Sometime in the summer of 2011 I received the following in an email, with a few photos of hooked tapestries attached, from a Mrs. Judy Tipton-Katzman looking to sell her grandmothers handmade art:

This letter immediately caught my attention, as this Vena woman sounded very much like me in spirit - an eccentric traveler who loves art and music.  When I met with Judy (her granddaughter) to see the pieces she had for sale it was apparent that these works of art should be part of our inventory at Rare Beautiful Things.  Vena's work was inspired by travel, and we try to collect rare and beautiful things when we travel, so the artful tapestries seemed like a good fit.  As soon as we walked into Judy's bedroom to look at the large Egyptian piece from her email, I recognized the amazing quilt from Vena's photo on the bed, it was even more stunning in person...as was, what Judy would refer to as, the "King Tut" piece.

Judy told us of how her grandmother made practically everything she used tapestry-wise - her clothes, her rugs, her tapestries, hats, bags, curtains...you name it, she probably made it.

Prior to settling into the artists life Vena was a musician, but gave up that nomadic musical existence to concentrate on her handwoven arts for which she has been recognized in articles and been granted numerous awards.  Vena even had a documentary film, "Songs of Wool" (by Tulsa filmmaker Cathy Edwards), made about her (which I hope to acquire rights to use here for educational purposes).

When we left Judy we had even taken one of Vena's larger works which had been partially damaged by excessive exposure to water.  We hope to be able to restore the work properly without losing the immaculate borders.

Judy had told us everything she knew about her inspirational grandmother, but promised to send me additional information.  When I received her packet, I was amazed with the photos inside - a number of them included the pieces that we had purchased or collected from her - with the eccentric artist boasting her well rounded history in her pose.  They don't need much explanation, you can really get a sense of Vena's character and the amazing works she created through the photos themselves:

It is an honor to be able to have this one-of-a-kind collection on Rare Beautiful Things website.  Vena's colorful weavings are certainly some of the most interesting vintage tapestries in RBTs inventory - along with her story, and the work's documented history, her creations are a compilation which must be recognized as rare and beautiful pieces of art.

In a joint effort with NW Rugs, Rare Beautiful Things is happy to announce the birth of a new hashtag, #loveofrugs.

The idea behind #loveofrugs is that it allows customers, rug enthusiasts, collectors, history buffs, researchers, appraisers, designers, dealers, manufacturers, and the generally curious to take advantage of the vast matrix of information pertaining to the world of carpets. 

When to use #lovofrugs

#loveofrugs can be used by carpet dealers or lovers to share beautiful carpets and weavings – remembering that rugs are pieces of art for your floor.

If you are interested in the connection between the history of woven arts and their respective cultures, #loveofrugs can be a helpful learning tool. 

Maybe you have a suggestion about a good book or film on carpets, their histories, or the cultures that create them.   #loveofrugs can be used to share or search for these resources.

If you are looking to sell an antique rug that you own, or are curious about one that has been in your family.  Whether you want to sell it, or just gain some knowledge on where it originates or how old it could be, #loveofrugs can connect you to the experts.

Use #loveofrugs to search out viable carpet options for your interior design projects.  #loveofrugs aids in reaching out to carpet dealers to help you search for the perfect fit.  You can throw out a request to vendors by specifying the size, colors, and type you are looking for, reaching multiple dealers in one shot.

You might be curious about the different methods of knotting or weaving a carpet, or have questions about the many materials carpets can be made with - how they are collected, where they originate, the process of spinning, what makes wool different from one place to the next, etc.  Perhaps you are interested in the differences between natural and chemical dyes, or want to know more about the dying process.  #loveofrugs can be used to find answers to these questions.

#loveofrugs can also be used to access tips from others on the rug buying process.  Learn how to haggle, find out what you might need to know before buying a rug overseas, get advice on things to look out for when purchasing an antique rug, share stories of your experiences, and suggest great vendors to work using #loveofrugs.

Do a search for #loveofrugs, and join the conversation today!

Beyond the physical labor that is put into weaving a rug, is the story that is told through the art.  This film, while not a documentary, does document both of these aspects of rug making, interweaving the processes and materials of creation with the stories and events that aid in their artistry.

To introduce this story, an elderly couple argues over who will clean the Gabbeh rug on the way to the stream.  the woman admires the beauty of the Gabbeh and asks it's story.  With this question a young woman appears, Gabbeh, she begins to tell her (the rugs) story.  This forshadowing is explained by the elderly man who wants to wash the Gabbeh.  "As soon he sees you he forgets me", his wife says to the Gabbeh.  His response to this comment is, "Miss Gabbeh she is jealous of herself."

Her people are of the Ghashgaie tribe, who never stay in one place long.  She tells how she fell in love w a horseman, a reference to the horseman on the carpet.  As the story continues the link is made between the elderly couple and the young woman's story.  She is the weaver of the Gabbeh, the elderly woman.  She and her husband both admire their story still, through the piece of art that tells it.

The film takes a strange turn in some parts, where it is as though the viewer becomes incorporated in it.  A teacher tries to teach you the importance of color and where it comes from.  He pulls the colors straight from natural elements as children call the name of the color.  A quick explanation of primary and secondary color through nature follows.  There is an obvious connection of this tribe to nature, color, and life cycles - all of which can be seen through the continuous weavings seen throughout the film.

Gabbeh style blankets, carpets, and kilims are shown in the tents the tribe erects at each camp ground, as well as while traveling.  Most seen have typical diamonds or checkers in crude repetitive patterns and bright basic colors.  An unfinished carpet can be seen on a loom which is constructed like a tripod made of branches, with a stretcher across the front 2 legs where the weaver would sit.  A woman quickly weaves the fields in front of her.

 The viewer in this film really does get a feeling for the work it takes to produce a complete carpet from beginning to end, starting with the sheering of the sheep and spinning of yarn.  In this clip flowers are collected , boiled, and wool yarn put in the pots to soak in these colors.   Afterwards, the piles of colored yarn are laid out in the sun on the beach to set the nautral dyes (women run to collect it when rain begins to fall).

Later into the clip a marriage ceremony is prepared for.  Piles of colorful wool surround women as they weave and stamp down their work.  Drums begin the ceremony, and the rhythm of this music imitates the stamping noise as images of dancers are woven into the rug.

The importance of color to life (love, emotions, man, woman, child, birth, death, etc) is emphasized throughout the film in the weavings of the people.  New colors are introduced to the yarn, and new elements to the carpets, as the story unfolds.

By the end of the movie, the connection of the elderly couple to the carpet's story is fully realized, as they are the couple woven into the rug, riding away on horseback.