Belouch Prayer Rug, Afghanistan, first quarter 20th century; 6 ft. x 3 ft.
Provenance: The James Opie Collection.
"James Opie’s love of Oriental rugs and his keen eye for quality are captured in the magical collection being offered herewith. His long, illustrious career is entering its sixth decade, and the exemplary rugs that follow reflect the high standards for which Jim stands.
Jim emerged from his experimental 1960s with an intellectual curiosity leading him to Oriental rugs via his studies of P.D. Ouspensky and G. I. Gurdjieff. He first visited Iran in 1970, attracted by the mosques of Tabriz, Isphahan, and Shiraz, and returned home with a bundle of Oriental rugs to commence a new occupation: rug dealer.
I first met Jim at his Portland gallery in 1980, two years before the publication of his first book, Tribal Rugs of Southern Persia. His reputation as a fine, fair, and knowledgeable rug dealer preceded him, and his impeccable international reputation was well under way. Jim’s second book, Tribal Rugs (1991), also added significantly to the Oriental rug book pantheon.
Jim has reached a serious deaccessioning point in a career throughout which he has never ceased searching for, and studying, the best. I have appreciated the opportunity to interact with him over the past 40 years, and working with Jim on this auction project has been especially rewarding." - Michael B. Grogan