In the autumn of 1922
Frank Michaelian arrived on the overnight steamer ship
from Shanghai and entered the port of Chefoo on the northeast coast of
mainland China. In the previous year, the twenty five year old Michaelian had
established the woven rugs carpet manufacturing and importing company
Michaelian and Kohlberg. Michaelian was to later become one of the first
Americans to establish carpet exporting offices in the Middle East and India,
but early on one of his ambitions was to introduce and train needlepoint
carpet weaving skills to artisans in mainland China. Michaelian set up a
weaving center in China and between the years of 1924 and 1937, he produced
some of the finest examples of needlepoint carpets ever made.
In 1937, with the Japanese invasion of the Chinese coast and the hostilities
taking place between Chiang Kai-shek and Mao Tse-tung, Michaelian was forced
to leave China. History though does have a habit of repeating itself, and with
the opening of China in the early 1980's, he started to import many of the
same products. And now, steeped in the tradition and heritage of this industry
legend, Frank Michaelian's renowned artistry and unparalleled quality continue
to be the hallmarks of Michaelian Home. Jason Sumner, the grandson of Frank
Michaelian and the owner of Michaelian Home, has been involved in the home
furnishings business since 1981, just three years after Frank Michaelian
passed away. And so the legacy continues. Michaelian Home is a company with
many accomplishments and it uses all of its prowess to produce designs that
are unique to its brand. For instance, the clever decisions on colours and
shapes are taken with savvy understanding of what works and what doesnąt work,
what is beautiful and breath taking, and what is familiar and inviting.
Check out the
Frank Michaelian Travel Log
