LIFE BEYOND FIRST CLASS
ARTS & COLLECTIBLES
ART, ORIGIN,
AND INVESTMENT
Claremont Rug Company’s recent online retrospective of 70 top antique Oriental carpets which were sold to their clients in 2025 reveals why Museum-level* Oriental rugs are not only stunning additions to refined collections but also timeless investments in cultural and artistic heritage.
REGINA RUSSO
KAZAK, ANTIQUE CAUCASIAN RUG
4’ 0” x 5’ 5” (122 x 165cm) | 2nd Quarter, 19th Century
High-Collectible-Plus. SOLD
At Claremont Rug Company, antique Oriental rugs are not simply beautiful textiles. They are profound works of art—handwoven legacies of civilizations, belief systems, and visual languages that span centuries. Founded by its president, Jan David Winitz, Claremont has spent nearly fifty years refining the definition of what it means to collect rugs at the highest level. Today, it is internationally recognized for offering museum-level pieces to private clients who value cultural significance, aesthetic power, and investment-grade rarity.
These carpets, many of them woven 150 to 275 years ago, are not products of trend or mass production. Each was created entirely by hand, from the spinning of the wool to the application of natural dyes, with patterns committed to memory rather than blueprint. They represent tribal, village, and court traditions from Persia, the Caucasus, and Anatolia, cultures where weaving was both a visual language and a spiritual act. Every asymmetry, every undulation in the border, every jewel-toned field tells a story that endures far beyond its material threads.
These are not simply beautiful textiles. They are profound works of art.
FACHRALO KAZAK, ANTIQUE CAUCASIAN RUG
4’ 6” x 9’ 5” (137 x 287cm) | 2nd Quarter, 19th Century
High-Collectible-Plus. SOLD. (Detail on left.)
Offering for the general public a most exceptional curated view of High-Collectible-Plus and Museum-Level* rugs, Claremont’s online “70 Best-of-Their-Type Rugs Sold in 2025” show, which closed on March 14, 2026, highlighted the extraordinary choices of its discerning collector-clients who understood their historical weight and enduring relevance. These included very rare examples from the Persian Bakshaish, Serapi, and Hadji Jallili Tabriz traditions, as well as breathtaking tribal rugs with archetypal motifs that speak directly to connoisseurs. Many of these carpets had never been seen publicly before. Some were held in private European vaults for generations.
What makes these rugs so desirable to collectors? Why should a serious art or design connoisseur consider adding one to their portfolio now?
They are tactile canvases of cultural memory
MOHTASHAM KASHAN TREE OF LIFE, ANTIQUE PERSIAN RUG
4’ 4” x 6’ 3” (132 x 190cm) | Circa 1800
Museum-Quality. SOLD (Detail on right.)
BAKSHAISH CAMELHAIR, ANTIQUE PERSIAN CARPET
7’ 6” x 9’ 5” (229 x 287cm) | Circa 1825
High-Collectible-Plus. SOLD (Detail left.)
* The terms “Museum-Level” and “High Collectible Plus” refer to The Rug Market Pyramid©, created by Claremont President Jan David Winitz to distinguish levels of Oriental carpets by their artistry, rarity, and value.
Because these are not passive decorative objects. They are tactile canvases of cultural memory. Each rug possesses its own unique voice—complex, poetic, and fiercely individual. In a world overwhelmed by digital content and mass production, these handmade works offer something increasingly rare: permanence. They are objects that gain beauty and gravitas with time. Their natural dyes soften into twilight tones. Their wool develops a luminous patina. Their impact within a room becomes less about ornament and more about presence.
More importantly, these rugs reflect the values of the modern collector. They are sustainable, having been preserved rather than produced anew. They are deeply personal, with no two alike. And they are layered in meaning, capable of holding their own next to a Brancusi bronze or a Cy Twombly drawing.
In a world overwhelmed by mass production, these handmade works offer something increasingly rare: permanence.
KARABAGH, ANTIQUE CAUCASIAN RUG
3’ 6” x 5’ 11” (107 x 180cm) | Circa 1850
High-Collectible-Plu. SOLD
DRAGON & PHOENIX BAKSHAISH, ANTIQUE PERSIAN CARPET
9’ 1” x 12’ 11” (277 x 394cm) | Circa 1850
High-Collectible-Plus. Sold. (Detail left.)
Claremont’s unique position in the market comes not only from its inventory but from its approach. Every rug is selected by Winitz and his team for exceptional aesthetic quality, provenance, and condition. But Claremont also provides what few other galleries can offer—an educational and highly personalized client experience. Through private consultations, in-home presentations, and collection-building services, the gallery helps each client form a long-term strategy. For some, the goal is to build a cohesive collection focused on a specific region or aesthetic era. For others, it’s about anchoring a residence with a singular, statement-making work or a series on floor and wall that express a collector’s personal aesthetic. Nevertheless, Winitz’s guidance is as rigorous as it is refined.
NORTHWEST, ANTIQUE PERSIAN CARPET
9’ 1” x 12’ 4” (277 x 376cm) | Eighteenth Century
Museum-Quality. Sold. (Detail below.)
KUBA DRAGON CARPET, ANTIQUE CAUCASIAN CARPET
6’ 5” x 9’ 4” (196 x 284cm) | Circa 1700
Museum-Quality. Sold. (Detail down.)
Claremont also maintains a number of pieces that are not listed on its website—private inventory reserved for clients seeking the rarest and most significant examples available today. These are often once-in-a-lifetime acquisitions, positioned not only as cultural treasures but also as blue-chip investments.
For collectors who may already own fine art, rare books, vintage cars, or sculpture, adding an antique Oriental rug offers a new dimension to a collection. These rugs introduce warmth, texture, and a story underfoot. They bring with them a sense of global perspective and a tangible connection to human hands. Most importantly, they reflect the ethos of thoughtful, intentional collecting.
To collect an antique Oriental rug is to collect time
YURUK, ANTIQUE TURKISH PRAYER RUG
3’ 5” x 5’ 1” (104 x 155cm) | 2nd Half, 18th Century
Museum-Quality. Sold. (Detail left.)
MELAS, ANTIQUE TURKISH PRAYER RUG
3’ 9” x 5’ 6” (114 x 168cm) | 2nd Half, 18th Century
Museum-Quality. Sold. (Detail right)
To collect an antique Oriental rug is to collect time. It is to acquire something that has not only survived history but shaped it. With each year, these carpets become rarer. Their best examples are increasingly held in private hands or locked away in institutions. What Claremont offers is access—to knowledge, to beauty, and to pieces that are quietly vanishing from the marketplace.
For those seeking to deepen their collections with objects of soul and sophistication, Claremont Rug Company presents an unparalleled opportunity. These rugs don’t simply complete a room. They complete a legacy.
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