Our story

HOW IT BEGAN…

We started the business Turkish Folk Art while traveling in Central Asia in the early 1990’s. We had already been collecting objects from Anatolia and middle East for many years. Central Asia was new and fertile ground for collecting. This was the time of the breakup of the former Soviet Republics. With the unexpected freedom there was a rejuvenation for the Turkic states of Central Asia. It was with a spirit of adventure that we Anatolian Turks made connections with the Turks in the Eastern homelands of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

Istanbul_ICOC_Gerard

Jon_Thompson_ICOC_Istanbul_wwv_sc

OUR MISSION…

We love textile arts and here, we are presenting many beautiful old and new textiles that we have collected over the years during our travels. There are many artisans in the world with a gift which allows them to create great works of art. Good artisans have always produced beautiful textiles and objects of art which reflect their own cultural traditions. Artisans need help and support to survive and to improve their art. Our Mission is not only to find the work of these artisans, but also to support them by promoting what they have made, whether they are textiles or other works of art. We travel to find these artisans, both past and present, on the Silk Road. It is our pleasure now to share these objects with you who appreciate them. We look forward to connecting with your love of these often rare and beautiful objects.

KARAKALPAKISTAYURT BUILDER

Uzbekistan_tour

OUR PROMISE…

We are dedicated to complete customer satisfaction. We do our utmost to present textiles and objects of art in their best possible condition. We assure you, the customer, that the information we provide about the objects that we sell is based on our many years of knowledge and experience. We guarantee that you will be completely satisfied with your purchase. Anything less is unacceptable. We will cooperate unconditionally and promise to pack goods with proper packing material. If the item arrives damaged, the responsibility is ours unless the packs had damages with arrival country custom’s checking. We do our best to ship goods immediately. We ship Tuesdays and Fridays.

IMG_0359_imgs

 

WHAT WE VALUE…

It was an eye opener for us to explore the arts and culture of those lands, both past and present. We are constantly amazed by the vibrancy and the variety of the textile arts and material culture of the areas in which we travel. The textiles, ceramics, woodwork and metalwork produced in the different regions of Central Asia, Greater Anatolia and Middle East are the gateways to a deeper appreciation of the fabric everyday life.

Artisans

Mr_Khirshem_and_Siawosch Azadi_Vedat Karadag_Fritz Langauer

Dobag_Harold_Bohmer_rd

Vakiflar museum_Gerard_Vedat_in_Bokhara_1993