Margaret Jasper has an affinity with floor covering - rugs, to be exact. Persian rugs.
“I love the colours, the design, the textures - no two handmade rugs are the same and I like that uniqueness of having something that has been crafted by hand and looked after for generations,” Margaret says.
She has been in love with finding, collecting and selling the striking works of art since she made her first purchase in 1974.
“It was a very romantic notion to buy a Persian rug - think Aladdin and flying above everything,” she says of her passion.
While pleased with her purchase, Margaret realised something was amiss as she slowly started to build her personal collection with other Persian carpets.
“I had others to compare it to, so I knew something wasn’t quite right with it. Its weave was different and it was finished differently.” With more knowledge and experience gained from further trips to Iran Margaret learned that this very first rug was not Persian but rather a copy made in India.
Rather than being deterred she was more determined than ever to search for the best hand-woven pieces the Middle East could offer.
“I was determined to find and buy the best authentic rugs,” Margaret says. “I was disappointed to realise that my first rug was a copy but it was the start of my journey.”
Thousands of rugs and more buying trips later Margaret has amassed a world-class collection of Persian pieces that feature from the past three centuries.
Some of her favourite rugs adorn the walls and floors of her home in Central Victoria, while the majority of pieces are available for purchase at her store The Persian Room in Kyneton.
“I love pieces that reflect the weaver’s heritage,” Margaret says. “Each piece tells a story. Most are about paradise, with vases of flowers symbolising bounty, peacocks wealth. The border is there to keep out evil and birds are a symbol of a creature that can go between heaven and earth.”
With knowledge garnered from three decades of collecting, Margaret has gained a reputation for only importing quality Persian rugs. Her clients come from across Australia in search of the right piece for their home or office.
“With the many trips I have now made to Iran I have built up some very good contacts and there is respect that I know what I am looking for,” she says.
Each rug, she says, has the weaver’s mark or signature somewhere on the piece, which acknowledges its provenance. Materials used can vary from delicate silks and fine cottons to heavier weaves of various wools. The patterns are varied and can include tribal, geometric, stripes or historical Islamic buildings. Ancient pieces made of silk are more suited to hanging from a wall as a tapestry than as a floor covering, she says.
On her annual buying trip, Margaret’s plan is simple: if a purchase is not specific for a client, she will only buy what appeals to her, whether it be the colour of the intricate weavings, the intricate design or its simplicity. “Again, it’s about the rug speaking to you. You must have an affinity with it.”
Margaret’s first visit to Iran in the late 70s was in the latter part of the last Shah’s reign, and each town or city was bursting with bazaars and the people that were so integral to the history of rug making. In recent years she has noticed good intricate works are becoming harder to source as the country’s population becomes more educated and moves away from traditional craft methods.
“More people are at university now, which is wonderful, but it means the centuries-old art that has been passed down generations could be lost in time,” she says.
No doubt Margaret will ensure The Persian Room will remain a modern-day Aladdin’s cave filled with these ancient and intricate treasures.
