 "Magic beneath the feet")
"There's plenty more where that came from," says J J Valaya with a glint in his eye as we survey the vast expanse of his luxury retail space, Home of the Traveler, located at Delhi's Sultanpur. It is bedecked this month in rare carpet pieces sourced from an anonymous connoisseur who travelled the world for 30 years to build his collection.
Spread over 40,000 square feet and divided into six themes - India, Glamour, Vintage, Art Deco, Organic, World - Home of the Traveler is skilfully furnished with luxury products sourced by Valaya and his brother, T J Singh. In this instance, the decor of the rooms has been complemented by the use of 27 antique carpets for the Nomads and Collectors event. "We realise that different connoisseurs have different tastes - with one constant: fine aesthetics," continues Valaya. "These carpets will appeal more to the gentry than the nouveau riche, as they require the customer to possess an evolved sense of style to connect with them." Crafted from wool, the carpets are available in interesting colour combinations that include oxidised red, green, blue, brown, white, beige, indigo and yellow.
The traditional royal Oriental carpets feature a variety of boteh and gul (paisley and rosette) motifs, while the tribal rugs are decorated with linear elements composed of vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines. Originally hand-knotted and coloured using natural dyes in central Asian regions of the Caucasus, Samarkand, Uzbekistan and Kurdistan, among others, around 1870s to 1970s, Nomads and Collectors' rare tribal prints are one of a kind.
The Baluch Timuri rug occupies prime space in the Organic section on the third floor, 6 ft 2 inch by 3 ft 6 inch in dimensions, designed with elegant geometric and chamanic prints and woven by Baluch tribes in the late nineteenth century. The gorgeous red is offset by a two-cord, double-looped selvage in goat hair, charmingly complementing the prominent earthy hue of the section. Valaya nods at the observation appreciatively, "I know my space and I know how to work with it!"
The carpets come in several interesting dimensions, from those that can adorn dining and living rooms to narrow gallery runners and small prayer rugs, but excluding wall-to-wall tapestries. "If a piece does not speak to you it has lost the plot," says Valaya. Increasingly you will find designer brands that will aid you in making that all important connection, but if you want to personally curate a collection like this, "you must either travel voraciously, or better - go back in time. Some of these pieces date to the 1880s - now that's a slice of history itself." Valaya agrees that there are a lot of Oriental rug knockoffs floating in the markets, but a fine eye can help you place the originals in the right context. What makes this compilation a collector's item is the fact that "you'll never find another one just quite like this".
The prayer room on the upper floor is embellished with deities in elaborately fashioned and delicately wrought woodwork, dull gold, as well as stone work with marble inlay. A Persian Timuri carpet measuring 4 ft 8 inch by 3 ft 1 inch takes a position of prominence here, a beautiful prayer rug with a deep indigo centrefield placed cosily between shelves stocked with ornate candlesticks and incense holders.
One of the attendees at the launch event, Caroline Young, a Delhi-based fashion consultant and resource person for designers, says the collection is "exquisitely curated". She adds, "What impressed me most was the condition of the carpets. Despite being centuries old, the density and richness of the colours are still beautiful."
Priced between Rs 1,31,000 and Rs 19,01,250, the Nomads and Collectors carpet collection will be available at the store till June 5.
Spread over 40,000 square feet and divided into six themes - India, Glamour, Vintage, Art Deco, Organic, World - Home of the Traveler is skilfully furnished with luxury products sourced by Valaya and his brother, T J Singh. In this instance, the decor of the rooms has been complemented by the use of 27 antique carpets for the Nomads and Collectors event. "We realise that different connoisseurs have different tastes - with one constant: fine aesthetics," continues Valaya. "These carpets will appeal more to the gentry than the nouveau riche, as they require the customer to possess an evolved sense of style to connect with them." Crafted from wool, the carpets are available in interesting colour combinations that include oxidised red, green, blue, brown, white, beige, indigo and yellow.
The traditional royal Oriental carpets feature a variety of boteh and gul (paisley and rosette) motifs, while the tribal rugs are decorated with linear elements composed of vertical, horizontal and diagonal lines. Originally hand-knotted and coloured using natural dyes in central Asian regions of the Caucasus, Samarkand, Uzbekistan and Kurdistan, among others, around 1870s to 1970s, Nomads and Collectors' rare tribal prints are one of a kind.
The Baluch Timuri rug occupies prime space in the Organic section on the third floor, 6 ft 2 inch by 3 ft 6 inch in dimensions, designed with elegant geometric and chamanic prints and woven by Baluch tribes in the late nineteenth century. The gorgeous red is offset by a two-cord, double-looped selvage in goat hair, charmingly complementing the prominent earthy hue of the section. Valaya nods at the observation appreciatively, "I know my space and I know how to work with it!"
The carpets come in several interesting dimensions, from those that can adorn dining and living rooms to narrow gallery runners and small prayer rugs, but excluding wall-to-wall tapestries. "If a piece does not speak to you it has lost the plot," says Valaya. Increasingly you will find designer brands that will aid you in making that all important connection, but if you want to personally curate a collection like this, "you must either travel voraciously, or better - go back in time. Some of these pieces date to the 1880s - now that's a slice of history itself." Valaya agrees that there are a lot of Oriental rug knockoffs floating in the markets, but a fine eye can help you place the originals in the right context. What makes this compilation a collector's item is the fact that "you'll never find another one just quite like this".
The prayer room on the upper floor is embellished with deities in elaborately fashioned and delicately wrought woodwork, dull gold, as well as stone work with marble inlay. A Persian Timuri carpet measuring 4 ft 8 inch by 3 ft 1 inch takes a position of prominence here, a beautiful prayer rug with a deep indigo centrefield placed cosily between shelves stocked with ornate candlesticks and incense holders.
One of the attendees at the launch event, Caroline Young, a Delhi-based fashion consultant and resource person for designers, says the collection is "exquisitely curated". She adds, "What impressed me most was the condition of the carpets. Despite being centuries old, the density and richness of the colours are still beautiful."
Priced between Rs 1,31,000 and Rs 19,01,250, the Nomads and Collectors carpet collection will be available at the store till June 5.