The origin of antique rug weaving is often disputed. Experts have uncovered splendid carpets in the palace of Cyrus the Great, who ruled the ancient Persian Empire in the 6th Century B.C. People crafted these antique carpets in very small villages and sold them for placement in residences. Many of the rugs featured designs and weavings unique to the particular community or tribe in which they were created. The fundamentals of weaving antique rugs have not changed for centuries. Many of the earliest known techniques and materials are still in use in the major rug producing regions of the world today such as Turkey, China, Persia, India, Morocco, and Europe. Every antique rug tells a story. This story gives us an incredible insight to the time period in which they were created, and the lives of the weavers. Behind Doris Leslie Blau Gallery hides not only a reliable and well-established antique and vintage rug dealer but, most importantly, a place permeated with the magic and dignity of antique rugs and vintage carpets. It is where one can truly dig into the fascinating mysteries of weaving masterpieces from all corners of the world, starting with various kinds of Oriental rugs and vintage creations, through modern area rugs, up to custom designed rugs. Among our collection of antique rugs we have finely-woven Persian rugs, oversized Turkish carpets, unusual Indian weavings, exceptional Russian, Spanish, and French antique rugs, as well as more recent 20th century modern, Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, flat-woven, hooked and needlepoint examples from Morocco, China, Scandinavia, and America. Over-dyed rugs, hand-tufted rugs, circular rugs, area rugs – carpets have many faces and we know them all.