Every month, Jeff Arcari picks out new rugs, or notable rugs in our extensive inventory, and gives us the history and background on each piece. We think you’ll find October’s selections intriguing: J44307 - This rug is one of our favorite new additions to our inventory. We tend to call this rug transitional, though it leans heavily towards contemporary. The design is inspired by a 17th century Safavid Garden Carpet; the iconic cypress tree design is layered with a contemporary texture and erased motif look. The result is a rug that is classic and elegant, yet cutting edge and completely different from anything else available in the market.

Probably the most exciting feature of this carpet is its construction. The pile is 100% silk; our artisans in India blend three different spins of the highest quality silk by hand to create a texture that comes alive from every direction. This rug is part of Landry & Arcari’s exclusive Tissage line and measures 8’10” x 12’1” and is located in our Framingham showroom, though it can be easily transferred to either Boston or Salem for showings. Available in standard and custom sizes as well.

J44290 - Another one of our favorite recent acquisitions, this rug is truly unique. This piece is designed by Erbil Tezcan, whose award winning Wool & Silk production is available exclusively in New England at Landry & Arcari. Erbil is always riding the line between designing rugs and fine art, and his latest design, called Gypsy Girl, is no exception.

The rug is inspired by an ancient Turkish mosaic fragment known as the Gypsy Girl of Zeugma, unearthed by chance during excavation in the 1990’s. This rug highlights everything that makes Erbil’s rugs so special. His ability to create rugs that can hang on the wall as a piece of art yet blend into a room setting on the floor with elegance is unmatched. This rug is woven with 100% handspun wool and silk blended pile and measures 9’ x 12’. This rug is currently located in our Framingham showroom, though it can be easily transferred to either Boston or Salem for showings. Available in standard and custom sizes as well.

J44272 - The Mamluk Dynasty ruled Egypt and Syria from the 13th through the 16th century. Originally slave-soldiers from all over the Middle East, Mamluks were bought by Arab leaders, converted to Islam and trained as palace guards. By the mid-13th century they rose to power, and by the 15th century they had established a thriving carpet industry in the city of Cairo. Mamluk carpets have become prolific within the rug industry; originals are preserved in museums while their designs serve as inspiration for traditional and contemporary rug designers alike.

This particular Mamluk falls somewhere in between; while the design is a faithful reproduction of a museum quality Mamluk, the colors have been softened and muted to fit a contemporary palette. This rug measures 9’2” x 11’9” and is located in our Salem showroom, though it can be easily transferred to either Boston or Framingham for showings.

JF6385 - We had to include this antique deco rug in our October newsletter simply because we are based in Salem, the Halloween capital of the United States. We see a lot of these come through our door, and few of them are as unique as this one. This type of carpet is known as a Chinese Nichols rug and was probably woven around 1930.

There are a few things that make this piece different; First of all, the pumpkin background and black border is unusual, not only for this type of rug but any antique rug in general. Also the scale of the design is considerably larger and more decorative than others of this type; when you look closer at the piece it reads more like a still life painting than a rug design. This truly unique, one-of-a-kind piece measures 8’9” x 11’6”, is in pristine condition, and is located in our Salem showroom though it can be easily transferred to either Boston or Framingham for showings.