Biographies | Family collection

Rug weaving is an art form of ordinary people who used natural resources of wool and plant dyes to express their hopes and fears, their joys and sorrows. Each rug represents a particular craftsmanship of a weaver or group of weavers and the inherited traditions of their particular culture. The weaver's culture dictates their vision, taste, ability and choice of material and is the strongest influence for personal artistry.

The rugs in the Gregorian Family Collection come from such exotic places as China, Turkey, Central Asia, Russia, Iran and Anatolia. Though widely divergent at first glance, each rug is bound to the others in the common humanity of the weavers--a tradition of artistry, a certain liveliness and simplicity.

The origin of rug weaving is shrouded in mystery. The famous Pazaryk rug fragments, found frozen in an Altai Mountain gravesite in Siberia, date to about 500 BC. It is interesting to note, however, that the sophistication of this rug indicates that it is not a new art form.

At Gregorians, we believe a rug's value lies not in knot count or patterning, but in the artistic and historical statement this patient work of anonymous art makes to a responsive viewer. Each rug expresses the continuing unit of human expression and the fascinating multiplicity of ethnic and cultural guises.

Exhibited Collections

Inscribed Armenian Rugs includes many examples with Christian icons and was created by Arthur Gregorian to demonstrate that Christians were indeed rug weavers.

This collection has been donated to the Armenian Library and Museum of Art in Watertown, Massachusetts.

Antique Oriental Rugs of the Silk Route has toured extensively in museums throughout the US and Canada, and illustrates the wide range of influences that play a part in oriental rug art from Turkey, the Caucasus, China, Central Asia and Iran.

Upcoming Collection Exhibits