Ararat Rug Rolls Out
After 77 years, Ararat Rug Company, Montreal’s oldest family owned carpet business founded by Kerop Bedoukian, is now closing.
Ararat is owned by Harold Bedoukian who”grew up in the business. He has been active in Oriental rug associations in the US and Canada. He is treasurer of the Armenian Rugs Society, past president of the Montreal Oriental Rug Club and The Quebec Carpet and Textile Society. Harold Bedoukian is the only appraiser in Montreal certified by the Oriental Rug Retailer’s Association, (ORRA).
He works with his wife, Janice Summers, who is an internationally respected authority on Oriental rugs. She has more than 30 years of experience as a retailer, collector, author and lecturer, and is the author of four books and numerous articles on Oriental carpets.
Harold and Jan’s knowledge of the history, design and techniques of oriental rug weaving extends far beyond their formal education. They travelled extensively in the Middle East where, for centuries, the manufacture and merchandising of rugs were closely linked to the culture and often the mainstay of life itself. They spent time with rug weavers from the most primitive nomadic peoples to sophisticated urban communities whose skills have been refined and passed down from generation to generation. Harold and Jan have studied the artisans’ crafts and artistry from the gathering of goats’ hair to the preparation of detailed cartoons from which rugs are woven.
When buying a rug from Ararat you were always able to rely on their knowledge and be confident of its quality and assured of its provenance. Now we have to say “adieu” as they continue the tapestry of their lives.
Location: 3457 Avenue du Parc
Corner: Milton
Tel: 514- 288-1218
www.araratrug.com