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www.privateairny.com Private Air | Winter 2019/2020 59 is practice slowed the recognition of great 19th century rugs, as it facilitated the rug market's misunderstanding of what constitutes true quality. Over the last century, it traditionally graded Oriental carpets primarily by knot count and pile height, elements favored in the 20th century Persian decorative rugs (Level 5) that the Pahlavis orchestrated—instead of at times astonishingly original artistry and colorways reflected in the carpets of the preceding century. Another contributing factor in the delay in recognizing the artistic heights reached by the best 19th- century rugs is that the majority of those purchasing art today often make choices based to a large extent on recognizable "names" — Picasso, Matisse, Jasper Johns, Warhol to mention a few. Winitz stresses, "Imagine if these works were unsigned. at there was little evidence of who made them, or exactly when. Imagine how much more difficult it would be if a work of art had to be taken completely on its own merits, its emotive and aesthetic impact," Winitz asserts, "is is exactly the situation with Oriental rugs." Signed rugs are mostly inscribed with the name of the person who commissioned them, not the weaver or workshop that wove it. In most cases, carpets can be identified only by the locale where they were woven (Sultanabad, Tabriz, Bijar, etc.). But even then, eight out of ten 19th century pieces fall into the fashion- driven High-Decorative category (Level 4)—primarily woven for the European market — handsome but often lacking visual depth and unique artistry. Furthermore, demand for all but the best of High-Decorative rugs, Winitz notes, has decreased due to contemporary home design, which the general affluent public incorrectly sees as incompatible with antique rugs. Among his clients, many are successfully incorporating 19th century rugs into their contemporary decors, as are style-makers such as Ellen DeGeneres, he adds. One way to spot serious collectors is by their "overflow" inventories. Claremont's storage facility currently houses 765 client rugs, 157 of which were purchased in 2019 alone. 350 of the stored pieces belong to a single collector. Eighteen other clients in the United States, Italy, and Australia have opted to create their own rug "vaults", dedicated cedar-lined rooms; one houses 325 pieces, another 195. So why stockpile? Motivations vary. Many collectors recognize the discrepancy between the perceived value of an art-level antique rug and other types of art and are convinced that Levels 2 and 3 rugs have yet to come into their own and, like Museum-Level rugs, their availability will continue to decrease and their worth will continue to accrue. Somewhat to her own surprise one Claremont client noted when viewing the suite of antique rugs in her home gallery of favorite paintings, "I love my rugs more than I love my Diebenkorns!" Other clients are motivated in part, through the recognition of the notably decreased access to these top-tier Qatar period weavings. Still others view their caches as tangible inheritance assets to be saved for their children. And there is the added benefit of getting to create one's own private, rotating displays. Collectors with more rugs than they can display enjoy periodically "switching things up." Winitz notes that when his team lays down stored inventory (Claremont provides an annual rotation service for major clients), it is not uncommon for the client to remark, "It's like an old friend coming to visit." Such emotional attachment isn't unusual. "Selling my rugs," collectors often say, "would be like selling my children," a comment they don't usually make about the other artworks they own. "e emotional as well as intellectual and visual effects that great rugs can have — that's what makes art so compelling!" Winitz explains. "e eyes of clients continually get honed, just like a wine connoisseur develops a more 'mature' palate," he continues. "ey learn to almost instinctively recognize the difference between a "pretty" rug, an outstanding one, and one that's a true masterwork." New visitors to Claremont often comment on how expensive great rugs are. at's because they're seeing them through the lens of home furnishings. "Once their eyes have opened up, those same folks often say how undervalued they are as an art form," he says. Winitz observes how exciting it is for clients to be able to recognize the varying qualities of antique Oriental rugs -— to differentiate between good and great, attractive and profound, commonplace and unique. "is is one of the most fulfilling aspects of rug collecting for both my clients and myself — when they see the magnitude, nuances and visual harmony for themselves, without having a "name tag" to look at or being told which rug is important and which is not. I'm always deeply satisfied to see the light of recognition in their eyes." THE COLLECTION

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