Client-only exclusive evening talks and rug demonstrations held at The Oriental Rug Gallery.
During the evening, you are taken on a rug and carpet journey to the Orient, along the Spice and Silk Roads and surrounded by a sumptuous treasure-trove of hand-woven decorative weavings, tapestries, tribal bags and trappings and wall hangings. During the evening’s programme, there is an opportunity to:
• Discover the rich cultural heritage of traditional hand-woven rugs.
• Learn about the diverse symbolism of tribal and decorative rug motifs and their origins.
• Watch our rug re-weaving and restoration demonstrations and see how these techniques are
applied to damaged pieces in our Gallery’s Repairs and Restoration Studio.
• See our specially devised professional RugRescue cleaning in action in our Gallery’s custom-built
Cleaning and Stain Removal Treatments Studio.
• Bring along your small pieces or photographic images and get a free, expert, verbal evaluation during
the evening’s event, by Anas our Gallery’s Master Rug Craftsman.
• Enjoy a delicious compliementary array of hand-made Oriental Refreshments during the course of the
evening’s event.
These exclusive evening talks and rug demonstrations are given by Anas and Sandre at The Oriental Rug Gallery, drawing on their passion, inspiration and combined long-standing and specialist experience in the rug and carpet fields. The event begins at 7pm until approx. 9.30pm. Places are booked and pre-paid in advance. Tickets cost £10, where monies raised from these events are donated to the Gallery’s chosen charities.
Inspired by the Haslemere Coat of Arms’ Motto: Vita Musis Gratior – ‘Life Is More Satisfying Through The Muses Or Arts’, Anas, a Master Rug Craftsman and Sandre, an award-winning design creative, chose to hand-weave and rug-knot the Haslemere Coat of Arms in Wool and Silk on a traditional rug loom. The weaving was crafted in the Restoration Studio at The Oriental Rug Gallery, to celebrate the 100-year centenary of the family rug business since 1910, and upon completion it was gifted to Haslemere Town and its community.
People were invited to hand-weave a rug knot into the Coat of Arms Weaving and receive a Certificate of Weave – marking their rug knot and in recognition of their acheivement and participation. During the event, more than 1,600 people from around the world visited The Oriental Rug Gallery to participate, by weaving some of the 800,000 rug knots in the design.
This School Initiative was especially devised by Anas and Sandre, as an educational-based event, in response to numerous requests from local schools and their teachers, who wanted to participate in the Haslemere Coat of Arms Weaving. The Schools’ visits to the Gallery provided opportunities for the school children to learn about the history, heritage and origins of Haslemere‘s Coat of Arms; the meaning of the heraldic symbols used; as well as the rug craftsmanship skills involved in creating the weaving; and opportunities to weave their rug knots.
This prestigious ceremonial occasion saw more than 160 distinguished guests attend the unveiling of the completed weaving event held at Haslemere Educational Museum. Six royally-appointed guests were present including: The Vice Lord Lieutenant, The High Sheriff of Surrey, The Right Honourable Lord Hayter, The Mayor of Haslemere, The Mayor of Waverley, The Worshipful Company of Weavers, The College of Arms, The Heraldic Society and the Decorative & Fine Arts Society, as well asThe President of Haslemere Museum, Surrey Police and eminent members, society presidents, past mayors, local dignatories, as well as an array of businesses Surrey-wide, with the Media and Press in attendance.
This formal occasion saw the Sponsored mounted and framed Weaving installed on permanent display at Haslemere Educational Museum, who are the Weaving’s appointed custodians on behalf of the Town. The newly framed and mounted piece is the UK’s first-ever Coat of Arms Weaving to be hand-woven by a Master Rug Craftsman.
You can read all about ‘Haslemere In Stitches: the Journey of 800,000 rug knots’ by viewing the weaving’s dedicated web page above entitled: ‘The Coat of Arms Weaving’.
The Oriental Rug Gallery was thrilled to be invited by Haslemere Festival’s Chairman Hamish Donaldson to take part in this prestigious Surrey bi-annual event, to share their Master Rug Craftsman expertise, skills and knowledge of hand-woven rugs, carpets, and tapestries, in the Lecture Hall at Haslemere Educational Museum.
The Gallery’s sell-out Festival event began with opening introductions given by Mayor Melanie Odell and former Mayor, Councillor Fay Foster CBE to attending guests. Both praised the couple’s ongoing committment and endeavours in sharing their rug knowledge and passion through their Haslemere Coat of Arms Weaving events: Open Weave and Schools In Stitches, at their Rug Gallery in Wey Hill.
After, Anas and Sandre gave an animated and illustrated Talk on the cultural heritage of hand-woven rugs and tapestries to a packed auditorium at the Museum. The rapt audience were also given the opportunity to participate in the ‘Haslemere In Stitches Open Weave’ event, by hand-weaving their rug knots into the Coat of Arms Weaving and subsequently receiving personalised ‘Certificates of Weave’ in recognition of their achievements. The Weaving had been transported to the Museum from the Gallery – complete with its tradtional rug-weaving loom – especially for the event.
The Mayor & Mayoress of Waverley Cllr. Maurice and Mary Byham, the Mayor of Haslemere Cllr. Stephen Mulliner and Lady Sheldon were joined by other Surrey and Haslemere-wide VIP guests including Haslemere’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoress, local councillors, dignatories and representatives of Haslemere Societies and Associations, as well as local businesses and upstanding members of the Haslemere community and surrounding districts, to celebrate the Opening Preview and Launch of Anas and Sandre’s company: The Oriental Rug Gallery Ltd.
“Thank you for coming to our Town, with your beautiful Oriental Rug Gallery and your Master Rug Craftsmen skills. We have all watched in anticipation, as you have transformed this building into the stunning Gallery it is today, complete with its custom-built Repair and Cleaning Studios, and we look forward to supporting your future endeavours. On behalf of us all, I woud like to say ‘Congratulations’ and formally ‘Welcome’ you to Haslemere,” said Haslemere Mayor Cllr. Stephen Mulliner in the presence of attending guests.
Later, the Rt Hon Jeremy Hunt Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport and MP for South West Surrey also dropped by during his busy schedule, to add his congratulations and support to Anas and Sandre at their newly launched Rug Gallery.
Meanwhile, the Surrey-wide Media and Press were in attendance at the Gallery’s Opening Preview to record the day’s event and offer their readers a visual taster of the opulent, hand-woven rugs, carpets and tapestries now available in Haslemere, as the The Oriental Rug Gallery opened its doors.
