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Wyckoff Magazine Fall issue 2006

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Cutting a Rug ...at Silken Wool
Featured in the December 2002
Edition of Chronogram magazine

SilkenWool's Exquisite Persian Rugs
Warwick Valley DISPATCH, August 7th, 2002

On The Cover
The Antiquer Magazine, October 2002

A practical work of art...
The Warwick Advertiser, October 2002

 
 
Wyckoff Magazine Fall issue 2006
Behrooz Ghorbanian points to an exquisite circular-patterned Persian rug hanging on the wall in his Wyckoff shop. "It took three members of one family three and a half years to make this rug," he says. Noting that the pale silk and wool masterpiece has 600 knots per square inch, he grabs a magnifying glass from the desk and flips the rug to the reverse side. "lust look at the quality," he proclaims, and the magnificent workmanship is readily apparent - even to the unschooled eye. This glorious specimen is part of the unique collection of new and antique Persian rugs gathered by Ghorbanian and his wife Sussan Chakamian, proprietors of SILKEN WOOL. They travel to Iran two or three times a year and personally select rustic Tribal and intricate City designs that reflect the country's diverse regional and cultural traditions. Ghorbanian's mantra is quality and rarity. "Nowadays the industry follows trends, and stores will carry the same colors and designs," he says. "But we fill a niche in the market, catering to those who want something more unusual." Customers from all over the tri-state area are drawn by the dazzling array of colors and patterns, the variety of sizes (from one foot square to 20'x50') and hard-to-find shapes. With more than 3,000 rugs in stock between three area locations (they have shops in their hometown of Warwick and in Milford, Pa.), and the ability to produce custom orders, Ghorbanian says they can match decors ranging from country to urban. His highly competitive prices also set him apart from competitors. "Low overhead and no middleman," explains the Iran native, who studied the centuries-old art of Persian rug making with the master curator of the Museum of Rug in Tehran (who is today one of his buyers.) Forging friendships with customers is another of Ghorbanian's enviable skills, an extension of his obvious passion for his work. "We believe in supporting our neighborhood," he adds vehemently, "Being truly welcomed here has been our greatest reward."

Silken Wool
398 Franklin Ave., Wyckoff, 201-560-9797,

www.silkenwool.com

Silken Wool. Considering how important rugs are to home decor, it's surprising that there aren't more stores like Silken Wool. This year-old addition to downtown Warwick specializes in authentic Persian rugs. Owner Behrooz Ghorbanian personally selects top-quality
(handmade and hand-knotted) rugs from various regions in Iran. Many of his rugs are "designer rare rugs" because only a few (maybe one to three) are produced by the artisan. Silken Wool rugs range from $500 to $75,000. Even if you're not shopping for one now, this is the store to visit to acquaint yourself with design and quality. 56 Main St. 845-988-1888.
 
   
 
I first came upon the woven poetry of the Persian carpet when I was a child. There were plenty of magic carpets in the tales of the Arabian Nights - - those captivating stories of luck, magic, romance, purity, and greed through which American children used to first encounter the Middle East. And then there was the Persian carpet that covered the floor of my great-grandmother’s dining room. I was as captivated by the stories of beautifully colored Persian carpets that flew as I was be the fringed carpet upon which stood my great-grandmother’s then seemingly massive Victorian table with its heavy, claw-foot legs. When I was very young and inevitably became restless during holiday meals, I was allowed to disappear beneath the table to play on that Persian carpet while the adults finished eating. There I’d sit in the dark cavern created by all the long legs and the linen tablecloth, listening to the adult conversations overhead and tracing the carpet’s filigree patterns with my finger. The carpet was dark – blue and red, mostly – with black and white lines that interlaced and curled around each other like the barbs of peacock feathers. Whatever was going on above, it was always quiet under my great-grandmother’s table, and I was able to be transported into a state of reverie not unlike the one I’d fall into automatically when I was being read to. Or later when I learned to read myself. My great-grandmother’s carpet was as mysterious, miraculous, and wonderful as the jewels that Ali Baba found in the cave of the Forty Thieves.
 
