CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT FUND GIVEN IN 1891 BY HENRY WILLIAMS SAGE Comall University Library NK2808 .L28 How to Icnow oriental rugs, a handbook, oltn 3 1924 030 674 893 Cornell University Library The original of tliis bool< is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924030674893 HOW TO KNOW ORIENTAL RUGS ANTIQUE GHIOKDES Loaned by W. & J. Sloane, New York City HOW TO KNOW ORIENTAL RUGS A HANDBOOK BY MARY BEACH LANGTON WITH TWENTY FULL-PAGE ILLUS- TRATIONS, TWELVE BEING FAC- SIMILE REPRODUCTIONS IN COLORS " Were a man to live as long as Methuselah he would never cease to find ftesh beauties in a Persian carpet." — M. Chakles Blanc NEW YORK D. APPLETON AND COMPANY 1904 Copyright, 1904, By D. ApptETON AND Company All rights reserved PuhUshed UarcTi, 1904 DEDICATED TO MY HUSBAND WHO HAS MADE POSSIBLE THIS BOOK CONTENTS Introduction. By Joseph F. Langton i i I. The Story of the Rug 17 II. Persian Rugs . 57 III. Caucasian Rugs 103 IV. Kurdistan Rugs 137 V. Turkish Rugs . 153 VI. Turkoman Rugs 179 VII. India Rugs 195 VIII. Chinese Rugs . 217 IX. Silk Rugs Index 233 239 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS FACING PAGE Rugs Reproduced in Coloi . Facsimile : Antique Ghiordes . . Frontispiece List of lUus Antique Shiraz -. trations • 74 Kermanshah ■ 78 Antique Royal Senna . 82 Saraband . 86 Feraghan . . 90 Kashan Silk . 98 Kasak . 124 Antique Koulah . . 160 Bokhara . 182 Peking . 222 Persian Silk • 236 Rugs Reproduced in Black -and-White : Khorasan . • • . 66 Daghestan . . 108 Tzitzi . 118 Shirvan . 132 Persian Kurdistan . . 140 Mossoul . IJO Bergamo . 168 Samarkand . '• 230 Map of Oriental Rug Co [JNTRIE s . 36 INTRODUCTION The demand for Oriental rugs in America increases rapidly. A few years ago they were little known out- side the seaboard cities and a limited number of collections elsewhere; but to-day there is scarcely a town in the country, East or West, where they are not used and more or less intelligently discussed. They may now be said to have become a permanent factor in house-furnishing everjrwhere. We have turned to the products of the East because they possess greater artistic merit than the work produced in this country or Europe. II Hoiv to Know Oriental Bugs There are four qualities in Oriental rugs which commend them. First, is durability. The life of the average domestic carpet may be reckoned by a few years, while that of the Oriental product can be measured by decades or generations. Second, should be named their artistic beauty of design and coloring. The Oriental work- man knows how to combine colors. In a general way other makers are only imitators, who reproduce de- signs found in the East. In the third place, we secure through them economy in furnishing. While the outlay at first is undoubtedly large, yet, in view of the wearing qualities of rugs, owners possess something which has real, permanent value. Fourth, may be named the sanitary conditions which attend their use. 12 Introduction House-cleaning with rugs on the floors ceases to be altogether a terror. In- deed, housekeeping in general through them is simplified and placed under better hygienic conditions. The literature pertaining to rugs has not kept pace with the use of them. In 1892 the Royal Austrian Museum published a book entitled Oriental Carpets, which is a large work, with reproductions from magnificent color plates of some of the finest rugs in the world as collected for the Austrian Imperial Exhibit, and also with mono- graphs written by Sir George Bird- wood, Mr. C. Purdou Clarke, Mr. Vincent J. Robinson, and others. The edition, however, was limited, the ex- pense of the work making possession of copies possible only to a few per- sons and the largest libraries. This 13 Hoiio to Know Oriental Bugs pioneer work, as to its text, at once became an authority on the subject, while its illustrations enabled read- ers to gain knowledge of some of the rarest specimens of the art. In 1900 Mr. Mumford's valuable but somewhat expensive work, Oriental Rugs, appeared, and greatly stimu- lated interest in the subject. In view of the almost universal de- mand that now exists for information on the subject, the present more mod- est work will perhaps be accepted as timely and may serve to meet an ex- isting popular need. The author has made a close and careful study of the subject, and has had valuable assist- ance from Mr. L. B. Searing and Mr. George H. Stevenson, of New York, and from the rug buyers of large New York importers, as well as 14 Introduction access to the collections of several well-known houses. Her aim has been an entirely practical one — to tell readers How to Know Oriental Rugs. The plan and arrangement of the book will, I think, ^immend them- selves to readers. The' opening chap- ter, for example, The Story of the Rug, contains a brief survey of the entire field, giving an outline of weaving, materials, dyes, and designs, as well as of the symbolism, history, and artistic qualities of rugs. In the succeeding chapters various classes of rugs are described. Each is placed in its proper geographical environ- ment as to the country where it is produced, and the manners and cus- toms of the makers are set forth. The peculiarities of patterns, colors, ma- terials, and workmanship are there 15 How to Knovo Oriental Bugs in detail explained. The map of the various rug districts should be of pe- culiar interest and real service. The illustrations are reproductions, in col- ors or black and white, of photographs of rugs, which have been selected not so much as unique specimens, which they are not, as because they are rep- resentative as types. Let me bespeak for the book a kind reception. Joseph F. Langton. St. Paul, Minn., December 7, zpoj. 16 THE STORY OF THE RUG I THE STORY OF THE RUG The handicraft which has given us History Oriental rugs is very ancient. Its ori- gin is unchronicled, but as Egypt has been the mother of so many arts, we may well believe that this one had its origin there; for on the sculptures of Egypt Beni Hassan, dating back lsv:enty-six hundred years before Christ, are de- signs of carpets not unlike those in use in rug-making, while Diodorus tells us that the Egyptians spread carpets for their sacred Jbulls to lie upon. Ebers, in Uarda, represents the floors of the apartments of Katuti, which were fur- nished with royal magnificence, as cov- ered with carpets in which " the foot sank in the thick pile " ; and we know 19 How to Know Oriental Rugs that Cleopatra reclined on couches spread with rich carpets as her barge sailed to meet Antony. Babylonia Babylonia rivaled all ancient coun- tries in her rich textile fabrics, among them carpets made of wool with a pile like the Persian rugs of to-day. Pro- fessor Sayce, writing of the Babylo- nians, says of their carpets : " They were woven in bright varicolored pat- terns; the figures of men and animals were depicted upon them, and the bas- relief or fresco could be replaced upon the wall by a picture in tapestry." Persia When Cyrus extended the bounda- ries of Persia west of the Zagros Mountains that country fell heir to all the arts of the Euphrates Valley, and from that day to the present has main- tained a foremost place in the products of the loom, giving to the world the most beautiful carpets ever made. She has been the teacher of Greek, Arab, 20 The Story of the Rug Turk, Turkoman, Afghan, and Hindu, none of whom has ever surpassed her. The Greeks of Asia Minor, as early Greeks as Homer's time, practised the art of rug-weaving, for in the Odyssey we read: Fair thrones within, from space to space were raised Where various carpets with embroidery blazed. The work of matrons. The Arab was a ready pupil in the Arabs textile art, and through him the Moors carried a new industry into Spain, where, in Cordova and Granada, these Saracenic weavers, in a style peculiar to themselves, made most splendid car- pets to adorn their palaces and mosques. The crusaders took back to Europe Taken to a knowledge of and a desire for the ^"X^'f luxuries of the Orient; and soon, through the Italian cities, Persian car- pets found their way to all parts of Europe; and later, in the thirteenth 21 England How to Know Oriental Bugs century, through the Spanish ambassa- dors who preceded Eleanor of Castile, they were taken to England, where, in the royal palaces and cathedrals, they were used as wall decorations and as floor coverings. From that time on Europe has grown in her appreciation of this art, and has come to recognize and highly prize its products. In England Oriental rugs have been pop- ular since the middle of the nineteenth century, when many were made ac- quainted with Eastern fabrics through the great Exhibition in London in 1851. America Some of the most beautiful antique rugs are in American homes and col- lections, for the American is rapidly becoming a connoisseur in this art, and all classes are yearly showing a greater interest in it. Few are the homes of taste and refinement where one or more rugs are not found. 