The Pickerings

Russell and daughter Brooke

A Chance vacation to Morocco

In 1971 a chance family vacation put Pickering the eminent rug expert and family in Morocco. Morocco was virtually unknown in the carpet literature. Even most enthusiasts had no idea that there was significant production in Morocco. It took Pickering a week to scout the area and come to the conclusion that Yes there was important material in Morocco. By then end of the third week he had assembled 20 world class pieces. In fact some of those original 20 are now part of the collection of The Textile Museum in Washington DC. Back in those days before Moroccan rugs were "discovered" Russ managed to buy all 20 pieces for a rather modest amount. That should come as no surprise to people who know Russ Pickering. When he started the collection that became the basis of "From The Bosporus To Samarkand" flatweaves, were very affordable but after the book and show those same pieces became some of the most sought after and expensive collectors items in the rug collecting world.

Of course Russell Pickering is no rug dealer. There is a rug dealer in the family however. Brooke celebrated her 8th birthday in Morocco on that first family trip. As a little girl Brooke watched her Father and the late Ralph Yohe bargain for those early treasures. By age 11 she was helping them select rugs. By age 20 she had accompanied her Father and the late Ralph Yohe a noted author, collector, and TM board member on many trips to look for Moroccan rugs and her opinion carried equal weight with that of her Father and Yohe. Brooke accompanied her Father and Yohe on a mission to select rugs for the Textile Museum and the first exhibition of Moroccan carpets in 1981, the first in the United States. Brooke has a resume that would be envious for some one twice her age. She has lectured widely on the subject and curated several exhibitions. She has also been published in many magazines including Hali in addition to co-authoring Moroccan Carpets published in 1994. With all that background it was natural for Brooke to go into the business.

From her showroom apartment in the heart of the rug wholesalers Brooke has carved out a spot as one of New York Cities Top young collectable rug dealers and the county’s leading dealers in Moroccan rugs. When asked about business Brooke emphasized the fun. "It’s fun. I am really having a lot of fun with this. But I am getting a lot of very large pile rugs in inventory and it is getting difficult for me to handle them by myself."