My Story

A Family Tradition

Runge Oriental Rugs has been on Main Street in Yarmouth for the past 32 years. The owner, A.E. Runge, Jr. or “Tad” as his friends and customers call him, represents the most recent and last generation of Runges with a commitment to the appreciation and marketing of attractive pre-1930 vintage oriental carpets.
This tradition of art rugs and customer satisfaction started with Tad’s great grandfather, Edward Runge, who purchased rugs from around the world on buying trips and sold them on Fifth Avenue in New York starting in the 1880s. Grandfather put together the Altman Collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Customers included J. P. Morgan and in 1916 Grandfather sold to Lewis Comfort Tiffany, a 32' x 23' Imperial Chinese Ming Dynasty carpet that was again sold by Christies Auction House in 2020.

To learn more about oriental rugs in general, and Hamadan Village rugs in particular, read One Woman, One Weft by Tad Runge

The store has an inventory that has been purchased almost entirely from estates and private individuals through out the United States and Europe. Most are village rugs and carpets. Most date between 1890 and 1930. The rugs have been chosen for that difficult to find combination of timeless aesthetic beauty, condition, and good value.

Tad Runge is nationally recognized for his knowledge of Hamadan Village rugs. He has lectured at the International Conference of Oriental Carpets (ICOC), the American Conference on Oriental Rugs (ACOR), numerous regional rug societies and adult education programs. He currently serves on the Collections and Research Committee of the Maine Historical Society, various community boards, and is a volunteer fire fighter.