DUBAI Carpets studded with 18 carat gold and precious gems have stolen the show at this year’s Carpet and Art Oasis, organised by Dubai Customs as part of the Dubai Shopping Festival.
Themed ‘20 Years of Spinning Art’, the 20th edition of the Oasis features a plethora of rare carpets brought from the world’s most famous carpet manufacturing countries, making it difficult to single out any of them for their uniqueness.
Yet a handful of bejewelled carpets cut through the spread with their sheer novelty.
“These are Persian carpets that capture the rich designs and heritage of the region,” said Amir Ghanbarinia of Heritage Carpet which displayed one of the bedecked rugs.
Measuring 170cm by 110cm, the carpet with roses on it had not just studs of 18 carat gold, but also precious pearls, corals, agate and turquoise embossed in it. “It took 4,800 man-hours for one man to create this masterpiece. Its beauty lies in the fact that it is a hanging carpet which comes with a solid wooden frame,” said Ghanbarinia.
He said at a price of $30,000 (Dh110,100) the rose carpet is a true collectible. “Carpets are luxury items and we need to constantly innovate when it comes to high net worth products.”
Golden design
Bijan Saadi of Esfahan Hakimi Carpets, which had four bejewelled carpets on display, said: “We have focused on the ancient doorframes of Iran. Each carpet has around 300 pieces of gold and 200 gems which are carefully placed in each quadrant of the door and other areas to enhance its value.”
Rich in colour and contrast, the carpets measure 160cm by 110cm. “We are charging anywhere between Dh120,000 and Dh150,000 for them.”
The 6,200 square metre Oasis exhibition hall at Dubai Festival City where the Oasis is being held has so far displayed more than two million carpets handcrafted in renowned weaving regions in Iran like Qom, Esfahan, Kashan, Tabriz and Naeen, alongside the exotic cashmere carpets and other art items from Turkey, India, China, Pakistan, Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan.
The Oasis is open to visitors Saturdays to Thursdays from 10am to 10pm and Fridays from 4 to 11pm until February 1.
