A very good day was had at the London salerooms. Bonhams in New Bond held its Oriental classical-period carpet sale, on Thursday 26th April 2018. Many of the carpets were fresh to the international market, but with some well known pieces making a return. First up was a large-medallion Turkish Ushak carpet of the second half of the 16th century (lot 95). Formerly in the collection of ambassador Ghazi Aita, it was last sold at Christie's in London in October 2001 for £135,750, it sold within estimate for £181,250, one of the highest prices ever paid at auction for an Ushak carpet of this design type. In the afternoon, the final selection of Christie's 'Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds' at King Street featured a trio of previously unknown Ushak Lotto arabesque carpets, consigned by an Italian noble family descendants from a number of cardinals and Pope Alexander VII (d.1667), from whom the family may have inherited the rugs. All three performed considerably better than might have been expected. The first, lot 258, a Lotto carpet in good condition, was estimated at £40-60,000, but was vigorously competed up to £187,500. The next lot 259, was an early 17th century Transylvanian type of Lotto, estimated at £30-40,000, it was purchased in the UK for £60,000. The top carpet at Christie's was lot 295, a large Persian Safavid Isfahan gallery carpet. This great carpet of the Braganza type, was estimated at £80-120,000, and after a fierce bidding war, sold for £248,750. Across the channel, Artcurial's Antiquities, Islamic & Pre-Columbian Art auction, will be held in Paris on Tuesday 22nd May 2018, the sale offers a selection of Persian Malayer, Bakhtiari, Qum and senneh rugs and carpets, among them a fine Qajar period silk carpet depicting an Annunciation scene.

Christie's forthcoming sale of Art of the Islamic and Indian Worlds, will be held in London on the 26th April 2018. featuring a selection of 70 Oriental rugs & carpets from the past five centuries, highlighting the various weaving centres within the Islamic world, form Spain to China. Highlights include a magnificently coloured 17th century Persian Safavid gallery carpet; a group of three Ottoman 'Lotto' rugs reputedly received as a diplomatic gift from Pope Alexander VII; the iconic 17th century Barbieri 'Compartment and Tree' Persian Khorasan carpet formerly in the Orient Stars collection; a finley woven silk and metal-thread Koum Kapi rug amd a number of elegant Persian Qajar town carpets from the workshops of Persia's master weavers, including an impressive Kirman gallery carpet woven by Mir' Ali Kermani.

Skinners's of Boston are holding there Fine Oriental Rug & Carpet sale on the 30th April 2018. It includes more than 40 pieces from the Rabinovic Collection of 18th and early 19th century Anatolian village rugs. Also in the sale is a collection of central Asian embroideries including an early Tekke wedding trapping, a complete 17th century Chinese carpet, and some excellent 19th century Caucasian rugs, with many 19th century Persian city weave rugs and carpets in excellent condition. Here in London the Oriental Rug Centre has received a new shipment of Afghan Chob Rang rugs and carpets, and is expecting a large shipment of Persian Overdyed carpets at the end of the month. www.orientalrugexperts.com

London's Bonhams is hosting the Design Sale on 25th April 2018. The sale includes an exceptional 16th century Ushak medallion rug, previously forming part of the Aita collection, with an estimate of £150,000-£200,000. Meanwhile in other parts of the world, The Rug Show at High Point Market, North Carolina, will showcase the latest in handmade contemporary rugs, The High Point Market show has doubled its size in only its second outing. Back home the Oriental Rug Centre London is eagerly waiting for the new shipment of rugs and carpets from Afghanistan, David J.Wilkins Oriental Rug Experts London, say's that the shipment includes some exciting new designs as well as the more traditional, but it will be first come first serve, so be quick to make your appointment to view these beautiful new rug and carpets. Tel: 0207 722 7608 www.orientalrugexperts.com

The ICOC have announced that the 14th International Conference on Oriental Carpets will be held in Washington DC from 7th-10th June 2018. The conference will be held in collaboration with the Textile Museum and the George Washington University Museum. Academic sessions on Friday and Saturday will include sessions on Central Asian rugs and textiles as well as modern trend in carpet and textile scholarship, new attributions, carpet discoveries and carpet and textile collecting. The exhibitions will include ikats from the Guido Goldman collection, Central Asian carpets and textiles, costumes of Chinese minorities and much more. www.orientalrugexperts.com

