top of page

Tribal Collections Blog
While a woman rug dealer is still far from mainstream, rugs & textiles have been my passion and life for the 32 years that I have lived here in Turkey. I have plenty of stories to tell, rug advice to offer and info to share.


How to buy a Handmade Rug: 10 Top Tips
''Ironically a good handmade rug can be a similar price or in some cases less that the hyped up 'on trend' rug being sold on various...


What do the Motifs in my Rug mean ?
Zigzag Border: Running water symbolizes eternity. Without water, there is no life. Eight Pointed Star: Sometimes called Solomon’s star or...


Natural Dye Symbolism
The use of traditional natural dyes was a hereditary skill and women would pool their expertise to ensure a lasting and radiant range of...


Restoration & Cleaning
We offer full restoration services including reweaving, reselvaging, re-fringing and any variety of hand work required to recondition...


Learn about Rugs - Origins & Styles
As Turkey is modernizing, the age old tradition of young women weaving carpets and kilims is under threat as many move to more...


Rug Traditions
''Throughout the ages, a beautiful handmade rug has been an important part of Turkish and eastern culture as well as an exquisite symbol...


THE ARCHNEMESES OF WAR RUGS
War rugs are a traditional Afghan art — how’d a guy in Brooklyn end up with their copyright? By Decca Muldowney Jun 27, 2022, 10:00am...


A Nomad's Art: Kilims of Anatolia - Washington Textile Museum. Sept.1
A Nomad's Art: Kilims of Anatolia Kilim (detail), Turkey, central Anatolia, late 18th century. The Textile Museum 2013.2.1....


The last person on Earth who still knows how to harvest, dye and embroider sea silk
By Eliot Stein This is the most beautiful story that I just had to repost - Thanks to Eliot Stein. Each spring, under the cover of...


The 14th International Conference on Oriental Carpets. June 7- 10, 2018.USA
14th ICOC Washington DC June 7 - 10, 2018 The 14th International Conference on Oriental Carpets (ICOC) will be held in Washington DC...


The Grumpy Carpet Dealer - Please don't name your rug Melissa
Ok I admit I am in a ranting mood but after a week of Instagram rug posts with tag lines of ' Tony would look fabulous on your floor ' '...
Is your rug 'Vintage'or just old and shabby?
'Vintage' Rugs are often hyped up as the latest boho gem by fashionistas of Home Design and social media who are really interested in...


''Take your time, trust your instincts, and find your independence to create great design.''
Focus on Unique Objects - Rugs,Throw Pillows,Handmade one-of-a-kind Items. This article has been altered - Original by Gabrielle Savoie ...


The Carpet Museum in Istanbul
So many people don't know of this fabulous museum in Istanbul housing some of Turkey's more spectacular historic carpets.This is not the...


A goddess by many names
One of the most important symbolic motifs woven into rugs and kilims throughout Turkey and Central Asia and my absolute favorite design...


Embroidered Weavings from the Ma'adan Marsh Arabs of Iraq
My first blog post on the beautifully unique Marsh Arab weavings (wordpress)was back in 2013 when Iraqi Kurdish friends were bringing...
bottom of page