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There is a wonderful mystique about Persian carpets. Through
the centuries, in the folklore of the East and the West, they
have intrigued nobleman and commoner alike. They have delighted
home lovers, designers, decorators, investors and collectors.
Today, internationally, that allure continues to grow, and in
South Africa there is probably no better known doyen of the decorative
art form than Victor Lidchi.
Lidchi's favourite topic is, with no surprise, hand-made Persian
and other oriental carpets. These are lovely, timeless objects
of beauty that transcend passing fashion.
Lidchi has traveled extensively, scouring the world's eastern
carpet markets for the best selection. Every trip produces some
exciting find and an advantage for Lidchi is that he loves his
work.
Traditional Roots
Henri Lidchi, Victor's father, was an international dealer in
art and Persian carpets based in Paris. In 1935, during his travels
he met Sir Ernest Oppenheimer who persuaded him to exhibit at
the 1936 Empire Exhibition in Johannesburg. He did so with great
success, fell in love with the country, and settled in to expand
the business with his family.
In 1960, Maurice Lidchi, Henri's eldest son left South Africa
in later years to redevelop the London and Paris branches, and
because buying had become such an important aspect of the business,
it was felt that a full-time member of the family on the buying
market was required. The younger son, Victor Lidchi, was left
to expand the business in South Africa.
Victor took on this family tradition in the 1960's, determined
to provide quality affordable Persian and oriental carpets.
Our senior policy is to help clients find just what they need
-- without pressure, with all their questions answered and within
their budget.
The history of the Lidchi family's interest in Oriental carpets
goes back to the 1860's.
The Lidchi family originally came from Spain. However, at the
time of the Inquisition in the sixteenth century, they were forced
to flee Spain, and by way of Greece, found their way eventually
to Turkey.
In the 1860's the family set up business as dealers in and exporters
of Persian and Turkish rugs in Constantinople (now Istanbul),
then the world's central market for oriental rugs. Up to that
time, the Lidchi family had dealt in textiles and works of art.
But, with the growing demand for eastern rugs in the West for
the mansions of wealthy industrialists, the family saw potential
for growth in this business.
By the late nineteenth century, "Lidchi" had become
a well established and highly respected name in the trade in Constantinople
and amongst dealers from the West.
Henri, the grandson of the founder, was a rebel. He wanted to
see the world, and could not be persuaded to stay at home. His
father and uncles finally sent him on his way with a purse of
ten gold livres and a half a dozen good rugs. Rather new to the
ways of the world, he had his purse stolen soon after arriving
in Marseilles.
However, he managed to save enough money from working as a restorer
for his uncle, and, by selling a few of the rugs, he was able
to pay for his passage to the United States. There, as a very
young man, he made his fortune by associating himself with the
leading dealers in rare rugs, such as the Mayorkas Brothers, the
Costygians and Nateugian.
He numbered amongst his customers leading industrialists and
families such as the Fords, the Rockefellers, the Duponts and
the Wideners.
In Paris, earlier this century...
In the early 1920's, he established himself in business in Paris,
then the art centre of the world, in the Boulevard Haussmann,
and later in the Avenue de l'Opera. Although he was something
of a maverick, Paris society was fascinated by his strange ways
and his Eastern charm.
He became advisor and supplier of rare rugs to the Renault family
of motor car fame, bankers such as the Rothchilds and the Omberts
and to Minister Bonet. He also became friendly with and accumulated
and dealt in the works of the great artists of the period such
as Modigliani, Raoul Duffy, Maurice Utrillo, Marc Chagall, Vlamink
and Suzanne Valadon, the model of Renoir.
Going global
From Paris, he traveled the world and exhibited at international
fairs and expositions in Milan, Ghent, London, San Francisco and
Brussels, and finally at the Empire Exhibition in Johannesburg
in 1936. Because of a spontaneous love for South Africa and his
pioneering instinct, he settled in Johannesburg soon after.
In South Africa, his clients included Sir George Albu, Sir Ernest
Oppenheimer, Sir Julius Jeppe, the Schlesinger family, Jack Scott,
General Jan Smuts, and Sir Francis de Guingand.
Offices that had been established in London and Paris were run
by his close friend, Jacques Moddiano until Europe had recovered
from the ravages of the Second World War.
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