22 The Story of the Rug iWhile the Western world uses rugs Uses chiefly as floor coverings, to the Orien- tal they were the only furniture of his house, serving as carpets along the sides and end of the reception-room — the center usually being left for the servants who waited upon or enter- tained the guests; taking the place of divan, pillow, and cushion covers ; do- ing duty as portieres or wall hangings ; placed before the open fire as seats of honor, or at the door as a token of wel- come; serving as beds at night, which might be rolled away in the daytime. They gave warmth and cheer and a sense of comfort, as they do with us. The rug has always been used for re- ligious purposes: in the service of the Religious old Egyptian temples, in the decora- Purpose tion of the walls of the Kaaba be- fore the time of Mohammed, as altar-cloths and as canopies in .proces- sions in Christian cathedrals. In the 23 How to Know Oriental Bugs mosques of the Moslems and in the temples of the Buddhists rugs have had a place. Prayer-rug The prayer-rug, which has been called a " creed in color," originated with the Mohammedans; and wher- ever the faithful follower of the Prophet may be, at the hour appointed he spreads his rug, *with the mihrab, or niche, toward Mecca, and prostrates himself for his devotions, with his head resting on the rug at the point and his hands outstretched. Prayer- rugs are made small for children as well as for grown people; and occa- sionally one is found with three or more niches, as if intended for a whole family. Saddle-bags As in the East the horse and camel are almost the only means of travel, saddle-covers and saddle-bags are uni- versally used. The love of the val- uable steed makes it a matter of pride 24 The Story of the Rug to the owner to caparison it richly; and there is an opportunity here, as well as in the furnishing of royal palaces and in the durbars of India, for the dis- play in gorgeous trappings so dear to the heart of the Oriental. In this day, when we hear so much Oriental of handicrafts and the union of the Handicrafts artizan and artist, it is interesting to note that the thought is almost as old as the human race. The early He- brews acknowledged the Divine Spirit in the gift of handicraft. " Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work" (Ex. XXXV, 35). All Oriental art has this stamp of human labor upon it, and shows not only the skill of the 25 How to Know Oriental Bugs hand, but the thought of the brain. In Oriental textiles we are impressed with the art spirit of the cunning workman. The East seems permeated with this ar- tistic life, which has been kept alive through all the ages. Artistic While the makers of Oriental rugs Rugs° ^^^ people of very primitive habits, who have been to no schools of art, but have simply followed their native in- stincts, their fabrics possess unrivaled artistic qualities, which add beauty and elegance to our homes. These people seem to have an intuitive per- ception of the beautiful, which, fol- lowed out in this handicraft, has made Jheir work the admiration of every one. iWe stand lost in wonder before many a finished product of the loom, and would read, if we could, the thoughts The Rug an written thereon. For^s each rug is xpression ^j^^ expression of an individual, are we Individual not justified in thinking that joy, sor- 26 The Story of the Rug row, love, deep religious feeling, and sentiment of home may have found ex- pression in this work of the hand? Surely, the rug made for the hour of prayer, when every loyal Moslem turns toward his holy city, must em- body many a prayer in its very tex- ture; or the one intended for an offer- ing at some shrine or for the adornment of some mosque must express some- thing of the devotion the maker felt for his holy places; the fabric de- signed by the young girl as a gift to her future husband must have had the colors and patterns selected with the constant thought of the lover in mind, as the one for the covering of the grave of a friend must be indicative of ten- der memories; the hearth-rug which is brought before the open fire for the guest of the household possesses, in its very texture, the color and warmth of hospitality so prevalent among these 27 How to Know Oriental Bugs people. May not one which holds in its threads the wish, May every act of thine prosper And every year and every day be to thee spiing-time, have been meant for some beloved monarch? Into those intended for the home as floor coverings, wall orna- ments, couch covers, portieres, or pil- lows, may we not think the wife or mother has woven an expression of her love and devotion to each member of the household^' We are led to believe this, for the work of rug-weaving and designing is a domestic art, and has fallen almost exclusively to women. Women In parts of India and in Kirman, le Weavers ^^ej-g the Government has always di- rected the industry, men and boys are the weavers; and in recent times the great demand for Oriental rugs has forced them to this work in Turkey and in western Persia; but among the 28 T%e Story of the Bug nomad tribes and in districts where no foreign influence is felt the women are still the only makers of rugs. The commercial spirit which has perme- ated many districts, as, for example, in India, has taken away individual in- terest in the work and the finer touch which so enhances the value of antique rugs. When individual expression gives place to the commercial instinct, the charm possessed by the rare old pieces will be lost to the art. Notwithstanding the poetic side of Little Envi- rug-weaving, there is little enviable ^^^^ " ^'*^ in the life of the Oriental woman ; for while she seems content to toil at her loom for the support of the household, as well as to do the necessary work, she is really a slave to the master of the house, and her life is one of joyless labor. This woman " seeketh wool and flax and worketh willingly with her hands. She riseth while it is yet night, 29 How to Know Oriental Rugs and giveth meat to her household. She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff." They learn the art of weaving as little chil- dren — in fact, we may say there is no childhood for the women of the rug- weaving districts, for they begin at the age of six or seven years to learn the secrets of the loom, first by winding the balls of bright-colored yarns which are hung across the top of the loom within easy reach of the weaver, then by tying in the plain colors, learning little by little, until with ease and dex- terity and a deftness of hand which we know little about they become pro- ficient in the art. Process of Practically the same method of Weaving ^ireaving is employed as that of two thousand or more years ago. Vincent J. Robinson, in his Eastern Carpets, thus describes the process: "A very rough loom is contrived by placing 30 The Story of the Rug two horizontal poles or large beams, according to the width of the proposed carpet, the one about a foot or eight- een inches above the level of the floor, and the other six or seven feet above that and parallel with it. Upon the upper of these beams are coiled the threads, or warps, which are to form the foundation of the carpet, with their lower ends strained or fixed to the bot- tom pole. The loom being * set up,' the pile is gradually worked into the warp-threads in the following manner : Small bobbins of wool, goats' hair, or other material of which the pile is to be made, dyed of the required colors to form the pattern, are passed over and under the warp-threads twice so as to bring the two ends of the pile to the front of the carpet, when the engaged end is cut, leaving the two ends of the material projecting, to form the pile. This is repeated in the same color, or 31 Haw to Know Oriental Rugs changed