ORRA Announces Event Schedule For July Market
The Oriental Rug Retailers Association (ORRA) will sponsor a range of educational events for the upcoming rug market, outlined below. For more information, visit www.orrainc.com or call 804-270-3195. Friday July 13, 2012 – 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. “In the Dragons’ Shadow: Dragon Rugs and the Legacy of their Patterns” Presented by Paul Ramsey, CRA. A fascinating glimpse into the foggy notions of the Dragon rugs of Azerbaijan (the Caucasus and northwest Iran), and how have they been a source of inspiration for many later rugs from this area. We will look at the origins of dragon rugs, understand their basic patterns, and look at their influence into 19th and 20th Century Kazak and other Caucasian designs. Paul, a long time ORRA member, has been a retailer and importer of rugs for over 35 years, travelling widely in Turkey, Afghanistan and Iran. He prefers to think of himself, with respect to rugs generally, tribal rugs and dragon rugs, as regionally and even internationally un-known. He is currently learning Chinese, and Chinese calligraphy, and studies ancient Chinese poetry. Friday July 13 – 1:00 p.m. “Knot To Be Missed IV” Presenter: Phil Menendian and a panel of rug appraisers. AmericasMart Building 1, 4th Floor. Seminar Room 4-B-1 In their ongoing efforts at educating their members, ORRA will continue a program that is geared toward helping members pass the CRA exam. Phil will focus on a specific group of rugs with which many test takers have had difficulty. Numerous pieces will be examined and the differences go into in depth by our panel of experts. The seminar will also involve showing a half dozen or so types of rugs that were the most often incorrectly identified in the CRA exam. What is it? Why they are what they are and how to recognize them in the future will be discussed by our expert panel. If you have a specific area of interest or difficulty, please let us know when you register and we will do our best to address the rug(s) in question. To register please send your contact information to orraarnold@verizon.net “Knot To Be Missed IV” will be held in Building 1, 4th Fl., Room 4-B-1 Friday July 13 – 3:00 p.m. Walk the Market with Phil Presenter: Phil Menendian, CRA Building (1) Floor 4, meet in front of Rm. 4-B-1 for the tour A guided tour through select Market showrooms led by ORRA’s Education Chairman Phil Menendian. This is a fun and informative tour that’s a great opportunity to learn about new innovations in today’s market. Saturday, July 14 – 12:30 p.m. ORRA Certified Rug Appraiser’s Exam*-ORRA Tips on Proper Rug...
Amatulli Named New ORRA President
The Oriental Rug Retailers of America, Inc. (ORRA) announced that Rich Amatulli has assumed the position of president for 2012-2013. Amatulli has spent his entire career in the rug business as an importer, wholesaler and retailer. Indeed, having bought his first Turkish Rugs in 1968 while stationed in Izmir Turkey with NATO Amatulli’s love affair with rugs has lasted 44 years. His expertise is widely known and has committed to the education of wholesale trade members to consumers nationwide. Amatulli joined ORRA in the late 1970 and ORIA in the mid 1970 where he worked on both marketing, education and advertising committees for both. Rich has been largely responsible for the modern Turkish Rug Renaissance and noted to be the first to introduce in 1974 Turkey’s Bashmakchi rugs and in 1978 Turkish Ushaks. While actively engaged in the Oriental rug trade he maintained his military responsibilities as a special adviser on the Mideast retiring as a LT Colonel in 1995. He is graduate of West Point in 1966 with a engineering degree and University of Illinois masters degree in Mideast Affairs and Geography, having taught Earth and Space Science and Middle East and Developing Nations at West Point from 1974-77. Amatulli’s career includes wholesale and retail operations in NYC, New Jersey ORICA (a co-founder), and Connecticut with three retail stores in both fine furniture and oriental rugs. Moving operation south in 2007 to the Carolinas’ he’s briefly had operations from Greenville to Asheville while maintaining and servicing clients in the Northeast. He likewise attended as an exhibitor or buyer every year since its inception the Atlanta Market and the first ORRA trade shows in conjunction with the annual conventions. He brings expertise and a new vision to ORRA hoping to adapt new technology in an attempt to advance and broaden our organizations importance to the trades and consumers alike. Education and ethics will be his focus as 2012 unfolds. The Atlanta market has “given us cause to be excited about the future”, he said, noting the number of successful and pleased buyers and vendors at this January’s...
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