"Swept Off His Feet by a Carpet
# When a Milan dealer saw a Turkish rug up for sale in the U.S., he knew he had to buy it. The auction house didn't know what it had.
By Catherine Collins and Douglas Frantz, Special to The Times
Only a few people in the North Carolina auction room paid much attention when bidding started on Lot 57, described sparingly in the catalog as an 18th century Turkish carpet expected to fetch $5,000 to $10,000.
But that changed as the bids moved briskly past $50,000. Auctioneer Robert S. Brunk, surprised by how quickly his estimate had been passed, deftly kept the interested bidders in view, swinging from one to another. The price moved up in $10,000 increments."
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