to suit the requirements of the design, and when one row is finished it is hammered closely down with a kind of comb, and another row is be- gun. Before a commencement of each row of the pile the warps, which are divided into two sets, are crossed, and a shoot of hemp or cotton is introduced between them; they are then crossed again by means of a treadle, and the weaving of the pile recommences. Aft- er a completion of several rows of pile, the projecting ends of it, which have only as yet been roughly cut, are carefully trimmed to the length which it is intended to assume." Primitive So we See how primitive are the tools — the rude loom, a wooden or metal comb, a pair of shears are all. The process of weaving seems very • simple ; but much skill is needed in stretching the warp so as to have the spaces even; in tying the knot, which 32 The Story of the Bug is done entirely by hand, requiring great deftness ; and in following the in- tricate designs, which are often carried in the mind of the weaver and handed down from generation to generation — each maker o. the same design giving his work the individual touch. Some- times the colors to be used are called off by one who has the work in charge ; or again, where Americans and Eu- ropeans direct the weavers, colored drawings or samplers are followed. At times four or five persons work on a rug at the same time, each being re- sponsible for two or more feet. There are two methods of knotting Two Kinds the pile: one, the Senna or Persian °f^°'^= knot, in which the two ends of the pile, after being wound around two separate threads of the warp, come to the sur- face between every space of the warp ; the other, Ghiordes or Turkish knot, in which they come up between every 3 33 Hwja to Know Oriental Bugs two threads. Besides the pile carpets, the khilims and Cashmere rugs are worked with a smooth surface by means of a shuttle or needle. Finish The ends of rugs are finished in va- rious ways : by leaving the loose warp ends to form a fringe, as in many Per- sian rugs, or with the woven web and fringe of the Turkoman fabrics, or like many of the Caucasian rugs, with nar- row web and knotted fringe. The sides are either selvaged, made by winding the woof around the outer threads of the warp, or they are over- cast with separate thread. "ime taken The number of knots to the square to make a -^^^j^ determines the texture of the rug; fine Kirmans or Sennas have from four to six hundred or more knots to the square inch, while some Turkish rugs have as few as thirty. If we exam- ine closely every tuft of wool, the end of a knot, we are able to form some 34 The Story qf the Rug idea of the infinite patience and care required in this work. A pair of Senna rugs six feet four inches by four feet four inches, which were recently shown in New York, were of such fine texture that the designs seemed drawn in pencil lines. These real Meisso- niers in warp and woof are said to have nine hundred and twenty-four knots to the square inch, and to have taken fif- teen years to make. It is estimated that a skilful weaver can tie three knots a minute, so that by working eight hours a day he can complete a Kirman rug five feet by eight feet, containing four hundred knots to the square inch, in a little over four years. A rug of the same quality ten by twelve feet will require more than ten years to make; while a coarse modern Turkish rug, with forty knots to the square inch, will take less than two years. .When we bear this in mind, we 35 Hofw to Know Oriental Rugs Craft wonder how Oriental rugs can be sold Poorly Paid ^^ cheaply as they many times are. It is only because this handicraft is so poorly paid — from ten to fifteen cents a day is an average day's wages — that a rug which represents four years' work can be bought for eighty doUarSj) Materials Various materials are used in the making of Oriental rugs: wool of sheep and goats, silk, camel's hair, cot- ton, linen, and hemp. The Orient is renowned for its fine wool, the very best of which comes from Kirman, Cashmere, Kurdistan, and Angora. Doubtless the warm climate, soft, running water, excellent pasturage, as well as the breed of sheep, have much influence on the quality of the wool. Before being used it must be washed, sorted, cleaned again, carded, and spun into yarn — a strong thread for the warp, single for the woof, and double for the pile. And here, again, 36 The Story of the Bug the most primitive methods are em- ployed. The carding is done by draw- ing the wool over the sharp ends of nails driven into a piece of wood. The spinning is all done by hand. Mr. Bryce gives us a picture of the people of Cilicia spinning as they move from place to place : " Each, like the fates of Catullus, bore a distafif in her hand, with a lump of wool upon her wrist, and this they plied as they drove their flocks before them." The Kurds use the winter combings "Kurk" of sheep, called " kurk^'' which has the softness and luster of silk, for their choicest prayer-rugs. From Tibet the beautiful shawl-wool, or push- Pushmina mina, is obtained from the down un- der the wool of the goat, and is used in making the finest grade of Indian rugs. Camel's hair, which is the long, woolly hair taken from the upper part of the legs, the under side of the neck, 37 Hoia to Know Oriental Bugs and the hump of the camel, is used in various districts, chiefly in the making of Hamadan, Mossoul, and Beluchis- Silk tan rugs. Silk has been used from very early times in the making of rugs, sometimes as the warp, to give fineness of texture, as well as in the pile. Tur- key, Persia, China, and India produce Gold silk in great abundance. Some of the ^ ' choicest specimens of antiques, espe- cially in the work of the sixteenth, sev- enteenth, and eighteenth centuries, have gold or silver threads either woven into or worked over the warp. The so-called " Polish carpets " of this time have spots of the warp left with- out knots, and the gold or silver threads worked over the warp in the khilim stitch. Cotton, linen, and hemp are used in the warp and woof, as well as silk and wool. Color We always associate brilliant sun- shine and warmth of coloring with the 38 The Story of the Bug East. The Oriental has a natural love of color, and his genius shows itself in the harmonious blending and contrast- ing of various hues. Surely he must have a deep sympathy for nature, since in no other way than out of his love and search for the beautiful in the fields about him could have come such varied tints, such strong, true, vital col- ors, and yet such artistic refinement and repose as one finds in many East- ern fabrics. He knows Of splendor in the grass, of glory in the flower. But the secret of the artistic effects Secret of and permanence of color in Oriental ^""^"5 ^°^- . ormg rugs is due to the use of animal and vegetable dyes. From very early times the Phenicians were renowned for a purple or crimson which they obtained from a mollusk in the ^gean Sea. The process of making the Tyrian pur- Animal Dyes pie is a lost one, but from sheet's blood I39 How to Know Oriental Rugs a brilliant scarlet is made; from ker- mes, the dried bodies of an insect known in ancient Egypt and still used, a beautiful red is obtained, as well as from lac, a resinous substance pro- duced by an insect mainly upon the banyan-tree, and in more recent times from cochineal. Vegetable The vegetable dyes'or extracts from ^^^ the bark, stems, roots, blossoms, fruits, and seeds of plants are the wonder and admiration of the world. The Ori- ental blue, which they copied from cloudless skies, seas, and mountains, was very successful, and is preserved in tiles and pottery as well as in woven fabrics. We find it in all shades, from soft turquoise and the celestial blue of the Chinese to the deepest tint of the Persians. This was obtained from in- digo, but it is only now and then that the results are now as satisfactory as in earlier days. The vegetable red, 40 The Story of the Rug which in wool is a deep-toned, blood red, is from madder, which is raised in great quantities in Asia Minor. Yel- low is made from various plants: the Persian berry giving a tawny yellow, larkspur a bright yellow, a fungus from the mulberry a greenish yellow, as well as turmeric, saffron, weld, and yellow berries, the unripe fruit of a shrub. Henna, so much used by the Persians in dyeing their nails and beards, gives a reddish orange. Brown