Although I’ve yet to find the wherewithal to own one, I have coveted Persian carpets all my life – not for their material value or legendary durability, or even so much for their incomparably intricate beauty, but for the dreamlike state induced by gazing at their intricate patterns. At Silken Wool Fine Collectible Rugs, a shop that opened last summer in Warwick, I was pleased recently to fall once again into such a state during my visit. Once again I was captivated by Persian rugs, not only from studying their rich colors, symbols, and patterns, but also from listening to proprietor Behrooz Ghorbanian’s passionate explanations of each carpet’s narrative design, method of production and regional origin.
  
 
  A native of Iran who emigrated to the US in 1975, two years before the Iranian Revolution, Ghorbanian and his wife Susan Chakamian decided to open Silken Wool against the conventional wisdom, but have found immediate success. “We went against everybody’s opinion,” Ghorbanian said. “People said don’t open a shop in a small town. They told us don’t bring in pieces that can’t be reproduced if somebody wants a bigger or smaller rug. And they said stay with muted colors and more subtle designs or Americans won’t like them. But as you can see, there is no subtlety here. We took a great risk in bringing in the most radical, innovative pieces of Persian rug design – I have pieces that are rare even in Iran – and people are loving them and buying them.” In fact, the shop has already become so popular that word-of-mouth advertising among rug
collectors has built Ghorbanian and Chakamian a solid clientele throughout the tri-state area, as well as attracted several European customers visiting New York, and even a buyer from Alaska. The problem with the Persian rugs currently being marketed by major American dealers, says Ghorbanian, concerns their authenticity of design. Because many Americans are unable to bring rugs out of Iran, the product line has become ‘soured,’ he said. “As a result of a lot of Americans not being able to export the rugs, they decided on certain popular designs and began having variations of these made in India, China, and Pakistan. So largely, what comes to the US are copies of Persian rugs whose designs have been varied, not by artists, but by administration, and produced by unskilled labor. As a result, the market is now flooded with X, Y, and Z versions of Persian designs. There is no pride involved in any aspect of the production, not for the work or for the art.”
In contrast, Ghorbanian and Chakamian travel within Iran every six months, seeking out rugs that are no less than “truly incredible pieces” of “fine art that has a use” and “truly reflects life and culture and history in Iran.” Beside the rugs’ beauty, Ghorbanian says he appreciates the fact that each rug is “an amazing communal creation,” involving a group of people, a village, or a single extended family in raising and shearing the sheep to dying the wool, designing the rug, spinning the wool, and weaving. Each region produces its own traditional style or rugs, from the colors – which vary wildly and surprisingly compared to standard Persian rugs – composition, and symbols used, to the number of knots per square inch (up to 650) and the way in which the knots are made, thus painstakingly reflecting the various ways of life and events in Persia. Individual artists, small families seeking extra income, and major rug manufacturing families design the pieces, which are created to narrate the life of a place, for artistic self-expression, or for the exchange of ideas. Among Silken Wool’s wide range are lavar rugs made in the Kerman region, which feature elaborate, highly rendered and textural silk floral designs; more medieval style Kurdish floral rugs still made by the nomadic people of the Hamadan region; Qoms; desert and sky colored rugs; traditional Kamash rugs; traditional Kamash rugs and rugs featuring the tree of life and garden motifs. Some of the more interesting rugs on display include one from the Tabriz region featuring the tree of life whose elements have been separated and placed next to each other in panels. Another rug from Hariz, produced after the Iranian Revolution, features a traditional Islamic altar that incorporates the ancient Persian columns of the Sasani period, yet contains no religious signifiers. “This one is odd,” Ghorbanian noted. “It was made under the Islamic Republic, using Islamic concepts, yet it includes new elements rather than traditional ones. This artist was working to expand on concepts. I think he was expressing resistance.”

