The Ultimate Rugophile

Copyright © 2007 Rugs Direct^®

Arthur T. Gregorian loved area rugs. So much so that he dedicated his life to their study and preservation. Considered by many to be the world's greatest collector of rare, inscribed Armenian rugs, Gregorian lived a life worthy of a Hollywood movie. His legacy lives on through his books, films and rug gallery described as "A Little Part of Persia in Newton Lower Falls."

Gregorian was born in 1909 in Rahvah, on the western shore of Lake Urmia in modern-day Iran of Armenian parents. When he was only nine years old, he and his family fled the volatile region with hundreds of thousands of other Armenian refugees to the southwest, ultimately arriving in Basra, Iraq. After finding shelter in a British refugee camp, Gregorian ultimately made his way via India, Italy and France to New England. He found work following high school in a rug shop. His goal was to save up enough money to go to college, and perhaps one day become a doctor.

However, once he met Phebe Ballou, Gregorian's plans changed. In 1934 he took his life savings, some $700, and moved to Wellesley, Massachusetts to be near Miss Ballou and open his own Oriental rug store. The store was so tiny that Gregorian usually visited his potential clients' homes or offices to make his sales, but he was rather successful. By 1940 he had married Phebe and opened a larger store in Newton Lower Falls.

Gregorian's most important legacy has been in the study of area rugs. He is responsible for articles, books, films and more, all dedicated to educating people on these often priceless treasures. Being fluent in Armenian, Turkish and Farsi, he spent months at a time in the rug bazaars of Afghanistan, Armenia, Iraq and Iran exploring and buying rugs. He would document his travels on 16mm film, which he would then use in his lectures. People who were fortunate enough to attend his presentations were often amused by his comments on local languages and culture.

Gregorian is the author of Oriental Rugs and the Stories They Tell, an important work in the study of rugs because of how clear and comprehensive the book is. He divided rugs into three major categories: tribal, village and city rugs. This makes sense because it is often difficult for a novice to tell the difference between a Sarouk, Isfahan or Tabriz rug, but it is much easier to distinguish the characteristics of a rug woven in a village like Bidjar to one that is more highly stylized and created in the city of Qum. (If you're confused by this, read the book. It makes it perfectly clear! It is available from Amazon.com among other places. You should also take a look at Armenag's Story, co-authored with his wife, about Gregorian's childhood travels by ox-cart from his homeland to safety in the West.)

Gregorian said he wrote this book because he discovered many rugs labeled as Turkish or Kazak were in fact Armenian. And because he was extremely proud of his Armenian heritage, Gregorian thought this distinction was important. It is also one of the reasons he spent much of his life collecting and documenting the unique styles of weaving used by Armenian craftsmen. His impressive collection of Armenian Oriental rugs was shown throughout the world and most of it was later donated to the Armenian Library and Museum of America.

Gregorian was also a noted philanthropist and humanitarian. In 1953, while serving as president of Goodwill Industries, he called his friend who owned a local grocery store and asked if he could place a collection receptacle for donations in the store's parking lot. The container was a dumpster painted blue with a rectangular hole cut in the side for shoppers to donate used clothing for the needy. This first Goodwill collection box became such a popular attraction for grocery shoppers that other store soon requested that a collection box be placed in their parking lot as well. The next time you make a donation to Goodwill, be sure to think of Arthur T. Gregorian!

Gregorian passed away in 2003. His gallery in Newton Lower Falls, Massachusetts is operated by his son and grandson and currently features Antique Oriental Rugs of the Silk Route.