is made from valonia, and from the green husks of walnuts. Shades of pur- ple are produced from various com- binations of indigo and red; green from indigo and yellow; and black from indigo and brown. Some colors are more durable than others; red has preserving qualities, while black often destroys the fibers of the fabric. The whole chromatic scale of col- ors is much influenced by the degree 41 How to Know Oriental Rugs Colors in- of softncss and the temperature of the Waterfete^ Water as well as by other qualities which it may possess, modified by at- mospheric conditions, such as length of time of exposure to air and sunshine, the degree of sunshine, and the num- ber of " dippings." The art of dyeing, for it is an art, has many secrets. A color is often produced in one family for generations without others know- ing the process of obtaining it. The work of dyeing is confined almost ex- clusively to men, who gather the ma- terials from the fields about or culti- vate some needed plant in a little garden-patch" in the summer-time, and spend the greater part of the year in preparing the dyes and coloring the wool. Often the color runs out in the making of a rug, for many times the wool is dyed from day to day as it is needed, and it is impossible to obtain the exact shade again, as the same con- 42 The Story of the Rug ditions are not available; but this sometimes adds to the value of the rug rather than detracts, for often a glim- mering, light over the whole is due to a change in the shades of wool. The introduction of anilin, or coal- Anilin tar, dyes is destroying dyeing as an art. ^^^^ These dyes are cruder, less artistic, and are not permanent ; but they are cheaper, and can be obtained with far less labor. Where anilin dyes are used the art is reduced to a commer- cial basis, and no individual pride is taken in it, while the position of a dyer of the old school was an honored one in the community. Both in Per- sia and in Smyrna rigid laws forbid- ding the use of the cheaper dyes exist ; but Russia has made no effort to main- tain the old, permanent dyes in her new possessions. She seems to have no thought of preserving the native arts, but is intent only on pushing her 43 How to Know Oriental Bugs boundaries and finding a market for her own products. There are con- stantly brought to this country from Turkey, from the Caucasus, from Turkestan, from India, and even from some Persian districts, rugs of the crudest coloring and harshness. One must be constantly on his guard in the purchasing of Oriental rugs if he would have the genuine old dyes. An expert can tell at a glance a poor dye, but one not accustomed to judging can test the dyes by putting water on the rug. Permanent dyes will not run, while anilin dyes do. The old dyes in rugs are as lasting as the beautiful colors in old stained-glass windows, which time tones down but does not impair. Charm of It is when we come to the study of ^'"^° design in Oriental rugs that we are held fascinated; for a carpet unfolds itself like the plot of a story. The 44 The Story of the Rug predominating color first attracts the eye, then the general scheme of de- sign, and lastly the pattern in de- tail with the figures symbolical of natural objects, that fasten the atten- tion and make daily life with a rug a constant delight, with its ever new phases of beauty. No two rugs are ever exactly alike, for while in certain types of rugs, like the Bokhara and Saraband, the general scheme is the same, little variations in color combi- nations give different effects. Each in- dividual weaves something of herself into the rug, and so, like any other work of art, it has the charm of the in- dividual touch, the fascination of a personal history. The origin of design is surrounded Origin of by mystery, but it is generally con- ^^'^ ceded that the first designs were geo- metrical, copying, doubtless, the plait- ing of rush mats, which preceded car- 45 How to Know Oriental Bugs pets in the evolution of floor coverings. Later, as the artistic instincts of these early weavers were developed, they wove into their fabrics the beauty in form as well as color which they saw about them. Walter Crane, in his Basis of Design, would make the floral Persian carpet the imitation of the Persian garden, for he says : " The love of the sheltered, walled-in, and Persian Gar- natural garden is very evident in their den imitated literature, and the influence of their in Persian ' Carpet flora upou their designs of all kinds is evident enough. The idea of the East- ern paradise is a garden. We have it in the Bible in the Garden of Eden — an enclosed pleasance or park, full of choice trees and rare flowers, animals of the chase, and birds. This idea re- curs constantly in Persian design. The very scheme of the typical carpet seems derived from it — a rich, varicolored field, hedged about with its borders. 46 The Story of the Rug The field is frequently obviously in- tended for a field of flowers, and some- times suggests a wood or an orchard of fruit-trees." According to design, Oriental rugs classes may be classed as of purely Aryan, or according to floral type, including Persian and East Indian rugs, of Turanian, or geomet- rical, patterns embracing Turkoman and Caucasian carpets, and of a com- bination of the two, as represented in Turkish, Kurdish, and Chinese weaves. The Oriental has imitated nature or Imitations of translated her into textiles, sometimes ^^^ very literally, and again with great freedom. In the sumptuous old Per- sian carpets, intended for regal homes, full hunting scenes with a great deal of action are wonderfully pictured: hunters on horseback, with their dogs, among the forest-trees, are in pursuit of animals of the chase ; and in others, more quiet landscapes, with trees, flow- 47 Hofw to Know Oriental Rugs ers, and birds, are imitated. One which Mr. Stebbing describes in his book on the Holy Carpet is of this nature : " Various trees of the forest, planted in horizontal lines, are con- . nected on each line by the serpentine course of a stream, forming shallow pools, with a growth of wild flowers on the bank — the mud-flats left by the receding water very carefully indi- cated in the weaving." Trees and vines, the rose, tulip, nar- cissus, pink, flower of henna, and nu- merous other flowers, are so truly cop- ied that they are easily distinguished; but additional forms are used, which need more study to place. The palm, Palm which is a favorite design in Cashmere shawls, Khorasan and Saraband rugs, and is copied in others, is considered by some a conventionalized palm-leaf, and by others a likeness of the loop of the sacred river of India, for from a 48 The Story of the Rug sacred temple, looking toward the Jhelum River, every worshiper as he rises from prayer at noonday sees the river as a silver thread making this fig- ure on the green plain. The palmette, a little cup with fan-shaped leaves Palmette about it, may have had its origin in the " tree of life," or in the flame of the sacred fire of the Persians. The ro- Rosette sette, said to resemble the " star of Bethlehem," one of the early spring flowers of Persia, is much used in bor- der designs and in the formation of other patterns. It is the center of the Herati, or " fish pattern," which Herati consists of the rosette enclosed in curved lines, resembling the cloud bands of the Chinese, alternating with a diamond surrounding the same fig- ure, from four points of which are storks. By substituting the stalks of the yellow flowers of the flower of henna for the rosette with curved 4 49 How to Know Oriental Bugs "GuH lines we have the " guli henna" pat- Henna" ^g^^_ rpj^g flower and knop pattern, so Flower and Universally used in all ornament, is ^°°P said to have had its origin in the Egyptian lotus, or the scarlet tulip of Babylonia. The wavy lines connect- ing the designs in borders suggest vines or the meandering of a river. Geometrical When WC COme tO geometrical de- Designs signs, of which there is almost an end- less variety, it requires a great stretch of the imagination to see nature forms " bodied forth," and perhaps they are more symbolical of nature than at- tempts at representation. We find the square, triangle, star, rhomboid, hexa- gon, octagon, medallion, circle, cross, straight lines forming a fretwork, the Greek border, reciprocal saw-teeth, Vandykes, the " barber-pole " stripe, the swastika, the " latch hook," cup- shaped figures, and curious indescrib- able forms. 