Jordan Heres has visited more than 50 countries, many in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. There, he learned to love rugs.
While offering humanitarian aid and disaster relief around the world, Heres gained perspective on floor covering artisanship and quality. He decided to share his rug love by starting Weft & Wool, an online brokerage he runs with help from his wife, Ingrid, out of his Charlottesville home.
Heres recently talked to Abode about floorborne art.
Abode: Was there a specific place that made you love rugs?
Jordan Heres: Living in Croatia, we would travel to Bosnia, and they have a rich weaving tradition. I fell in love with this artform. I grew up in Hawaii and had an appreciation for Hawaiian art, but I think because of the education system, I didn’t think of myself as an artist or understand how to connect with art.
What changed that?
There’s something about rugs. They are accessible and tactile, and you can literally use them. Something about that connected with me. Every rug is a grid—they have this mathematical nature—but they are also imperfect. It’s a good comparative for life. I fell in love with the artform eight or nine years ago and have since become obsessed with the variety of techniques you find in every world region. Every weaver has their own signature.
What about the history of rugs interests you?
Textiles are as old as humanity, and the specific art of hand-knotted rug-making grew out of a hub in Turkey and Greece. The region grew a deep tradition and wealth of knowledge, and widespread production moved to Iran [née Persia] and into India for a bit—although that died out—to the Kurdish people in the Caucasus, into Azerbaijan, and beyond. Most of the rugs I collect originate from Persia or Turkey.
What’s the Weft & Wool business model?
All of my rugs are in stock. I’m an art dealer in a way, an antiques collector and dealer. It’s about identifying great rugs—those diamonds in the rough—and having the knowledge to know what makes them special. I occasionally work with interior designers to find specific rugs for clients’ spaces, but I have more than 200 rugs in stock.
What makes a rug special?
The value of every rug, not just monetary but artistic value, is a function of a few different things. I deal only in handmade rugs, but the technique used to weave the rug, whether it has a cotton or wool foundation, the pile—which is usually wool but sometimes silk—what dyes are used. I try to source natural dye, so that’s typically rugs made in the 1930s and before. Then, what sort of appeal does the rug have in its design? How much artistic expression is there, and how unique is it? Finally, condition. I try to offer a range of conditions, some wear makes them a bit more affordable. I want rugs to be accessible to everyone.
Do rugs hold their value like art?
They do. I would say the caveat is that in the 1970s, there was a real heyday and valuations went way up. They’ve come down a bit from their peak. But as industrialization has spread, there’s been a gap in generational knowledge and less skilled artisanship, so there’s a limited supply of handmade rugs. If you take care of your rug and know what it’s worth, it can be a good investment. At the same time, you’re gaining from the investment because rugs are useful.
Why do so many antique rugs look similar?
The main distinction is geometric versus curvilinear design. Curvilinear rugs often feature medallion or floral patterns. They are often city-woven. Nomadic weavers were limited in their loom size and time. They wove with a lower knot count, which limited their capacity to create curved lines.
Any tips for folks looking to take better care of their rugs?
I do quite a bit of rug-washing, and you wouldn’t believe what I’ve washed out of rugs. The most effective thing you can do is act quickly. If a dog pees on a rug, immediately take the rug outside or run water through it. A rug pad is the second most important thing. Thirdly, flip the rug over and vacuum the back. You want to release the grit that falls between the rug knots. Ingrid and I have a dog, a cat, and kids all around, and we have no issues.
