Material Editor

ARTS OF INDIA | 342 LOTS Live Showroom Auction: Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 11AM ET Public Exhibition: June 7-8, 11AM-4PM BUYER’S PREMIUM: IN-HOUSE, PHONE, ABSENTEE: 25% Absentee Bid Form | Telephone Bid Form | Terms and Conditions (PDF) Browse the Auction Catalog and Bid Live Online: Online Bidding Also Available on these Portals: NOTE: There Are No Hidden or Confidential Reserves; All Acceptable Bidding Commences at the Online Start Price. We Sell Approximately 60-80 Lots Per Hour. Shown below are a small sampling of lots. Please go to one of the online portal links above to view the entire auction catalog.  

THE CHINALAIS | A 50-YEAR COLLECTION Vichai and Lee Chinalai No one is more astonished at the title of this auction than we are. A 50-year collection! It all began when we were living in Thailand in the early 1970s. After having a baby and building a house designed by Vichai, a young architect with a brand-new office, we didn’t have much money left over to buy anything extra. Even so, little by little we managed to acquire pieces of antique Hill Tribe silver jewelry and Shan, Chinese and Cambodian embossed silver boxes. You will see some of them in this auction. It didn’t take long for us to become entranced with antique tribal art. The older work was created with spontaneity and rich with stories. It contained a spirit that was individual, cultural, and communal. It had, in short, both beauty and soul. Then, in the late 70s and early 80s, Vichai had several architectural projects in Bahrain and we moved there. He set up a branch office and, for fun, we opened the first indoor plant shop on the island. The business took off and we added gifts, crafts, and antiques, and later a restaurant (plus [...]

THE CHINALAIS | A 50-YEAR COLLECTION 420 Lots | No Reserves Including Rarely Seen Masterpieces of Asian and Ethnographic Art, Textiles, Jewelry, Objects, Paintings Live Showroom Auction: Tuesday, May 19, 2026, 11AM ET Public Exhibition: May 17-18, 11AM-4PM JOIN US! Sunday, May 17, for Refreshments and a Featured Talk by Lee Chinalai at 1PM: “Objects in Motion: Highlights from the Chinalai Collection“   Vichai and Lee Chinalai No one is more astonished at the title of this auction than we are. A 50-year collection! It all began when we were living in Thailand in the early 1970s. After having a baby and building a house designed by Vichai, a young architect with a brand-new office, we didn’t have much money left over to buy anything extra. Even so, little by little we managed to acquire pieces of antique Hill Tribe silver jewelry and Shan, Chinese and Cambodian embossed silver boxes. You will see some of them in this auction. It didn’t take long for us to become entranced with antique tribal art. The older work was created with spontaneity and rich with stories. It contained a spirit that was individual, cultural, and communal. It had, in [...]

2026: THE YEAR OF THE RUG This year, we are opening the doors wide. A yearlong, showroom-wide sale of antique, vintage, and modern handmade rugs—across our entire inventory. Not a curated selection. Everything! As major collections return to the market, we are seeing an unprecedented convergence of quality, availability, and price. For buyers, designers, and collectors alike, there has rarely been a better moment. DOG STAR DEALS mark the brightest values. Follow the star.

Mansion-Size Heriz Rug, Persia, Ca. 1940, 11’0’’ x 19’6’’, Final Dog Star Deal Price: $1500 Karachov Kazak Rug, Caucasus, Ca. 1870, 5’5’’ x 6’6’’, Final Dog Star Deal Price: $2000 Gabbeh Rug, Persia, Dated Ca. 1904, 4’0’’ x 6’10’’, Final Dog Star Deal Price: $200 Bidjar Rug, Persia, Late 19th C., 7’8’’ x 15’7’’, Final Dog Star Deal Price: $500 Caption 1 Caption 2 Caption 3 Caption 4 Oushak Rug, Turkey, Ca. 1900, 12'5'' x 15'8'', Final Dog Star Deal Price: $3025 Caption 2 Caption 3 Caption 4

George Jevremović 2026: THE YEAR OF THE RUG — A YEARLONG SALE Following our 30-year milestone sale—The Fruits of Our Labor—we are doing something unprecedented. At Material Culture, 2026 is not just a theme—it is a sale. We are declaring the entire year THE YEAR OF THE RUG: a continuous, showroom-wide offering of antique, vintage, and modern handmade rugs at exceptionally low prices across our entire inventory. This is not a select group. This is everything. In a time of global uncertainty, we return to what matters most—the home. A place of refuge, comfort, and renewal. And at the center of that space is the rug: grounding, warming, and transforming the rooms where we live our daily lives. This year, we are opening the doors wide. Rugs from across the great weaving traditions—Anatolia, Persia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, India, China, and beyond—are being offered at levels that would have been difficult to imagine even a few years ago. Not because of compromise, but because of opportunity. I can say this with absolute certainty. I’ve been working with rugs for 47 years—since 1979, when I bought my first one. Over nearly five decades, I’ve seen markets rise and fall, [...]

SPRING ESTATES Day 2: Textile Arts & Rugs ~ 363 Lots | No Reserves ~ Live Showroom Auction: Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 11 AM EST Public Exhibition: April 12-13, 11 AM-4 PM BUYER’S PREMIUM: IN-HOUSE, PHONE, ABSENTEE: 25% Absentee Bid Form | Telephone Bid Form | Terms and Conditions (PDF) Browse the Auction Catalog and Bid Live Online: Online Bidding Also Available on these Portals: NOTE: There Are No Hidden or Confidential Reserves; All Acceptable Bidding Commences at the Online Start Price. We Sell Approximately 60-80 Lots Per Hour. Shown below are a small sampling of lots. Please go to one of the online portal links above to view the entire auction catalog.    

SPRING ESTATES Day 1: Fine Art, Folk & Outsider Art, Ethnographic Works, Antiques & Decorative Arts ~ 456 Lots | No Reserves ~ Live Showroom Auction: Tuesday, April 14, 2026, 11 AM EST Public Exhibition: April 12-13, 11 AM-4 PM BUYER’S PREMIUM: IN-HOUSE, PHONE, ABSENTEE: 25% Absentee Bid Form | Telephone Bid Form | Terms and Conditions (PDF) Browse the Auction Catalog and Bid Live Online: Online Bidding Also Available on these Portals: NOTE: There Are No Hidden or Confidential Reserves; All Acceptable Bidding Commences at the Online Start Price. We Sell Approximately 60-80 Lots Per Hour. Shown below are a small sampling of lots. Please go to one of the online portal links above to view the entire auction catalog.  

ORIENTAL RUGS FROM AMERICAN ESTATES | 79 372 Lots | No Reserves Live Showroom Auction: Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 11AM EST Public Exhibition: March 23-24, 11AM-4PM BUYER’S PREMIUM: IN-HOUSE, PHONE, ABSENTEE: 25% Absentee Bid Form | Telephone Bid Form | Terms and Conditions (PDF) Browse the Auction Catalog and Bid Live Online: Online Bidding Also Available on these Portals: NOTE: There Are No Hidden or Confidential Reserves; All Acceptable Bidding Commences at the Online Start Price. We Sell Approximately 60-80 Lots Per Hour. Shown below are a small sampling of lots. Please go to one of the online portal links above to view the entire auction catalog.