Join leading carpet scholar Michael Franses for a discussion of select carpets in the forthcoming Hali publication on one of the most important Turkish carpet collections ever assembled. Anatolian Tribal Rugs 1050-1750: The Orient Stars Collection presents for the first time the early Turkish and Central Asian carpets added to the iconic “Orient Stars” Collection by Heinrich and Waltraut Kirchheim after 1993. In this talk, Franses will introduce highlights of the collection, and then audience participants are invited to join a Q&A moderated by Julia Bailey of the New England Rug Society.

Before the live program, participants are encouraged to view the Hali-produced film and virtual tour "Fabulous Creatures: Anatolian Tribal Rugs 1050-1750" discussing the seventy-five rugs in the forthcoming book. 

This program is a collaboration with the Hajji Baba Club, Hali Magazine and the New England Rug Society.

About the Book

Anatolian Tribal Rugs 1050-1750: The Orient Stars Collection outlines the legacy of Heinrich and Waltraut Kirchheim in building their outstanding antique carpet collection. Author Michael Franses combines radiocarbon dating with new scholarly research to write a new history of rug weaving and design development. 

About Michael Franses

Known as one of the world’s leading scholarly dealers, Michael Franses has been dealing in antique rugs throughout his career. From 1975 to 2008 he and his wife Jacqueline operated The Textile Gallery in London, shaping some of the most prestigious private collections of historical carpets and textiles, and supplying masterpieces to leading museums all over the world. After the first International Conference on Oriental Carpets in 1975, Franses co-founded Hali Publications with Robert Pinner and has contributed more than 100 books and articles over four decades. In 2010 Franses received The Textiles Museum’s George Hewitt Myers Award for lifetime achievement in the field of textile arts.

How to Participate

You can register for this program online. After you register, we will email you a link and instructions for joining online via Zoom. Simply follow that link at the time the event starts (11 a.m. EDT). When you register, you can also request to receive a reminder email one day before the program with the link included. 

About Rug and Textile Appreciation Mornings

Collectors and experts discuss textile topics and display examples from their personal holdings. This series is named in honor of late Textile Museum trustee emeritus, Harold M. Keshishian. Browse upcoming programs