The rugs on offer range in price from $500 to $20,000. Besides offering an abundance of contemporary and up to 200-year-old rugs featuring both traditional and radical designs and colors, Silken Wool includes antique rugs ranging from 2,000 to 4,000 years old, selected and verified for authenticity by and elderly friend of Ghorbanian who was the master curator at the Persian Rug Museum in Tehran. Customers may also commission rugs to be made at fine rug design shops in Iran. The rest of the rugs available at Silken Wool are purchased by Ghorbanian and Chakamian at the Babraz market, directly from families or from tiny, out of the way stalls. In the future, Ghorbanian also hopes to include rugs containing the poetry of Sufi mystic Hafiz.

“This is really a journey for us,” Ghorbanian said. “It’s all about what we’ve seen, and what this whole thing has brought us to be. It’s amazing that in this time and age, there are people who take pride in production. It isn’t just about the money, for them or for us. The most satisfying thing for me is to tell people the stories in these rugs and to run them through seeing them for the first time.”

Throughout the month of December, Silken Wool is hosting several events and offering special opportunities. First, two percent of all proceeds from the holiday sale (up to 35 percent off the price of a wide range of rugs) will be donated to Unicef and Winslow Therapeutic Center. For Chronogram readers who purchase a rug priced at $900 or more, Silken Wool will provide one night’s lodging at one of Warwick’s historic inns and bed and breakfasts. Also, running from December 1 to 22, the shop is hosting a silent auction of several selected rugs now on display. Silken Wool Fine Collectible Rugs is located at 56 Main Street, Warwick, NY 10990. Special holiday hours are Monday through Saturday, 10AM-8PM, and Sunday 10AM-5PM, or by appointment. For more information, contact the shop at 988-1888 or send a fax to 988-1889. Individual rug designs may be viewed at www.SilkenWool.com.

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Silken Wool's Exquisite Persian Rugs
By Jennifer O'Connor
Stop by Silken Wool located at 56 Main Street and you'll see the most spectacular collection of Persian rugs carried by store owners Behrooz & Sussan Ghorbanian. Sussan, a management consultant at Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Behrooz who is a graduate student of Philosophy, are enthusiastic collectors of the Persian rugs themselves.

The colors and patterns are just incredible. Sussan comments that, "In Persian rugs all the colors come together so beautifully: melancholy to extremely brilliant." These quality rugs are made to last a lifetime and increase in value. Persian rugs, as Iranian rugs are still known, are considered among the most valuable in the world. All of the rugs are hand made. It could take from three months to two years to make one rug.

The store owners have a variety of Persian rugs to suit all people of different economic means. They have older rugs on hand, but most of their inventory is new. Behrooz and sussan select their own inventory. Behrooz states that, "Most store owners send an agent. We go in there ourselves and pick-up the very best; mostly rare rugs. This is what distinguishes us from other sellers. Rugs can still be new and be rare."

The Ghorbanian's carefully select rugs, that represent different regions of Iran. Each region makes its own unique design. For example, there are tribal rugs, the complex design of city rugs, rugs with geometric shapes and medallion patterns. Sussan states that, " A piece from the desert region will reflect sand, blue skies. Coloration runs black to white and everything in-between." added Behrooz. Many of the pieces they carry are signed by the designer or the manufacturer Illustrating it's authenticity.

The Ghorbanian's are grateful for all the support they have received from the community., They would like to thank everyone for their support, especially former Mayor Portelli of Warwick, and current Mayor Michael Newhard, Newhard's wife, and young son.

Even if you are not familiar with Persian rugs stop on by. You will see amazing colors that seem to jump right out at you just by walking around the rug. The patterns and colors are absolutely beautiful. The store owners are delightful and extremely informative about their collection.

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We were on the cover of the October issue of the Antiquer magazine! The Antiquer is published in New York and distributed along the east coast from Maine to Florida.
Come visit this beautiful and hard-to-find Kashan in our store.

Excerpt from the October issue of "The Antiquer" magazine:
“On the cover this month is a beautiful authentic hand-knotted Persian rug in a hard-to-find traditional “Kashan” design, named after its originating city in Iran . The overall pattern of this 57” by 88” rug is a “tree of Life” inspired by the historic stories of Kalile va Demne. Taking place in a forest, these stories use animals as their main characters and convey moral principles of life. This Kashan design depicts variety of animals and trees, such as foxes, blue jays, and weeping willows.

