‘We recently lost our friend James D. (Jim) Burns, one of the most important figures in the North American oriental rug world, a man who bridged the gap between the old and new worlds of rug collecting. More than fifty years have passed since the days of H. McCoy Jones, Joe McMullan, and the other good old boys of the 50s and 60s, many of whom he knew well. Jim always engaged the attention of his friends and colleagues with his reminiscences. Everyone remembers the great stories he told about the rug world and, importantly, he was always happy to share his knowledge. His presence among his friends and colleagues will be terribly missed. It will be hard to fill this gap.
Blossom and arabesque carpet fragment, Azerbaijan, northwest Persia, circa 1700. 1.85 x 2.44m 6'1" x 8'0". James D Burns Collection
Jim exceeded many of his contemporaries with the extent and diversity of his collection of both rugs and textiles. Over the years he not only amassed world class collections of Caucasian, Persian, Kurdish and Chinese carpets, but also produced three ground-breaking books. This was particularly true of his Antique Rugs of Kurdistan.
Born in 1932, by profession he was a successful attorney who championed the rights of individuals against big corporations. He was a Seattle native and supporter of the University of Washington’s Henry Art Gallery Museum, where he gifted many rugs (he also gave an important Mughal rug to The Textile Museum). He was also a passionate follower of the University of Washington football team!
