Jeff Arcari will present a brief history of carpet weaving from the Pazyryk Carpet of 500 B.C. (the oldest known hand-knotted Oriental rug) to the production boom of the late 19th to middle 20th century.

In between will be the story of classical carpets and court weavings of 16th century in Persia & India and an overview of Salem’s place in the history of Oriental carpets. Arcari will also shed light on how to identify Oriental rugs based on the environment they are woven in—city production, cottage industry, nomadic / tribal weavings, as well as materials and techniques used.

A weaver will be on hand to offer an ongoing demonstration during the talk and some examples of rugs will be on display.

Co-presented by Historic Salem, Inc. and Salem Athenaeum.