50 The Story of the Bug There is thought by many to be a Symbolism hidden meaning in all designs in Ori- ental rugs if we only knew the key by which to read them. " Carpets were regarded in the East," says Edward Stebbing, " in a higher light than among ourselves, and symbolism was a powerful motive, affecting largely the design." There is a deep significance in many symbols : the circle represents eternity, without beginning or end; th? zigzag, water or lightning; the hour- glass figure, formed by two triangles, fire and water; the star of six points, Allah; the swastika, fji, a symbol found among many primitive peoples, and said to represent the supreme deity of the Aryans and the motion of the earth on its axis, health, happiness, and good luck. The " latch hook " and the Greek border are thought to be modi- fications of the swastika, and to carry the same meaning. A meandering line 51 Homo to Know Oriental Bugs is a symbol of continuity of life, or end- lessness of eternal life; the Chinese cloud band, of immortality. The tree, always associated with religious be- lief, symbolizes Divine power and bounty ; the palm signifies a blessing or benediction ; the lotus typifies new life, or immortality. The whole rug is said to be the emblem of eternity, and the pattern the changing world of nature. iVerses from the Koran give a peculiar religious significance, and are often woven into rugs intended for mosques. Lines from the Persian poets express- ing good-will are sometimes found, and sometimes a date or signature. The following inscription is woven in Arabic characters in the Holy Carpet of the mosque of Ardebil : " I have no refuge in the world other than thy threshold. My head has no protection other than this porchway. The work of the slave of this holy place, Male- s' Z%e Story of the Bug sond of Kashan, in the year 946" (a. D. 1553). A bead or little tuft of wool or a tassel are thought to keep away the " evil eye," as are also some irregularities of design or the little S- shaged figures. The Mohammedan religion forbids Animal the use of animal forms, so that floral ^'g™^^* and geometrical designs are more often found in rugs. But as the Persians are not of the orthodox Moslem faith, but of the Shaiah sect, they exercise greater freedom in this respect, often repre- senting animals of the chase and birds. In some nomad rugs, too, we find little conventionalized figures of animals scattered through the field, especially in Kasak, Shirvan, Daghestan, and Kurdistan rugs. The dragon, bat, tor- toise, butterfly, and deer figure in Chinese rugs. The luster of Oriental rugs is se- Luster cured in various ways. In an antique S3 How to Know Oriental Bugs the polish is due to the tread of soft sandals and bare feet, for the Orien- tal never walks with heavy shoes upon so rare a fabric. It is sometimes due to the quality of the wool, for certain grades take on a sheen more readily than others. Many methods are re- sorted to to-day to give rugs this qual- ity, which is meant to be indicative of age and add to their beauty. They are Treated " treated " with chemicals and man- J^"S^ gled, buried in the sand, and harshly used until the luster appears. This treatment many times injures the wear- ing qualities of the rug. An Antique The question is often asked, " What is an antique? " An antique, it is gen- erally conceded, must have age, at least fifty years, animal or vegetable dyes, and a lustrous pile. Value The value of a rug is dependent on its permanent dyes, its age, its texture, or the number of knots to a square 54 I'he Story of the Rug inch, the beauty of design and color, or the unusualness of pattern and col- oring, the material of which it is made, and its size. There are a number of reasons for Deterioration the deterioration of certain modern °f Modern fabrics: first, the demand has been so much greater than the supply that means have been taken to increase the number produced, so that there has been more haste in the making of them; second, anilin dyes have been introduced into the East by Europeans, and as they are much cheaper and more easily used they are taking the place of permanent dyes; and third, designs of foreign origin and spirit have replaced the old patterns. The ability to classify rugs as to Know Rugs country and district comes to one with ^^ ^^^^ the study of them. The design for- merly indicated the district, but it is not so to-day; a more intimate knowl- 55 Hotv to Know Oriental Bugs edge is necessary. How to know Ori- ental rugs, to fully appreciate all their art qualities, and to be able to judge of their value, can only be learned after living with them, studying them with sympathy, as you would a poem or a picture, and handling them until this choice form of Eastern art becomes a delight and an inspira;tion. S6 II PERSIAN RUGS 1. Khorasan. 2. Meshed. 3. Herat. 4. Sliiraz. 5. Kirman and Kermanshah. 6. Tabriz. 7. Senna. 8. Saraband. 9. Feraghan. 10. Saruk. 11. Herez— Gorevan. Serapi. Bakshaish. 12. Hamadan. 13. Sultanabad. 14. Ispahan, and others. II PERSIAN RUGS Persia, the first permanent home of Country carpet weaving, while robbed of much of her political power, and only a shadow of her former self, still holds up to the world ideals in the textile art well worth a careful study. Her country, to-day of twice the area of France, extending seven hundred miles west and east from Turkey to Afghan- istan and Beluchistan, and nine hun- dred miles north and south from Rus- sian Turkestan to the Persian Gulf, has a wonderful variety of surface, cli- mate, products, and people. The low- lands about the Caspian Sea, with an almost tropical vegetation and a humid atmosphere, are in great contrast to 59 HotJo to Know Oriental Rugs the parched plains and dry air of the districts farther south; at Shiraz na- ture is prodigal of beauty, and in cen- tral Khorasan it is sparing. Her hill- sides and valleys furnish pasturage for large flocks of sheep and goats, and her fertile plains produce silk and cotton in abundance, so that all the materials for rug-making are of ham£_gjroyj:jth. Cities Persia has few cities: Teheran, the capital, Tabriz and Hamadan in the north, Meshed in the east, Ispahan in the center, and Yezd and Kirman in the south, all connected as of old by lines of caravan travel, and the homes of the educated and commercial peo- ple, who still are lovers of ease and Shah's luxury. The present Shah's palace at Carpets Teheran has many exquisite old car- pets in the public apartments, among them the throne carpet, brought with the famous Peacock throne from Delhi by Nadir Shah, and those of his pri- 60 Persian Bugs vate rooms are said to be " magnificent soft carpets, of lovely design. One a deliciously soft Kirman, of fascinating artistic green, one in red from Sul- tanabad, and others from Ispahan, but most valuable of all a white rug from Sultanabad, on which he stands when receiving in audience." The people of Persia are of many People nations, the old Iranian stock being purest in the south ; but we find Turks, Armenians, Arabs, Turkomans, and Europeans. Of her nine millions of people, most of them are a simple, primitive, pastoral people, living in rude huts in villages or in the black tents of the nomad tribes. Of the lat- ter there are said to be one million, who pasture their flocks in the south- ern plains in the winter and go to the mountain districts in the summer-time. That so rude and uncultivated a peo- Artistic pie possess skill and taste in design and 6i Fabrics How to Know Oriental Bugs color as shown in their fabrics is a marvel. Like David of old, their out- of-door life and intimacy with nature gives them a love of the beautiful and an artistic sense seldom seen. Here we find the artizan, the artist, for woven into their hand-work is a love of the beautiful, a warmth of nature, a sug- gestion of comfort and luxury, an ap- preciation of grace in form, and an honesty of purpose which are so plainly told that he who runs may read. This poetic and artistic feeling of Persia has from very early times found expression in the fine fabrics for , which she has so long been famous. Greatest The highest art was reached in the six- teenth century, under the fostering care of Shah Abbas, who lived at Is- pahan, but whose influence extended to Shiraz, Kirman, Meshed, Yezd, and, indeed, throughout Persia. We see a