The New England Rug Society
A community of rug and textile lovers
The New England Rug Society (NERS) began in the 1980s, growing to be one of the largest and most active rug societies in the US. The resources for those interested in rugs and textiles expanded in the early 2000s, with a set of themed online exhibitions still available and enjoyable today. Starting in 2020, NERS began offering webinars that have been very popular, and extended the NERS community around the world. Now, NERS has members in ten different countries and growing, and recent webinars have typically drawn attendees from 30-50 countries. So wherever you’re from, enjoy the resources of our website, participate in our activities, and join the group!
Upcoming Events
Webinars
Joining us from Istanbul, Deniz will trace the history of dyeing in Türkiye and will demonstrate organic and mineral source materials and how they are combined to make a large variety of colors. He will also show historical rugs and textiles where these were used and discuss their local cultural significance.
Registration link:
Christian and Dietlinde Erber share a longtime collecting passion dating back to the 1978 International Conference on Oriental Carpets (ICOC) in Munich. The Erbers will present a personal overview of their collecting life – how it started and developed into a passion and how their collecting focus evolved. Showing pictures of some of their favorites, they will trace the evolution through Anatolian kilims, Turkish towels, Ottoman embroideries, and Central Asian suzanis and ikats.
Registration link:
Meetings
Bring your Persian pile weavings—whether they were
made in urban workshops, town or village homes, or
tribal tents—to this friendly show-and-tell meeting! After
food and refreshments (provided, as at the picnic, by NERS),
members of our Steering Committee will start things off
with a few representative rugs and trappings of their own.
Then we’ll turn to whatever you bring—big or small, antique
or more recent—about which we encourage your comments,
not just on where and when your examples were made, but
also about what attracted you to them.
To provide the right amount of food, we need your
response not later than October 5. RSVP—indicating your
name and the names of those coming with you (guests
welcome, and welcome to bring rugs!)—to Jim Sampson:
[email protected].
Please join us at our meeting at the Newton Historical Society’s Durant-Kenrick House.
Bring your non-pile weavings— patterned-on-the-loom textiles known by such terms as kilim, sumak, cicim, jajim, zili, verneh, etc.—to this friendly, in-person show- and-tell meeting!
Sunday, August 10
Noon to Four pm
Gore Place 52 Gore Street
Waltham, MA
RSVP by August 3 to Jim Sampson at [email protected]
Membership
We’re an informal group of many differing backgrounds and pursuits, all of us with a common focus: an intense appreciation of — and an ongoing curiosity about — antique oriental rugs and ethnographic textiles. Our members range from internationally known collectors to rank beginners. The only prerequisite to being welcomed as a member is an appreciation for the art form and a willingness to learn and share.
Join NERS and gain access to our growing archive of rug and textile webinars. Members also receive a copy of our latest newsletter via email, and of course, all members are invited to attend our in-person programs as well as our annual picnic.
Newsletter & Online Exhibitions
Newsletter
Titled View from the Fringe, our newsletter provides members with information regarding scheduled NERS events, upcoming textile exhibits, conferences, auctions as well as a summary of the previous meeting’s presentation.
Online Exhibitions
Starting in 2002, the New England Rug Society introduced a series of online exhibitions showcasing pieces from member collections. There are currently 6 exhibitions available. Please enjoy a visit to our online galleries!