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INVESTING IN BEAUTYBy Bob Waite
Nejad Gallery in Doylestown is known for its investment quality Oriental rugs. This interesting shop filled with hundreds of heirloom rugs is only a small part of A. R. Nejad, Inc., Manufacturers & Importers of Handmade Oriental Rugs. Owner, Ali Nejad, who loves to talk about his business said, “We are emerging as a major player in the national market. Our designs and the quality and quantity of what we do are having a real impact.” It’s no wonder that this business would become a national distributor of fine rugs. Born into a family tradition of fine carpentry, Ali Nejad, understands the international rug market from the vantage of generational knowledge. His wife, Theresa, who was drafted into the business, brought some generational knowledge with her in that her grandmother was a collector of fine Persian rugs. Another quality that Theresa Nejad possesses is the ability to design rugs, often using flowers from Bucks County gardens. Nejad now has a hooked rug collection, designed by Theresa, called the Bucks County Collection. Her background in cosmetics and her appreciation for color make her the perfect person to pick colors that will fill the geometric designs of classical Persian rugs. Classical Persian rugs are made to scale according to the size of the field. So, a small Persian rug isn’t a piece of a larger one. The geometric and floral designs that appear on a small rug appear smaller than they would on a bigger rug. This is where the consummate skill of the weaver comes into play. Although rugs are designed by Theresa Nejad, they are made by weavers. In remote villages half way around the world, skilled artisans are weaving Oriental rugs in classical Persian designs. These rug makers must dye the yarn by hand, using dyes that they mix themselves. Weavers use wooden looms to make the rug’s foundation. The weaving is done by hand. Making Oriental rugs is a meticulous operation that can take several months to over a year to complete. A Persian rug can have 300 or more hand tied knots per square inch of material. It is a skill that has no counterpart in the United States. The intricacy, workmanship and beauty of an Oriental rug are what make it so valuable. Their ability to both add color and to bring the disparate colors of a room together is well known by designers. The truth is, that such rugs are in themselves a work of high art. So, they act to unify the décor and they are by themselves on display. Ali Nejad maintains that a fine rug is worth much more than its ability to enhance the beauty of a room. “These rugs,” Nejad said, “are investments.” The reason they are investments, according to Nejad, is the simple fact that they appreciate in value over time. “Antique rugs are much more expensive than new rugs,” Nejad explained. “The longer you keep a rug the more it is worth. The older a fine rug gets the more valuable it becomes.” Investing in rugs, of course, is like investing in art. While the piece of art is yours, you can enjoy it. It enhances life and creates beauty. The handmade rugs that are made by skilled artisans in the Orient are beautiful. They add value to life by their presence and it’s nice to know that when and if they are sold, they may repay their owner more than the original investment. Over the last decade, A.R. Nejad has become a leading designer and manufacturer of handmade rugs, selling to major US department store chains, catalogs, upscale Oriental rug stores, architects and interior designers. They have retail stores in Doylestown, PA, Whitehall, PA and King of Prussia, PA. For information about investing in rugs, call (215) 348-1255.
Bucks County Town & Country Living - Winter 1998
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Exquisite rugs, designed in Bucks County and woven in remote corners of the earth, can both beautify rooms and make good investments.