most wonderful effect produced 62 Art Era Persian Rugs in the work of this period by a blend- ing of the Renaissance art of Italy with that of the descendants of the early Aryan, and with just a touch of Chinese influence, for artists from Italy and China were the teachers of this period. The floral designs — the rose of Iran, the " tree of life," the trailing vines — were all Persian, but the cloud bands were Chinese ; and the delicate traceries and arrangement show the same art as Raphael's Stanza at Rome — the soft charm of the Per- sian was there, with an added beauty ,of design. And so for two thousand years or more Persia has borrowed ideas and stamped them with an indi- viduality of her own. True to her traditions of the past, old great effort has been made by the Gov- ^^^^^^^^ ernment to maintain the old standards in beautiful and artistic designs, per- manent vegetable dyes, velvety texture, 63 How to Know Oriental Bugs and blending of colors. There was an apprehension at one time that the in- troduction of anilin dyes would ruin this industry, but the Government guards against it by law. A heavy penalty is attached to the importation or use of anilin dyes. So that the Persian rug of to-day shows a closer adherence to the old types than do the rugs of districts farther west, which is due largely to the inaccessibility of Persia and to the action of the Shah. Designs In design, whether made in the royal palace, in a village hut, or in a tent of a nomad, a Persian rug can usually be distinguished by its realis- tic floral patterns with borders of wavy lines connecting floral figures in harmony with the field. Color In color, harmony rather than con- trasts predominates, giving marvelous combinations and blending of tones. Dark blues and reds are favorite back- 64 Persian Rugs grounds for the display of floral pat- terns. There is a great variety in texture Texture from the close weave of the Senna, Kirman, and Tabriz rugs to the soft Shiraz and the coarse Hamadan rugs ; but as a family, Persian rugs are of fine wool, with occasionally camel's hair or silk for the pile, with the warp and woof of cotton, tied with the Senna knot. KHORASAN Khorasan, " the Land of the Sun," Country and is the northeastern province of Persia. '" ^^°P'* Separated as it is from Russia by mountains and from Kirman by a salt desert, little or no European influence has reached this part of Persia. Within its borders we find alpine scenery, luxuriously fertile fields, desert tracts, and as great a variety of climate and people. The descendants of the an- 5 65 Hota to Knotv Oriental Bugs cient Irans constitute only a small part of the inhabitants, for we find Arabs, Turkomans, Turks, Armenians, Jews, and a large nomad people. The women are still the weavers of rugs, both in the villages and among the nomad tribes. Rigs The Khorasan rugs are among the finest of the antiques, and reflect some- thing of the old Persian culture. They have a wonderful sheen, due to the fine wool of which they are made ; and an unusual artistic effect is produced by the uneven trimming of the pile, which makes the figures of the design stand out from the background. They have the warmth and softness for which the ancient Iranian fabrics were famous. On a background of rich blue or red, floral designs in elaborate patterns are worked out, some showy and others with small, intricate patterns. Often the medallion effect is made use of, 66 KHORASAN Loaned by Mannheimer Bros., St. Paul, Minn. Persian Rugs with the field and corners well covered with flowers and traceries; or with a bold central figure on a rich, plain field. A favorite design in the old fabrics is a large palm in each corner, extending to a rosette in the center; and frequently the small palm and ro- sette cover the entire field. Figures of animals and birds occur with the same grace and beauty as in the old Kirman rugs. One of the chief char- acteristics, and a distinguishing one, in both old and new, is the many borders, sometimes ten or twelve, usually one being wide with many narrow ones on either side. These all have the wavy lines, connecting rosettes, the palm, or other floral patterns. The many bor- ders add great dignity to this rug, and form a beautiful setting for the central field, giving to the whole a distin- guished air. Soft, rich colors predominate, this Colors 67 How to Know Oriental Bugs being due to the fine, soft quality of the wool of this district. The back- ground is often of the old Persian blue, or a rich wine-color, and occasionally one with a peculiar purplish-pink cast is seen. The new fabrics nearly equal the old, and only time is needed to give them the mellowness so characteristic of the antiques. Material and The material is of the best : the warp Finish q£ cotton, the woof of cotton or wool, and the pile of lustrous wool. The sides are overcast, and the ends have, usually, a fringe of loose warp. The Khorasan is a most satisfactory rug, beautiful in color, durable, and pliable, giving an air of elegance to a room. It is especially suited to living- rooms, libraries, and halls, and comes in all sizes. Most antiques are oblong. 68 Persian Bugs MESHED Meshed, the capital of Khorasan, The Mecca in the northeastern part of the prov- °fP*"'* ince, is famous not only for its rugs, but as the holy city, the Mecca of the Mo- hammedans of Persia. Here is the shrine of their prophet. Imam Riza, to which thousands turn their steps yearly; here was the home of Haroun- al-Rashid, and near by that of Omar Khayyam; so that gathered about its history are the most sacred of religious rites, the charm of Haroun's life, and the songs of the tent-maker poet. It is hard to realize or estimate the Influence on influence of such a religious center on "^ *''^"' the industry of rug-weaving, especially in the scattering of knowledge of de- sign; for often there are from five to six thousand strangers in the city, each bent upon worshiping at the shrine so 69 isacs How to Know Oriental Rugs renowned for the splendor of its deco- rations, for its iridescent tiles, and its rich carpets. Many a pilgrim brings his gift of a carpet, upon which he has spent the greatest care in designing and weaving, to leave as a pledge of his de- votion, and not unlikely purchases an- other as a memento of his pilgrimage. Character- The Meshed rugs are easily recog- nized as of the Khorasan variety, as they follow much the same designs, materials, and finish, but are of finer texture and of lighter shades — pink, blue, and ivory being favorite colors. Sometimes a rug in two tones of ivory is seen. The old Meshed rugs were of wonderfully fine texture and color, due largely to the quality of the wool; to- day they are brighter than the Khora- san, and of more even nap. They are heavy, durable rugs, with long pile, close weave, and imperishable dyes. They come in all sizes, from four by 70 Persian Rugs six feet up to ten by twenty-five feet or larger. HERAT Just across the border of Khorasan, Country in Afghanistan, is the old Persian city of Herat. Situated as it is in the di- rect line of travel between Bokhara and Cashmere, as well as between Meshed and the East, we find it the market for fabrics made in Khorasan as well as in and about the city itself. Its four bazaars, under one great dome, are the most famous in this part of the East. The sheep of this district are noted for the fine quality of wool, and the silk is of home growth. In Shah Abbas's time the city became the center of learning and culture. The rugs of that and later times were of the old Herati pattern, in great refinement of color; but since it has become a part of Afghanistan we see a " certain wild 71 Design Colors Materials and Texture H(m to Know Oriental Rugs grandeur," corresponding to the Af- ghan character, woven into their work. Even to-day the Herati pattern, the rosette enclosed in elongated serrated leaves or cloud bands and the dia- mond surrounding a rosette with its eight storks, making an all-over pat- tern, is universally used. Whenever the palm pattern is ,made use of the figures are always faced in one direc- tiorij^ differing from the Saraband rugs in this respect; and the influence of India is sometimes seen in the elonga- tion of the palm. The field is usually dark blue or old red, with sometimes a purplish tone, like the effect of haze on distant hills ; the center border is green, with ivory, yellow, red, arid blile in the figures, all so well blended as to give an effect of repose. The Herati rugs are closely woven, of fine wool and good dyes. When 72 Persian Bugs silk is used, it is in the warp, where it does not show, but gives an unusual fineness to the work. The modern rugs are somewhat heavier than the Kho- rasan, of silky, soft texture, and tied with the Ghiordes knot. They are a durable rug, of great brilliancy. Their finish is like the Khorasan Finish and rug. In size they are from five to ^''^^ eight feet by ten to twenty feet, and also in runners from six, seven, to eight feet by twenty feet. Beautiful saddle- bags are also made. SHIRAZ In one of the most beautiful spots Country and of Persia, if we may believe those who "' ^*°P^* have written about it, near the ruins of the ancient city of Persepolis, is Shiraz, now the capital of Farsistan, famous in history for its poets, its gar- dens, its nightingales, and its splendor. 