Silk Roads to go online-only

Silk Roads Design Gallery on La Brea Avenue, dealer of Asian antiques, art and contemporary items, will close June 1 after 15 years to transition to a solely online business.

Cari Markell, co-owner of the gallery with husband Jon, said Friday that “rents are going up” and that, with a worldwide clientele, the gallery is “getting more Web business than walk-in business.” The website, she said, also allows the opportunity to provide information that helps potential buyers put artworks into historical, religious and cultural context.

“Finally, we feel at a point where people believe in the Web and use it for serious buying, which three years ago was not the case,” Markell said. “I think art in general is going in that direction.”