NEW YORK – On Thursday, March 30, Capsule Auctions presents Carpets from the Jim Dixon Collection, a sale of rugs and textiles from the important collector’s archives with select additions. The objects offered in the auction span centuries and continents, including Avar rugs from East Caucasus, Yuruk and Bergama rugs from West Anatolia, and Ningxia rugs from West China. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

When renowned collector Jim Dixon first got “the rug bug,” as it is affectionately called by those it infects, he was living in an attic in Oakland, California. Although he didn’t have much money to spare at the time, he couldn’t ignore his fascination with ancient carpets. “I was actually really poor for a long time … [I used] all my money beyond bare living expenses to buy rugs,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 2000.

By the time Dixon earned veteran status among his fellow rug aficionados, many things had changed. His carpets were no longer stored in his attic apartment, where guests once bumped their heads on the ceiling while examining Bergama fragments. Instead, they now covered every inch of his Sonoma County home, a sight so awe-inspiring that many visitors recall being stunned into silence upon entering. Dixon built the home himself with the specific purpose of display in mind. “I wanted to provide a carefully proportioned volume of space,” he explained in the same 2000 interview, “so that the impact will bring the mind to a stop and allow us to transcend our worldly tensions.”

In the face of all of this material change, one thing remained steadfast across the decades: Dixon’s passion for rugs. He has been called “[one of] the most accomplished fragment collectors ever.” When viewing the breadth and depth of his collection, it’s not difficult to see why.

A reflection of the man who created it, this collection, often referred to as the Hesperides collection, prizes artistry and age above all else. Representing countless idiosyncratic regional weaving practices, these textiles are a true feast for the eyes.

Highlights include a Bergama fragmentary rug dating to the first half of the 19th century, estimated at $1,000-$2,000. Beautifully woven in rich reds and blues, the skill of its West Anatolia creators is evident and breathtaking.

The sale also features several Ningxia carpets from West China, including a particularly eye-catching square piece with an estimate of $700-$1,000. It is decorated with delicate vines and botanical motifs on a golden-toned ground.

Jim Dixon’s collection boasts a selection of impressive Northwest Persian gallery carpets as well, some woven in the late 18th or early 19th centuries. These large-scale rugs feature intricately woven medallion patterns. One such standout, measuring 23ft, 6in by 8ft, 9in carries an estimate of $1,000-$2,000.

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