Oriental rugs: imported, handmade
By Micki Haller
Staff Reporter
Wall-to-wall carpeting is part of
the American dream, but 2,500
years ago Persians were making
rugs to adorn their homes.
Today, Lincoln residents can
decorate their homes with fine
Oriental rugs from Soltan Oriental
Rugs, in the Candy Factory, 201 N.
Eighth St.
Owner Mark Cheraghali said
the store deals in new and antique
Oriental rugs from Persia (now part
of Iran), India,China, Pakistan and
Turkey.
The rugsare imported and hand
made, he said.
A rug must be handmade, indi
vidually loomed and from Asia to
qualify as an Oriental rug, he said.
Cheraghali said the finest rugs
come from Persia.
The Persian rugs are intricate,
complex and eye catching. Cher
aghali said they make good conver
sation pieces because each charac
ter and design, and even color, is a
symbol. The rug may be religious,
or may symbolize a w ish for happi
ness for a newly married couple.
Before the 1700s, Cheraghali
said the rugs were only made as
gifts and as an artistic expression.
After the 1700s, Europeans started
buy ing rugs and created the mar
ket, he said.
Cheraghali is from Persia. He
said he grew up around rugs. His
uncle is in the carpet business in
Iran.
Cheraghali came to Lincoln to
study. Alter graduate studies, he
began Lincoln’s only Oriental rug
shop, he said.
“Interest and demand are tre
mendous,” he said. The store has
been in business for two years, and
has recently moved to its present
location in order to expand.
The rugs are no longer luxury
items, and people of all classes buy
the rugs, Cheraghali said.
He said people buy the rugs be
cause they are made to last. With
normal traffic (20 people walking
on the rug every day), the carpet
should last 50 to 150 years, he said.
A rug under 20 years old still is
considered new, w hile any over 50
are considered antiques, Cher
aghali said.
The carpels are investments, he
said. Cheraghali said their value
and beauty increase with age.
A new carpels costs SI 2 to S40
a square foot,Cheraghali said. A 3
by-5-foot rug may cost S4(X).
The rugs seem expensive, but
their long life makes them compa
rable to a normal carpel, he said.
When the amount of work on a
carpet is taken into account, the
rugs arc a bargain, Chcraghali said.
He said it takes 400 hours to finish
a 3-by-5 rug. He said two people
can w cave about 2 inches of carpet
in a 10-hour day.
Most carpets are made of wool,
but a few arc made of silk, goal hair
or camel hair, Cheraghali said.
Cheraghali said his favorite car
pel is a simple one that has been in
his family for 130 years.
“1 personally like rugs with dark
red and dark blue in it. I appreciate
older rugs myself,” he said.
Chcraghali gels his carpets from
the three major carpel centers in
London, New York, and Hamburg,
West Germany. Hcalsocan import
some Persian rugs from Iran.
The Soitan Oriental Rug Shop is
open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to
Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. Sun
day.
Mark Cherighali, owner of Soltan Oriental Rugs.
September23,1987 isthe Deadline!
All app! cations for the Student Health and Accident
Insurance must be received by September 23, 1987.
/^x^^ Brochures and information are available at:
UNIVERSITY HEALTH CENTER
; -TV A or call 472-7437
Check these points:
• Am I still eligible for coverage under my parent’s plan?
A. Is there an age limit? Most policies limit the age for
dependent coverage to age 23.
B Are you thinking of marriage? Most policies exclude a
dependent after he becomes married.
• Have I declared financial independence from my
parents by receiving financial aid, and no longer
eligible as a dependent under their plan?
0 • Would a medical emergency deplete funds set
J . set aside for my education?
g
k Artist’s guild
donates works
The Lincoln Artists’ Guild has
donated a painting toadd to its perma
nent collection available for check
out at the Bennett Martin Public Li
brary, 14th and N streets.
The painting, “Still Life,” by
Emma M. Baegl was the 1987 Pur
chase Award winner at the guild's
spring show. While living in Chi
cago, Baegl attended classes at the
Chicago Art Institute and also look
work with Professor Frank DcForcst
Shook on weekends. On reluming to
Lincoln Baegl aliened evening art
classes at UNL.
The guild has a long standing tra
dition of donating art work to their
permanent collection at the library so
the citi/cns of Lincoln and Lancaster
County can enjoy original works of
art.
Great Nation performs
pop hits at UNO
The four-man group, Great Nation,
will perform a free concert tonight in
University of Nebraska at Omaha’s
Pep Bowl, south of the Bpplcy Ad
ministration Buildim*. The ram loca
tion is the Milo Ban Student Center
Ballroom.
The group, under contract with
Angle/Twm Tone Records, performs
many pop hits by artists and groups
such as Robert Palmer, Peter Gabriel,
The Rolling Stones, Tears for Fears
and others. They will also perform a
9 recently released original single,
“Beat the Wall.”