About RugNet
Rugnet Update:
It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we announce the death of Rugnet owner, Emmert Elsea. Emmert was deeply passionate about the oriental rugs that he sold, as you can tell from his story below and from the many testimonials on this site.
His family will be managing the sale of the final pieces in his inventory. For more information on any remaining rugs for sale please visit the Contact page. All sales will be final sale.
My Journey from Soldier to Oriental Rug Retailer
Finding a few fine and rare Oriental rugs, the best of the Persians is my hobby and passion and has been since I was a young man. Fresh out of the Army in 1966, I backpacked from Europe thru the Middle East to India where I first saw these wonderful rugs being made along the way and thus set my future course.
I became an Oriental Rug retailer, importer, and wholesaler beginning in 1976 but after 15 trips to the Middle and the Far East I retired. I still enjoy using my contacts to find a few top-quality hand-made rugs at special prices for individuals who appreciate the lasting beauty of this art form. Most people know little about oriental rugs, it’s a specialized field so when you buy a Persian or another carpet from me you will be getting not only a really great price but a carpet that guest who know rugs will compliment you on, and so will everyone else.
Only Highly Selected Quality Persian Rugs
Like most things quality shows and for that reason I don’t sell “market goods”, only the top 10% from the looms of master weavers. A small boutique of the finest rugs and carpets from the Middle and Far East but specializing in gems from the Persian looms. Each rug carefully selected for beauty, quality, rarity, and value, all sold at wholesale prices.
Persian carpets are the original and have been treasured world-wide for centuries. Other countries copy these designs but they don’t have the quality of wool, investment or prestige of genuine Persian carpets. I find special rugs now as a hobby and have a very modest markup. You skip the N.Y. Importers and Retailers with their high markups as all the rugs I sell are at or below wholesale prices, clean, and of the finest quality. Great carpets from Persian looms should be affordable and my prices are far below what you can find online or in shops. I will offer an antique or semi-antique piece and the condition will be noted.
It’s an item that will be admired and cherished every day for a lifetime and passed on to the next generation as a heirloom. Classical Persian rugs never go out of fashion. Contact me, I would love to answer questions, discuss your needs and what is available.
Note on Antique and Semi-Antique Carpets
I offer both New and Antique pieces of two main weaving types: the sophisticated carpets with integrated designs and flowing lines and the more primitive nomadic and village weavings. In the fine carpets like Tabriz, Kashan, Mashad, Isfahan, etc. I buy the top quality with 200 knots PSI or higher and in rarer cases, signed pieces. All in either new or excellent conditions with no damage or repairs. In Nomadic and village rugs there are no variation in quality, the weaver does her best, but some individuals naturally are more skilled than others. My buyer’s Agent and I select the nicest and that is what I offer.
In village or tribal rugs, the weaver, usually a woman, creates the design as she ties the knots, from her memory, of designs traditional to that village or people. She may add whimsical items and her design usually is not perfectly centered or symmetrical. No two of these rugs were ever the same, totally unique, and now having survived 80-100 years the colors have muted and many have also become incredibly beautiful.
Being antique you will need to accept wear, not being perfectly straight or square in some cases, different dye lots having been used (abrash), or other characteristics not acceptable in new or “City” rugs. Also many of these old rugs will have used natural dyes which is a beauty in itself.
There are so many rug weaving villages in Iran that I often find it difficult in identifying exactly where the rug originated so I will often list the providence or geographic area of the country where I think it came from.