73 Hoti) to Know Oriental Bugs There is a certain fascination about the place, its history, and its people; and it is pleasant to linger over the story of this valley, surrounded by moun- tains, and call to mind that Cyrus the Great is buried near, that Alexander spent many days among its people, that here the Magi started on their wonder- ful journey to see the King, that Shah Abbas loved it, and that the poets Sadi and Hafiz have given it a high place in the realm of song. Its people, who are gay and light-hearted, and who live an out-of-door life, pride them- selves on their purity of Aryan blood. There are many nomad Fars who pass north and south at various seasons, taking their flocks to the highlands in summer and returning to the plains in the winter. Rugs As the antique fabrics were often made for the rulers of Persia, and as the sheep of this district produce a fine 74 ANTIQUE SHIRAZ Loaned by Joseph Wild & Co., New York City Persian Bugs grade of wool, there are some very in- teresting old carpets, of very soft tex- ture and silky luster; many of the so- called " Mecca " carpets are of Shiraz make. It is hard to distinguish Shiraz rugs Distinguish- by the designs, as they are so varied ; '"^ Marks we find the floral designs of many Per- sian districts copied, as well as the stripes and geometrical pattern of the Caucasus. A favorite design is a number of medallions through the cen- ter, with flowers and birds scattered through the field ; another is the diag- onal shawl stripes, with little figures in them; another the palm pattern en- larged. The prayer-rug has a square / mihrab instead of the usual point. But they have two distinguishing marks: the sides are overcast in two or more colors, with little tassels of col- ored wool along the sides or at the corners; and the ends are usually fin- 75 Hoia to Know Oriental Bugs ished with a colored selvage, worked with a needle, and with a long fringe. These two features make it easy to identify a Shiraz rug. The borders are usually wide, with large figures. Material, The warp and woof are always of ^^^Size ^""^ wool, of medium fineness, and the pile is of soft wool ; and as they are loosely woven they are, perhaps, the softest rug made. For this reason they do not always lie well upon the floor, but make beautiful couch covers. They come in medium sizes, from four by six to five by eight feet, with a few large sizes. The saddle-bags are the finest known. KIRMAN AND KERMANSHAH Country The term Kirman we apply to the and People ^. , , . , , ... antique fabrics of the district of Kir- man, which lies between the Desert of Lut and the Arabian Sea — the most southeastern of Persian provinces. As 76 Persian Rugs Kirman lies out of the line of travel, its products are hardly contaminated by European influence. Its inhabit- ants are a scattered people, of Ira- nian blood, who, now living in vil- lages, and again wandering tribes, raise sheep with extremely soft and silky wool, and goats with hair equal to that of the Cashmere goat; and the water of the country possesses chemical properties, making it possible to obtain perfect colors. For softness and delicacy of texture. Gems oi splendor, harmony, and mellowness of color, for purity of drawing and ac- curacy of detail, these rugs may be called the gems of the loom. For gen- erations the art has been handed down of putting the tree of life, the rose of Iran, fruits, flowers, birds, and ani- mals, with floral creepers and shoots, winding in endless familiarity, upon a delicate gray or ivory field, sur- 77 Loom How to Knot!} Oriental Rugs rounded by borders with wavy lines and floral patterns, producing an efifect of floral richness unsurpassed. Some- times there are vases filled with red roses, arranged in rows, across the del- icate field, and bordered by a frame of deeper tint of ivory, on which are scat- tered various flowers, with now and then a rose like the center. Colors and The colors, always rich and refined, Texture ^^^ ^^^.j, j^Qjy^ £^^^11 tones, rosc shades, greens, grays, and blues. The close weave, soft texture, and clear colors proclaim these rugs the work of artists. Many are almost as lustrous as silk, and more to be desired. Modern There are a few antiques in this Kermanshah ^^Q^j^try; but the modem Kirman or Kermanshah rug, made throughout the district, rivals the old. The name Kermanshah used to be given to rugs made in the village of Kermanshah, in the mountains southwest of Ardelanyl 78 • KERMANSHAH Loaned by Mr. John H. Lang-ton, Xew York City Persian Rugs bordering on Turkey, where, at one time, rugs resembling the Kurdish weaves were made ; but to-day, accord- ing to Mr. Wigham, in The Persian Problem, " there are no rugs of any value made in Kermanshah." At Kir- man the Government takes great inter- est in the rug industry, and there is a factory in the governor's palace where the old designs are faithfully repro- duced. Men and boys do much of the weaving, often in dark, underground places, on account of the dryness of the air. The medallion center, with field sur- Design rounding it of soft ivory, covered with vines and floral designs in delicate pinks, blues, and greens, is a common design, as well as the combinations of the elongated palm with floral patterns and birds. Like the Khorasan rugs, they often have several borders, won- derfully shaded. 79 Texture and Material Finish and Size How to Know Oriental Rugs They are a beautifully made rug, often having as many as four hundred knots to the square inch, but are not as closely woven as the Tabriz. The pile is of fine wool, which takes a luster, and the warp and woof are of cotton. The sides are overcast, and the ends have a narrow web and fringe. They are made in all sizes, from mats to large carpet sizes. They are a popular rug for drawing- rooms and reception-rooms, where del- icate tints are required. TABRIZ City Tabriz, the capital of Azerbijan, the northwest province of Persia, and the home of the heir to the throne of Per- sia, is the center of a fertile country, with fine pasture-lands for flocks of sheep and goats. The city, as it is the nearest point in the district to the Cau- 80 Persian Bugs casus railroad, is a great rug market for the surrounding villages, and yearly manufactures hundreds of rugs within its borders. Tabriz rugs, while of fine texture, Character- and with some resemblance to the Ker- ^ *^"." °^ Tabriz Rugs manshah rugs, show their newness by lack of perfect shading, depth of color, and brilliancy of sheen. Their designs prove a strong European influence, and are lacking in the true. Oriental spirit. On their face they tell plainly that they are rugs made by people who are not putting themselves into the work, but producing for the market. Although the coloring is good, usu- Colors ally of vegetable dyes, it is often bril- liant, and combined so as to produce contrasts rather than the rich harmony of the antique carpets of Persia. They lack the charm of the genuinely Orien- tal work, such as the Kirman and Kho- rasan rugs. 6 8i How to Know Oriental Bugs Designs The designs vary: many old Persian patterns are combined with new forms, of which the medallion center, sur: rounded with a field of solid color cov- ered with intricate floral designs, is a favorite. The regularity and exactness of pattern give them the appearance of machine-made rugs. Sometimes in- scriptions from the Koran or Persian poets, enclosed in oblong figures, are woven into the borders. Texture and In tcxturc, these rugs