Bruce Baganz, Mary Jo Otsea, and Mike Tschebull—three figures whose experience spans collecting, museums, auctions and scholarships—were present at the roundtable.
The panel, led by the Hajji Baba Club president Zach Zaman, explored how collectors develop an eye, the role of instinct and mentorship, evolving tastes over time, and what continues to make the pursuit of historic rugs and textiles compelling after decades in the field.
The conversation brought up numerous questions and developed into a show-and-tell where collectors and emerging enthusiasts shared objects, observations and stories. The evening also raised broader questions about how connoisseurship is passed from one generation to the next and how collecting communities can remain active, welcoming and relevant.
