Antique Rugs, Global Textiles, and Other Fabric Art Available in Nazmiyal Auctions’ Two-Day February Sale

Nazmiyal Auctions will soon present a sweeping two-day auction of rugs, carpets, rare textiles, embroidery, and other fabric arts from around the world. The sale runs from February 25 to 26, 2024, with online bidding options available through Bidsquare.

Day 1 of this event particularly highlights antique Persian rugs in a variety of styles and patterns. Leading this section of the catalog is an antique Persian Mohtashem Kashan rug formerly from the collection of Italian gallerist Davide Halevim (lot #164; estimate: USD 20,000 – $30,000). Previously featured in a 2001 Christie’s sale, this low-pile rug features an elaborate center medallion and jewel tones throughout. Kashan rugs were created in central Persia. The available lot is named after renowned 19th-century weaver and businessman Hadji Mollah Mohammad Hassan Mohtashem. Another notable lot available on the first day of this sale is a vintage Persian Tabriz Gonbad design rug (lot #199; estimate: $20,000 – $30,000). The Farsi word “Gonbad” translates to “dome,” and Gonbad rugs evoke the elaborate patterns and architecture of a mosque’s dome.

Beyond Persian rugs, the catalog includes several fine carpet and weaving examples from Europe. This includes a large, antique Flemish tapestry measuring over 18 feet long (lot #155; estimate: $10,000 – $20,000). Intricately woven in muted shades of green, blue, and yellow, this tapestry features flora and fauna motifs, as well as numerous vases, urns, and ribbons. For years, tapestries served both practical and aesthetic purposes; they insulated the cold walls of castles and churches in addition to providing visual interest and a display of wealth.

Other notable lots from the first day of this sale include: 

• A green Modernist rug from Swedish textile artist Märta Måås-Fjetterström (lot #223; estimate: $10,000 – $15,000)
• An 18th-century Smyrna Turkish runner measuring 14 feet long (lot #188; estimate: $8,000 – $10,000) 
• An antique pictorial Persian Mohtashem Kashan rug (lot #173; estimate: $6,000 – $9,000)
• An antique Mongolian area rug with a geometric border (lot #161; estimate: $5,000 – $8,000) 
• An Art Deco color block modernist area rug (lot #215; estimate: $3,000 – $5,000) 

Day 2 of this sale includes a curated selection of textiles collected over the course of a century by Lilo Markrich and her uncle, Heinz E. Kiewe. Leading this section of the auction is a Chinese Qing dynasty silk embroidered dragon robe (lot #570; estimate: $8,000 – $10,000). This piece has a dragon and cloud pattern interspersed with lush roses. Also notable is a Zoroastrian wedding shawl featuring delicate embroidery on black fabric (lot #506; estimate: $5,000 – $6,000). Bidders can consider assorted embroidered fabrics from Greece, Morocco, India, Japan, and elsewhere, as well as smaller fabric scraps and fragments.

Founded in 1980, Nazmiyal offers one of the largest carpet collections in New York City. Nazmiyal maintains a Manhattan gallery while offering several carpet and rug sales each year. Nazmiyal Auctions’ staff has expertise in vintage rugs, contemporary carpets, and everything in between. This two-day event from Nazmiyal Auctions will begin on February 25, 2024 at 12:00 PM EST. The second session will begin at 12:00 PM EST on February 26, 2024. To view the full catalog and register to bid, visit Bidsquare.