Hali

The Pip Rau collection of ikats, embroideries and costumes, auctioned at Olympia in London from 3 February–1 March, achieved outstanding results, attracting strong interest both locally and globally. Comprising 191 lots, this sale was dedicated to the late dealer and collector of Asian textiles, Pip Rau (1938–2024). When Rau opened her small Islington shop in 1974, she created a haven for extraordinary textiles, costume and fabrics from Uzbekistan, northern Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The upcoming month promises a rich lineup of rug and textile exhibitions. From must-see displays coming to a close to exciting new openings, here is our pick of five rug and textile shows to visit this March. 1.

Home News & Events News Carpet & Textile Forum 2026 NewsView All The Carpet & Textile Forum will return this year from 28–30 April for three days of presentations, discussions and study devoted to carpets and textiles. Taking place at the Santa Ynez Valley Marriott in Buellton, California, the event will feature six sessions presented by specialists in their fields.

Austria Auction Company in Vienna will hold its ‘Masterpieces III’ sale on 14 February, featuring forty high quality antique rugs and textiles from private European collections. The lots can be previewed from 11–13 February from 11am–5pm and on 14 February from 11am–4pm. Here are some highlights. A striking Tibetan ‘Tiger Rug’, dating to around 1900, is a standout lot. Depicting a tiger on tiger skin, this piece is truly unique.

HALI In-DepthView All An online exhibition revisits the history of Art Deco carpets. In HALI 225, Ben Evans reviews this show hosted on Alberto Levi’s gallery website, which features fifty-six carpets from his collection. ‘Art Deco 1925-2025: A Century of Progressive Design’ highlights the place of these carpets in the development of modernism, revealing how tradition and innovation converged throughout the movement’s evolution.

The career of Polish textile artist Tadek Beutlich MBE (1922–2011) was honoured in an exhibition at Ditchling Museum of Art + Craft from 18 January–22 June 2025. The artist lived in the East Sussex town of Ditchling in the late 1960s–early 1970s when he ran a weaving studio from his home, Gospels. This property had been purpose built as a studio by the weaver Ethel Mairet; Beutlich visited it during Mairet’s lifetime, before being given the opportunity to purchase it after her death in 1952.

For the first time, carpets by the contemporary Azerbaijani artist Faig Ahmed are being exhibited in his home country. A major exhibition dedicated to Ahmed’s work — a compelling fusion of traditional carpet weaving and contemporary digital techniques — is being shown at the Azerbaijan National Carpet Museum in Baku. ‘Faig Ahmed: Epoch 2011–2024′ charts the artist’s creative evolution, from subtle textile distortions to fully immersive installations.

The Princess of Wales has selected nine rare artefacts—including textiles—to be displayed at the newly opened V&A East Storehouse. The mini display, ‘Makers and Creators’, includes a Morris & Co furnishing screen, a Welsh-made bedcover, a Qing dynasty porcelain vase, and a costume from the 1960’s ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ ballet. The patchwork bedcover was hand-quilted in Wales by an unknown maker circa 1830–40.

NewsView All The Hajji Baba Club in New York City has announced that Kristen Pearson has been awarded the 2025–2026 Hajji Baba Club Research Fellowship. Since it was established in 2018, the programme has promoted original scholarship in the field of carpet studies and provides support and visibility for emerging scholars and independent researchers. Chosen from an exceptional group of applicants, Pearson is an advanced PhD candidate in Anthropology and Inner Asian Studies at Harvard University.

NewsView All A war rug, bought in Kabul in 1986, from Luca Brancati’s collection appears in ‘De Bello: Notes on War and Peace’, an exhibition at Gres Art 671 in Bergamo, Italy, until 12 October 2025. The identity of the weaver remains unknown, however, evidence suggests it was likely made in the village of Qal’ha-ye, now in Badghis Province.