a slightly different rhythm, most likely arriving in your inbox one to two times per month. We are looking into invitations to join online forums and give interviews. If we succeed in cloning ourselves, we also hope to create a series of videos on various topics related to the acquisition and appreciation of this art form.
We are in the final stages of redirecting the emphasis of our Claremont 2 store, located next door to our two-building, three-showroom main complex in Northern California. This gallery will focus on tribal and village rugs from the late 19th and early 20th centuries to use throughout the home. These informal pieces have been traditionally underemphasized and significantly undervalued but now are widely sought after. These are indeed the last vestiges of this millennia-old artistic tradition and maintain a palpable spark of its remarkable spirit.
There is one other observation from 2021 I will mention now. For both those new to carpet collecting and those more seasoned, antique rugs provided a welcome counterbalance of peace and harmony in an otherwise unsettling world. The outer circumstances may change, but the role of antique rugs in supporting our psychological health is not ephemeral. It’s just that in times like today, their support is yet more welcome.