Oriental or Persian rugs are the perfect addition to any room in the house, with their colorful designs and exquisite materials. But what many people don’t realize is that these rugs are actually a craft and art form going back hundreds of years.
Specialist rug restorer and cleaner Joshua Nabatkhorian is the owner of the J&J Oriental Rug Gallery, popular in Washington, Baltimore and Philadelphia and across Alexandria in Virginia. The business is committed to help restore these aging pieces of art professionally, so they look amazing and maintain their value.
Mr. Nabatkhorian states, “many people don’t realize the number of hours and amount of hard work that goes into creating these rugs. Each thread needs to be individually woven and hand knotted and only the finest silks and wools are used to create a totally unique design. I aim to bring the antique artwork back to life and help people to celebrate each one as a special part of their home.”
The grate news for J&Js is that they just expanded to open up a gallery in New York City. This new gallery incorporates more space to display and sell rugs, more parking space to invite visitors and more workspace to help restore more rugs. This comes with an intake of more staff to help with restoration and the courier service, meaning that the gallery not only serves the immediate area but can also reach across the globe with more shipping options.
The expansion also means that Mr. Nabatkhorian can offer more advanced services including a free remote evaluation service. This means that anyone with a damaged or dirty rug can send images for a quote with the view to restoring the rug to its former glory.
“My aim is to encourage people to restore and repair their aging rugs, rather than replace them. Older rugs actually have much more value and could even be seen as an investment if they’re professionally restored.”
The gallery can also provide a free verbal appraisal to help you understand the full value of your rug and an official appraisal for $50 if you’d like to list your rug’s value as part of an insurance policy.
Mr. Nabatkhorian’s passion comes from five generations of rug makers, cleaner and restorers, with his family originally being based in Isfahan, Iran, where rug making is a popular craft. The family moved to the U.S. in 1978 and transformed their passion into a business. Mr. Nabatkhorian’s aim is to increase the sales, value and love of antique Persian and oriental rugs across the globe.
If you’re interested in purchasing a Persian or oriental rug or would like some advice and support on professional restoration, visit the J&J Oriental Rug Gallery website for more information: https://jjrug.com/
