Rug Roadshow Draws In Expert Rug Cleaners From Across The Nation

Local rug cleaner Dennis Schriever from St. Louis Rug Spa/MicroSeal St. Louis joined an invitation-only group of peers at the Barry O’Connell 2012 RugLovers Tour in New York City.

Barry O’Connell is a noted textile authority and appraiser,
and he orchestrated an exclusive rug educational event for a small number of
top professional rug cleaners in the industry to meet with several of the top
rug retailers and scholars in the field.

The tour began in the world renowned New York City “Rug
District” where at Nazmiyal’s Antique Rug Gallery the participants had the
chance to inspect and evaluate rare antique textiles, many valued at hundreds
of thousands of dollars. Jason Nazmiyal and Omri Schwartz were the hosts sharing insight
on rugs from around the world and a century, or two, old.

Another session was with Mark Topalian, noted rug appraiser
from the television hit “Antiques Road Show,” at his gallery M. Topalian Inc.. Mr.
Topalian led a session on determining rugs with true age versus the contemporary
knock-offs, and the factors that determine high value in antique rugs.

The group also had the opportunity to have special access to
the Islamic Art Exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Priceless textiles
and art dating back to the early 1500’s are on display in this incredible
exhibit.

In addition to having exclusive access to textiles in all of
these venues, the group also engaged in intensive training for their current
rug cleaning operations, from pre-inspection and evaluation of hand woven rugs
to technical strategies for achieving the best cleaning and repair results for
today’s rugs.

Oriental and Persian hand woven rugs require specialized
care by rug cleaners trained in the craft. Few cleaners attain this level of
training, and even fewer are afforded the opportunity to attend the RugLovers
Tours.

For more information about rug care, or for photos of some
of the rare rugs viewed during this event, contact us at 314-596-8495 or dennis@microsealstl.com