 
The rug is dated 1357 in the Persian solar calendar (1979 A.D.) with the year woven onto the top border of the rug. Despite its recent history, experts believe the radiant colors of this rug are due to its vegetable dyes. The foundation is cotton and the pile is pure wool with 160-180 knots per square inch. Centrally located between Tehran and Isfahan , the city of Kashan has been a major center of textile production in the last 500-600 years. Kashan rugs are exceptionally hard wearing and are among the most decorative with floral designs. Kashan is a major producer of silk, in addition to wool rugs, and has produced some of the most beautiful silk rugs to date.
This Persian rug was graciously provided by Silken Wool, located at 56 Main Street in Warwick, New York."

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A practical work of art...
The Warwick Advertiser:
Business Notebook
By: Roger Gavan

Visiting Silken Wool Carpets, a recently opened Persian rug gallery at 56 Main Street, Warwick, is like an interesting day at the museum. And, the experience includes a friendly and informative tour by owners Bruce and Sussan Ghorbanian.
Displaying an extraordinary collection of authentic Persian carpets, both new and antique, the Ghorbanians are more than happy to explain the history, design and important features in the delicate and arduous workmanship that goes into the production of each unique masterpiece.
"These are objects of art that have a function," said Sussan Ghorbanian who explained that although they may be worth anywhere from hundreds to many thousands of dollars, it is quite acceptable to place them on the floor of your home and use them in a very practical way. "They wear like iron," she added.
Bruce Ghorbanian explained that although many countries produce Oriental rugs, the Persians, ancestors of present day Iranians, were among the first carpet weavers in the ancient world and today, it is Iran's national art. The hand woven carpets are considered second to none. Persian carpets, which can be found in palaces and museums as well as well as fine homes, rank high as treasured possessions and are passed down from generation to generation as heirlooms.
"Our entire inventory is made up of rugs which we hand picked and purchased from very selective boutique producers," said Bruce. "These are famous designers, artists, who offer unique rugs that are of much better quality than you might find in a large store. The reason we can offer them at lower prices than anywhere in this area is we do everything ourselves. From the time we purchase each individual rug in Iran to the time it arrives here, there is never a middleman involved. And that's how we can compete so favorably."
Ghorbanian admits that he does get a little help, however, from an older man, now curator of a rug museum in Iran, who was his teacher. "He comes with me when I purchase antiques. And I take his advice before I decide which ones to bring back." The instruction and good advise may have led to the purchase of one particular rug, a "Kashan" design carpet which adorns the back wall of the store. "It's now on the cover of the October edition of The Antiquer magazine," he boasted. The publication gives proper credit to Silken Wool of Warwick for providing the hand-knotted rug and describes its historic tree-of-life pattern.
Ghorbanian said that there can be no question about the authenticity of an antique Persian rug. "They are considered national treasures," he explained, "and before they can be exported from the country there are official documentation and fee requirements."
Although the Ghorbanians maintain close ties with their native homeland, they are Warwick residents and have lived in the United States for almost 30 years.
"I've spent most of my life here in America," said Bruce, who moved from New Jersey to California before returning east to pursue his current graduate studies in Philosophy. His wife, Sussan, has a Ph.D. ABD in organizational Psychology and, until her recent retirement, served as a management consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Silken Wool Carpets is open Monday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and on Sundays until 4:00 p.m. This month, Oct. 11 - 20, the store will offer an introductory 25 per cent discount on most inventory. And, if you would like to learn more about Persian rugs, Bruce and Sussan Ghorbanian will be offering a free class, open to the public, beginning Sunday, November 10 and, thereafter, on the second Sunday of each month.
The informal get-togethers will be an opportunity to learn about the history of wool and silk Persian rugs. Bruce and Sussan will explain the difference between tribal and city designs, the significance of each symbol, the range in the number of knots per square inch, the ancient technique used to produce photographic quality images with thread and dye and, in general, how to appreciate this ancient art form. Call 988-1888 for additional information.
"We're calling it Rug Appreciation 101," laughed Sussan.

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