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Frank Shaia: Rugs as Art (and history) By Lillian Stevens - Published in Williamsburg's Next Door Neighbors

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Frank Shaia, owner of Shaia Oriental Rugs, considers the rug as a piece of art that defines a space. With over 51 years in the industry, he is considered one of the nation’s exclusive and most knowledgeable new and antique Oriental rug dealers.

“We always tell people who are furnishing or decorating a room that they should start with the rug,” he says. In fact, scribed on one of the walls in the shop is an Edgar Allan Poe quote that says, “The carpet is the soul of the apartment.”

In the middle of last year, Shaia Oriental Rugs celebrated its 51st anniversary in conjunction with

the grand opening of its brand-new location on Foundation Street in New Town. “This is a dream come true,” Frank says. “I have always dreamed of having a beautiful gallery, a place to show off everything so well.” Indeed, the space is the perfect place to display the rugs he has curated over the years. With over 5,000 square feet of open concept retail space, accented with floor-to-ceiling windows, he has found the perfect backdrop for his inventory of handmade Oriental rugs.

In addition to running his sumptuous new store and frequent travels to antique shows,



Frank is about to realize a second dream. “I have written a book,” he says.

The book, entitled My World of Oriental Rugs, will be available for sale in early 2025. He

describes the book, which is chock-full of resources and information about Oriental rugs, as “half autobiography and half rug education.” “I have interspersed chapters about the history of Oriental rugs with personal messages,” he says. “I cover the history of rugs from the earliest rugs woven to rugs woven today as well as the weaving process, the loom, the knots, different designs, the wools and the colors – all of the things that go into making an Oriental rug.”

The prominence of Oriental rugs in Renaissance art is a testament to how Europeans treasured them for their beauty. In fact, Frank’s book maps out a timeline that begins with the earliest rugs. “The book I’m writing covers everything starting with the first rug known to man, a rug dating to the 5th century BC, which was probably woven when King Cyrus the Great was on the throne.” That Pazyryk rug, 2500 years old, still exists in a museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. Frank’s book includes a timeline that begins with the First Great Rug Renaissance (from mid-17th century to the mid-18th century) and progresses through the Second Great Rug Renaissance, during the Enlightenment Period, to the current day.

“In between the First Rug Renaissance and the Second Rug Renaissance, not much was woven because there were wars going on. But the Second Great Rug Renaissance is when some amazing rugs were produced.”



He says that a Third Great Rug Renaissance has been underway since about 1985. His eyes light up when he talks about the current Renaissance. “By the mid-1980s, I was beginning to see nicer rugs,” he says. “But it didn’t click immediately that we were coming into a whole new Renaissance. I’d say that by the early to mid-1990s, the rugs we were bringing in were so much better than what we were selling earlier.” Frank says that the wools and dyes were of a better quality, and with the “Worldwide Web” coming to life at that time, there was an increase in demand for nicer things as people had access to the internet.

“What used to be top-of-the-line has changed because the quality of the workmanship has

become so much better,” he says. “Some of my best rugs are woven in Afghanistan. The quality of the vegetable dyes and hand-spun wool has really gone up in recent decades.”

These rugs are not inexpensive. “We work with people and try to give them as good of a deal as we can. We try our best to spend time with people and educate them, and they begin to see the quality of the work.”



How can a newcomer know whether a rug is authentic? “They are handwoven rugs of natural fiber made in wide geographical area that stretches from Europe and the Near East all the way through the Middle East to the Far East. So, all the way from Turkey and Romania to China.” The easiest way to tell whether an Oriental rug is the real deal is to look at the fringes. “A rug is hand-woven on what we call warp threads and interlaced with weft threads (which go the other way) after every row of knots. With a machine-made rug, fringe is added at the end. A tremendous amount of effort and work goes into every single rug. It takes the average skilled oriental rug weaver about 600 hours to weave a 4x6 rug.” The design and colors for a rug are set forth for weavers on a graph known as a “cartoon.” Then, the rugs are usually woven by a company or village weavers, with the designer overseeing the process.

“The designers know what is right,” Frank says. “I call it the Frank Lloyd Wright concept. If you go look at a Frank Lloyd Wright house, you’re not going to worry about the quality of the bricks or whether the foundation is laid out right. That’s the way it is with rugs. When the overseer of a rug weaving process is a Frank Lloyd Wright kind of designer, you know it is going to be a great rug. An authentic Oriental rug will last forever.”

Frank is self-taught, and his journey into the world of antique rugs started prior to Google. “I

read a lot of books,” he says. “That’s how I learned.” He and his brother Joseph learned about antiques and fine furnishings by watching their father, an auctioneer with a gallery in Virginia Beach. “Our father sold a little bit of everything, rugs and jewelry and art,” he says.” So, we were certainly exposed to rugs.”

Joseph Shaia started Shaia Oriental Rugs in January of 1973, with Frank coming to work for him soon thereafter. As the brothers were learning the ropes of the rug business, they frequently traveled to New York City where they bought rugs from New York-based importers. Frank quickly fell in love with antique rugs, soaking up as much knowledge as possible. “At that time, all we were selling here was new rugs,” he says. “But I was hearing about an antique Heriz rug called a Serapi. One day I asked one of my NYC connections about a Serapi rug and he sent us around the corner where we met a guy who introduced us to old rugs and that was our start into old rugs.” Heriz rugs, made in Iran, are known for their durability, geometric patterns, and bold colors. They are typically large and heavy, and feature a central medallion surrounded by nature-inspired designs. 

In 1978, Frank bought the Williamsburg store from his brother. Over the years, Shaia Oriental Rugs has grown and flourished, but the experiences gleaned on those trips to New York would forever fuel his passion for antique rugs. Though he enjoys a robust rug business in Williamsburg, he still travels extensively to antique shows where he sells rugs from 1880, 1890 and 1900. These are old rugs,” he says with a laugh. “I always tell people if a new rug satisfies you, buy the new rug because they are less expensive and they will still stand the test of time.” The self-taught rug aficionado is a registered appraiser with an organization called Oriental Rug Retailers of America. He is also the textile appraiser on Chesapeake Collectibles, a public television show produced by Maryland Public Television, and a member of The Antiques Council, a professional association of antique dealers that mandates the highest ethical and professional standards. “People call me an expert,” he says. “But I feel like the more you learn, the more you realize how much you don’t know.”

Shaia Oriental Rugs has long enjoyed its niche, buying and selling rugs of impeccable quality. They also provide cleaning and repair services and offer appraisals. Frank attributes his success to his faith in God. “He has helped me every step along the way,” he says. “God has also blessed me with great employees. They are so knowledgeable and have been with me for years. That is why we have almost a full 5-star review on the internet. I couldn’t do this without my employees, especially given my travel schedule.” These days, Frank brings his wife Phoebe along with him to the antique rug shows. The couple has four grown children and eight grandchildren. “The last of our children left home around 2010,” he says. “So, we have enjoyed the freedom to travel together. It’s been a really fun ride. Sometimes, I still see myself as a young kid learning a business. It is so exciting!”

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Shaia Rugs

5560 Foundation St

Williamsburg, VA

23188

 (757) 220-0400

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