The new investment is in that of Persian rugs. As investors increasingly deviate from shares in gold, items of equal value (if not more,due to their antiquity, skill and beauty) become the latest trend for serious collectors.
Ten collectors (seven domestic and three international) have acquired more than 100 art level carpets each from Claremont, and have never been to the Gallery.
“These men and women are serious, seasoned connoisseurs who understand the dynamic nature of the antique rug market,” said Winitz, founder of Claremont Rug Company. “They know great rugs and they recognize that the availability of the best pieces is diminishing rapidly.”
Rugs at Claremont are valued in the range of $15,000 to $500,000 per piece. An inventory of more than 4000 19th century antique Oriental rugs means that Claremont stands alone among galleries because of the depth of its collection as well as the provenance of its carpets. Nearly 900 of the rugs are available for viewing on the Gallery’s website. Winitz expects that the opening of the new galleries devoted to Islamic art at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York will spark interest in Oriental carpets. The section is scheduled to open on November 1, the culmination of eight years of planning and it has been featured in an extensive article in the New York Times.
The recent trend of acquiring antique Persian rugs for use as wall art and to place under glass has influenced the market.
Claremont remains one of the largest companies dealing in 19th century carpets from the “Second Golden Age of Persian Weaving”.
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