Design for a Rug

Maker A. and M. Karagheusian

PeriodCirca 1950 - 1960

Place MadePossibly New Jersey, U.S.A.

MediumGouache over graphite on cardstock paper

Dimensions15 × 11 in. (38.1 × 27.9 cm)

ClassificationsA. & M. Karagheusian Rug Mill Collection

Credit LineMuseum Purchase, 1999

Object number1999.14.7

DescriptionA design for a rug or carpet, with the motif of four ram's heads in shades of white, tan, brown and dark brown arranged in a circle around clusters of five-pointed stars, all on a ground of salmon pink. The cardstock drawing is mounted and glued to a heavy mat backing.
Curatorial RemarksThe Karagheusian brothers, Arshag and Miran, began their rug manufacturing business in Freehold in 1904 when they purchased the defunct V. Henry Rothschild Shirt Factory on Jackson Street. The brothers converted the plant into a carpet and rug factory. At its peak, A. & M. Karagheusian was the second largest privately owned carpet manufacturing business in the world. It employed 1,700 men and women and was best known for the introduction of its "Gulistan" carpet line. During World War 2, the Mill converted to wartime production, weaving heavy cotton canvas known as "duck," used for tank covers, tents, and bags. After the war ended, the mill resumed normal operations. The Mill was in operation until 1961, when management moved the company south. Post-war labor troubles, new carpet manufacturing techniques, and an outdated factory complex were the main reasons for the company's relocation.NotesThis unique carpet design, with its rams' heads and five-pointed stars, may have been created for a public space, perhaps a club, restaurant, or other commericial building. The Freehold rug mill's records were virtually all incinerated in 1961 just prior to the company's move down south, making the identification of surviving rug samples and designs difficult.

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