Rug and carpet weaving in China can be traced back to the early Han dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE). Excavations in western China have yielded relatively intact coarse pile rugs, The next surviving rugs and carpets are those commissioned by the Ming emperors for the Forbidden City palaces, and woven in Beijing (Peking). Outside of these two groups there are numerous Chinese rugs and carpets woven for the home and export markets, including pieces from Ningxia, Beijing and Mongolian. But now the tide is turning on the emerging Chinese carpet market, and this huge country is fast becoming an important consumer of fine Persian rugs and carpets both antique, vintage and new. At first the market was solely for very fine Persian carpets predominantly made from silk or wool and silk mix, but some dealers are developing a trade for antique Persian tribal and nomadic rugs, and the Chinese public seem fascinated by there history and story that exists behind each rug. Many of the western Oriental rugs dealers will be exhibiting at China's (Qinghai) International Carpet Exhibition in Xining in June 2018, which is the country's largest rug fair. London's Persian rug dealers are looking forward to tapping in to China's new found interest in the Persian carpet. At David J.Wilkins Oriental Rug Experts, they have seen a marked increase in enquirers from Chinese tourist visiting London. Also at London's Oriental Rug Centre we have received a new shipment of fine Persian Loribaft rugs, which have amazing colours. Tel: 0207 722 7608 www.orientalrugexperts.com

London is bathed in sunshine, well it is at the time of writing this blog. The snow has gone, and here at David J.Wilkins Oriental Rugs, we have received our spring shipments from both Persia (Iran) and Afghanistan. The warehouse at London's Staples Corner is full of beautiful Oriental rugs and Persian carpets, and at prices to suit most pockets. The Vintage overdyed carpets are proving very popular as well as the more traditional designs. And along with the antique rugs and carpets on the new mezzanine display floor, we have Oriental rugs and carpets for all preferences. Do please call to make an appointment, particularly on Saturdays as we can get rather busy. Tennants Auctioneers' Spring Fine Art Sale on 17th March 2018 is set to include furnishings once part of Rounton Grange, North Yorkshire, the Family home of Gertrude Bell, Queen of the Desert. Lots include Oriental carpets and rugs presented to Bell by King Faisal I of Iraq and curtains designed by William Morris. The Spring sale of Rugs and Carpets at Sotheby's in London has been brought forward by one day to avoid a clash with the Islamic and Orientalist art sales. The sale is now scheduled for the afternoon of Monday 23rd April 2018. The sale includes a further twenty historic Turkish and Persian village rugs and carpets as well as fragments from the Christopher Alexander collection, which follow the successful first sale last November. www.orientalrugexperts.com

Here at David J.Wilkins Oriental Rugs London, we have just received a new shipment of Vintage Persian overdyed carpets. These vintage carpets are becoming increasingly sort after, and have a great shabby chic look to them. Also at London's Oriental Rug Centre we are developing the mezzanine floor which will display all of the old, vintage and antique rugs and carpets. www.orientalrugexperts.com

London's Antique rug and textile fair "LARTA" closed on Sunday 28th January 2018, with most exhibitors agreeing, there was an encouraging amount of business and leads. We are looking forward to next years LARTA, hoping it will be even more successful. At the Palais Breuner in Vienna there is a fine Antique Oriental rug auction. It features 189 lots from European collections, and covers fine Antique rugs, carpets and textiles from across the geographic spectrum. Here in London the Oriental Rug Centre we will be trialing Sunday opening, previously this was only be special arrangement, but due to the increased interest in shopping on a Sunday, here at David J.Wilkins Oriental Rug Experts we are only to pleased to give our customers more opportunity to view and purchase from the huge stock of fine Oriental rugs and Persian carpets. www.orientalrugexperts.com

Once again London hosts the only British exhibition of antique rugs, carpets and textiles. This years exhibition takes place on 23rd-28th January 2018, and as last year will be located at Battersea Evolution in Battersea Park London SW11. Here at David J.Wilkins oriental rug experts, the new year hold some exciting shipments of fine Oriental and Persian rugs and carpets, we are expecting a new consignment of fine Afghan goods which will include some new designs as well as traditional. www.orientalrugexperts.com