Rug places in Paris

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Hello friends.
My Wie and I are going to be spending time in Paris this summer and I am looking for places to see antique rugs. I am open to museums, house museums, markets, or stores. Anyone know of places to see interesting textiles there.
Thanks,
Chris Countryman

[Steve Price Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Steve Price]

Hi Chris

Nice to see your name again; it's been a while. I've been in Paris several times but I don't recall much in the realm of rugs. There are some fabulous museum collections of art from SubSaharan Africa, though. Maybe someone will have suggestions for you.

Best,

Steve Price

[Steve Price Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Steve Price]

Hi Again, Chris

I just received a note from Pierre Galafassi about rug browsing in Paris. Here's the text:

I know of two places in Paris featuring a permanent rug collection:

The « Institute du Monde Arabe » and , of course, the « Musée du Louvre »

In addition of its permanent collection, the IMA has been frequently housing temporary exhibitions with carpets lent by other places. I do not know whether any such exhibit is going to run this year. The IMA is a nice museum though, with lots of interesting pieces of Islamic art, including textiles and rugs.

The Louvre is of course one of the most prestigious museum in the world. When I last visited it, many years ago, it still featured an antique rug collection , but I don’t know whether it is still active. At the time, It did not seem to be any of the museum’s priorities, since the rugs were not particularly well showcased, but it could have changed.


One of my preferred museums in Paris is the « Musée du Quai Branly » aka « Musée des Arts Premiers ».: One of our former presidents , Jacques Chirac, had a passion and a real expertise in tribal art from Asia, Africa, and Asia and helped create this amazing place. Alas, not even a single knot of rug is to be found there, but you may like it nevertheless. It is probably the one and only museum in the world focusing on the fascinating " Art Premier"

Many thanks, Pierre,

Steve

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Thanks Steve. I am a little surprised that a city as vital as Paris does not have more in the way of rugs and outlets.

To go a bit far afield. We took our kids to Paris in 2000 when they were 13 and 10. We had lunch on the Ile Saint-Louis and were walking the street down the middle of the island. We came upon a shop selling wares from an unnamed rug-producing country (it rhymes with Smack-a-stan). On entering we saw a number of different items and I asked about rugs. The owner opened a chest and showed me two piles of small mats. They were bristly, the colors were garish, and they had the fuzzy wool of cheap new pieces. He quoted me a price of 9,000 Francs (about $1400 US) and said they were woven in the 1880's. I pointed out the colors and the terrible wool and said they were new. He raised his voice and said, "You and your family must leave my store immediately!"

We gathered up our things and walked out. My 10 year-old son asked, "Daddy, what just happened?" I laughed and said, "I just got kicked out of my first rug store!!"

[Guest Close Guest]

Thanks everybody. I have been in Paris for a month now and have come across two places selling rugs. The first one was converted to a dentist office in less than a week, and the second was selling newer rugs in old patterns. They also had a guy sitting in the front window doing "repairs" on perfectly new rugs.
Next trip to Europe I'll try Joe's suggestion and go to Hamburg.
Chris

[Chuck Wagner Administrator Find all posts View Profile Close Chuck Wagner]

Chris,

No surprise. After all, if it isn't made in France... ...not interested.

Chuck