‘Woven memories: 40 years in the carpet market.’

In his talk William Robinson will discuss his time at Christie's, from his start in 1982 when Christie’s sold a vase carpet for what was then a huge figure of £99,000, but when they also had sales almost every other week. The majority of rugs were not illustrated, and the market was then dominated by a small group of dealers. Passing through the heady days of Heriz and Aubusson crazes in the later 1980s, and the near closing of the department in 1990, William will discuss various changes in the market, the increasing internationality of it, and the developments that saw many more private buyers throughout Christie's, including for carpets. He will go on to discuss some of the more prominent and memorable carpets he has handled, including the landmark Bernheimer and Halevim sales of 1996 and 2001, as well as some of the circumstances and people around them. An evening of rugs, raconteurs and the occasional racket! 

William Robinson started in the Islamic Art and Carpet department at Christie's in 1982 knowing, he says, nothing about the field, and expected to learn on the job. He headed that department for nearly 25 years from 1990 until 2013 when he took on a broader Christie's role.  He retained his interest in carpets, acting as auctioneer and occasional business-getter in the field until his relatively recent retirement. He is currently working on various projects including the Saudi Biennale of Islamic Art.