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AFGHAN ARTISAN RUG MAKERS HOST POP-UP IN NEW YORK IN NOVEMBER
Ten Afghan rug makers head to the Metropolitan Pavilion to showcase their hand-crafted designs at a special three day pop up event in November.
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NEW YORK -- Ten leading Afghan rug manufacturers will be showcasing their hand-knotted rugs direct to the public in a special pop-up sale in New York this fall.
The Afghan Artisan Rug Pop-up will fill the second floor of the Metropolitan Pavilion, located at 123 W. 18th St., from Nov 1-3 with an array of hand-woven rugs that range from the traditional to the ultra-contemporary. All are made from hand-spun wool using natural dyes.
A range of traditional and contemporary Afghan crafted area rugs will be on sale during the NYC pop up shop.
Afghanistan remains the world's leading source of high-quality, hand-knotted rugs as the trade in Turkey, China and Iran has been sidelined by global politics and economics. Many of the top-selling rugs in the U.S. are made in Afghanistan but are often mislabeled as coming from other countries owing to the many hands they pass through to get here.
Now, Afghan rug manufacturers are bringing their rugs to New York themselves to sell them at direct-to-consumer prices. It is a rare chance for those who know and enjoy rugs to meet those who make them.
Contemporary will join traditional looks recast in modern colors at the Afgan Artisan Rug Pop Up at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York.
Each manufacturer relies on hundreds of weavers who often are part of their own extended families. Most rugs are woven by women in their homes. Rug-making is one of the few ways women have of earning household income. They use knotting techniques that vary from one ethnic group to another, but have been handed down from mothers to daughters across generations.
Nearly all the dyestuffs used in Afghan rugs are natural; most are sourced locally. Onion skins are used for a golden range of earthy colors. Walnut husks yield rich browns. Pomegranate skins bring yellow. Madder root makes deep reds. Though rugs are now shipped by air freight rather than by caravans, the timelessness of their artistry remains unchanged.
A stack of classic designed rugs hand-made in Afghanistan and which will be on show in New York in November.
The Afghan Artisan Rug Pop-up has been organized by the Kabul Carpet Export Center (
www.kcec.af) to help promote the sales of Afghan rugs. The Kabul Carpet Export Center is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Afghan Artisan Rug Pop-up will run Friday to Sunday. Hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and until 4:00 p.m. on Sunday. Entry is free. For those wanting home delivery of rugs they purchase, a service will be available for a fee.