Istanbul to Samarkand Rug Gallery

Donna Endres, internationally recognized Oriental rug specialist / owner of ISTANBUL TO SAMARKAND gallery in Austin, deals in antique tribal rugs, textiles and carpets. She began her career during a two-year residence in Turkey, after which she continued to visit weaving centers in the Middle East and beyond. Over time, her interest in rugs and textiles expanded to include traditional weavings from eastern hemisphere regions. Endres conducts lectures and seminars on Oriental rugs and ethnographic weaving to rug and textile groups, including a 6-week SAGE seminar on Eastern Hemisphere rugs at the University of Texas Thompson Center. She was an invited speaker at the American Conference on Oriental Rugs in Boston. She holds a USPAP-certification with the American Society of Appraisers. Rugs from Endres gallery decorate The University of Texas Center for Middle Eastern Studies and The James A. Michener Center for Texas Writers in the J. Frank Dobie House. Pieces from her private collection were selected to be part of the juried Hajji Baba Club 75th Anniversary Exhibition, Timbuktu to Tibet, at the New-York Historical Society Museum through September 2008, continuing at the Textile Museum, Washington D.C. through March 2009. In October 2009, an oversized 19th century Charchango, Kizil Ayak Turkmen carpet from Endres’ collection went on display as an artwork at the Blanton Museum as part of the solo U.S. exhibition of Italian Renaissance paintings, "Paolo Veronese: The Petrobelli Altarpiece." Endres also oversees the care and restoration of collectible antique rugs for individuals and institutions. As an independent researcher and appraiser, Endres catalogs and evaluates rug and textile collections, and advises clients on acquisitions and disbursements to build and shape collections and to settle estates. Endres’ rugs and textiles are found in collections in the United States, Canada and Europe. Selected examples, as part of a collection assembled for a Hollywood actor client, were featured in the October 2003 Architectural Digest. She is listed as a Trusted Source on the widely read Oriental Rug Notes website and is a member of the specialty online salon, Turkotek. A video showing Endres’ rug gallery, collection and travels can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZT8FfyaM2s