From today opens a marvellous exhibition, ‘Weavers, Merchants and Kings: Cadrys 70th Anniversary,’ at the Powerhouse Museum in Ultimo, New South Wales, celebrating the 70th anniversary of Cadrys, the first Persian-owned carpet business in Sydney.
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Sydney’s first Persian-owned carpet business was founded in 1952 by immigrant Jacques Cadry (1910–2003), who had been born into a Jewish family in the trade.
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For 70 years, Cadrys Rugs has been at the forefront of introducing Australian designers and artists, including Florence Broadhurst, to the unique craftsmanship of Persian rugs.
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Prof. Pedram Khosronejad, who is the curator of Persian arts, says this will provide a rare glimpse into Indo-Persian history. He says:
“Loaned by Cadrys, it is one of only a handful of examples known to feature an architectural scene as the central design and provides a rare glimpse into a period of Indo-Persian history during the late 19th Century.”
The highlight of the exhibition for the visitors would be an antique Persian Dorokhsh carpet believed to have been created for a royal palace.
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Prof. Khosronejad adds:
“Persian Dorokhsh carpets revived ancient textile-making traditions in Khorassan, a region renowned for woven art, and transformed the nomadic craft of carpet-weaving into a specialised artisan industry.”
Exceptional Persian artefacts from the Cadry family’s expansive collection and a selection of objects they have donated to the Powerhouse will also be displayed in the exhibition.
This will allow a whole new generation of enthusiastic and curious audiences to experience stories and folk traditions through eye-catching textile and craft pieces.
Exhibition highlights include four tempera illustrations by Paul Ratzer and an Asfar carpet previously owned by Ratzer and acquired by Jacques Cadry in 1983.
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The exhibition (8 September 2022 – 29 January 2023) recognises the Cadry family’s decades of generosity as Powerhouse donors.
It will be complemented by documentary film screenings in the Kings Cinema and a scholarly panel at Powerhouse Ultimo on 15 October 2022 discussing the cultural significance of the objects on display.