Now with one of the world’s largest private collections of oriental rugs, Polish born businessman Romain Zaleski is a collector whose name is known worldwide. Originally, he bought his first rug back in the 1950s when he was just a young man. Growing up with politically active parents in the Polish resistance, he quickly became familiar with the world of dissidence, aiding his family’s underground activates when needed. Devoted to his parents, the first rug he ever bought was a gift for them, purchased while he was on military service in Morocco.

Romain has been collecting rugs ever since, and his vast assortment of pieces are now on show at the Galleria Girogio Franchetti at Ca’ d’Oro, in Venice. Titled Serenissime Trame, the exhibition is curated by Claudia Cremonini, Moshe Tabibnia and Giovanni Valagussa and is the first ever museum presentation of his esteemed collection. Featuring over 26 very early carpets from the near East, its location in the Ca’ d’Oro palace is a fine one, as it’s one of the city’s most extraordinary Venetian buildings.

The Zaleski family donated a collection of rugs to the building back in 2014, which consisted of 1,325 carpets for the future creation of a specialist museum dedicated to their conservation and presentation to the public. Featuring an array of works with differing styles, techniques, iconographies and ethnographic relevancies, many of the works in this exhibition occupy the territory between artisan handicraft and fine art. Open until the 23rd of July, this show is a rare opportunity to see one of the biggest collections of oriental rugs in the world. For more information visit: http://www.serenissimetrame.it/en/