are firm, and, ^''"""^ from the close weave, inflexible. The warp and woof are of cotton ; and the pile, of short, harsh wool, very closely clipped, seldom takes a luster. Size They are made in all sizes and col- ors, from mats to the large carpet sizes. One can have any pattern, size, or col- oring made to order, showing how much European and American influ- ences control them. Very many Ta- briz rugs in our market have been 82 *»iY-'»*^ • ■■ -"•»^ i' '-M'** » . Ilili ^..1 fl>t"> 1.... JI*J* k ^^^^'^j^^^^^p^^ift^ ANTIQUE ROYAL SENNA Loaned by Kent-Costikyan, New York City Persian Bugs made from designs and color schemes furnished by importers; and, as it is impossible for the Western mind to see things with the eye of the Oriental, these fabrics lack the true Iranian spirit. SENNA OR SEHNA In the northwestern part of Ardelan, Country and separated from Kermanshah by the Za- ^^°^^ gros Mountains, is Senna, in the very center of one of the great rug-pro- ducing districts of Persia. Situated as this tribe or clan is, near to the Cau- casus and surrounded by Kurds and by people who have yielded to European influence, they have had strength of character to maintain their own ideas of rug-making, and have given their name to a fabric which stands among the best, both in ancient and modern times, for good dyes, fine texture, and harmonious colors. 83 How to Know Oriental Bugs Design Conservative as these people are, they adhere to a few designs, either the palm or the " fish pattern," in such minute all-over patterns as to give the effect of a mosaic; or with the center divided into medallions, sometimes ar- ranged one within another. They usu- ally have but three borders, the center one wider than the other two, with roses, rosettes, and wavy lines on a red or yellow field. A most exquisite an- tique recently brought to this country had one medallion, with a cartouch at each end, which, together with the cor- ners, was filled with a small Herati pattern, on a shaded wine-colored field. The borders were seven in num- ber. Colors The colors are usually subdued reds, blues, and yellows, with some lighter shades — ivory, pink, and green — beau- tifully blended. These rugs are of fine texture and 84 Material Finish and Size Persian Bugs material, with warp and woof of cot- Texture and ton, linen, or silk, and the pile of a silky wool, very closely clipped, giving the appearance of tapestry. Occasion- ally a rug is seen of such fine pencil lines that it is hard to realize that the knots were put in by hand alone. The dexterity of the women of the Orient is exemplified by this weave of rugs. The ends have narrow web, with fringe at one end, and the sides are overcast in red cotton or silk. They are made in small sizes, about five by eight feet. The Royal Senna is of the finest material, and nearly square, for use as a saddle cover. A khilim is a rug made without pile, woven with the woof wound around the pile threads by means of a shuttle, making a fabric alike on both sides. Many times little open-work spaces appear, due to the fact that the parts of one color are put in at the 85 Senna Khilim How to Know Oriental Bugs same time, and with change in color a new warp-thread is taken up, leaving an open space. The Senna khilim has designs like the rugs of the district, with very small open-work spaces^ on account of the fine threads and small pattern. It is the best and most artistic khilim of small size suitable for hang- ings and coverings. SARABAND Moderns the The Saraband rugs are made in the Antique j^ountain district of Sarawan, just south of Feraghan. Here we find a people who adhere in their rug-making to all the traditions of the past. There have been no innovations here: the modern is the antique in fine, close weave, quality, and design. Design Rows of the Small palm pattern, each row facing in an opposite direction, cover the entire center, of dark blue, rich red, ivory, or rose shade, making 86 SARABAND Loaned by Mr. Myron J. Bird, New York City Persian Bugs a most attractive and beautiful rug, one that finds favor with most people. Whether this design is in imitation of the loop of the sacred river of India, or, as Professor Goodyear would have it, its origin is in the lotus-flower, the fact remains that this device is known as the Saraband pattern. It is copied by the makers of Mossoul, Kurdish, and other rugs. Artistic borders are numerous, one with wavy lines con- necting palm patterns on an ivory ground, and the narrow ones with wavy lines and rosettes, all of which are often bounded on the inner and outer edge by Vandykes in blue. These rugs are of fine texture, and of Material and closely woven, closely cut pile of wool, ^™* which grows silky with age. The warp and woof are of cotton. The ends are finished, one with narrow web and the other with fringe; the sides are overcast in red wool. 87 Hotio to Knota Oriental Rugs Sizes They come in sizes from three to five by four to nine feet and from six to nine to twelve by twenty feet, and also in runners from two and a half to four by ten to twenty feet. t FERAGHAN Country The plain of Feraghan, seven thou- sand feet above the sea, surrounded by mountains, lies just west of the line of travel between Teheran and Ispa- han. The mountains of this region resemble the Highlands of Scotland, and in the clannishness of the people and their feuds they remind one of Scott's stories of Scottish border life. The hillsides, where large flocks find fwsturage, are radiant with flowers — the tulip, iris, narcissus, carnation, red anemone, scarlet poppy, yellow snap- dragon, flower of henna, and others dot nature's carpet with brilliant color- ings. So that perhaps this is one rea- 88 Persian Bugs son for the close all-over floral patterns of the old Feraghans, which are among the finest rugs of the old looms. There are two characteristic de- Designs signs — one, the Herati, with its flow- ers enclosed in cloud bands, like the Herat rugs, and the other, the " flower of henna," its tree-like shapes of yel- low flowers arranged in rows through the carpet and surrounded by a pro- fusion of floral designs. Sometimes a medallion center, with the tulip and other flowers, is set in the center of a floral field; or, again, from free and graceful curves in the center are flower-stalks united with rhomboids, with flowers from the center ; but what- ever the design, the garlands of flowers are in subdued colors. The borders are an important feature, of which the ground of the widest is often of a soft, restful green, with wavy lines connect- ing floral patterns. 89 How to Know Oriental Bugs Colors The field is usually dark blue, some- times a soft red or ivory, which gives a rich coloring, although the modern rugs are more pronounced and less re- fined in tone. Texture While they are a firm and durable rug, they are more loosely woven than the Kermanshah and Senna. The mod- ern Feraghan, made in great numbers, is of coarser texture, with longer pile than the antiques, and may be consid- ered an excellent rug of the cheaper quality of Persians. It is well suited to living-rooms, and the coarser ones for summer homes and offices. The difference in texture is accounted for by the number of knots to the square inch. While antiques have from one hundred to one hundred and fifty, moderns have as low as thirty. Material and The warp and woof are of cotton and the pile of good wool, closely cut in the old and longer in the new. The 90 Finish FERAGHAN Loaned by Mr. Joseph F. Langton, St. Paul, Minn, Persian Rugs edge is overcast in black, and the ends, one with narrow selvage and the other with a short fringe. They come in all sizes, from three Size by five to eight by twenty feet, with many carpet sizes. The name Iran is often given to Iran these rugs, but it may be applied to all Persian rugs, as Iran was the an- cient name of Persia. SARUK Into the little village of Saruk, con- vniage taining no more than one hundred and fifty houses, among the mountains of the province of Feraghan, no foreign influence has permeated, and conse- quently a rug of purely Persian de- signs of surpassing effects is made. Flowers are strewn with very realistic Design effect upon a field of dark blue or red ; or irregular medallions, scattered over 91 How to Know Oriental Rugs the field, with corners to match, cut off , irregularly, surrounded by great rich- ness of floral patterns, give to them a great charm. One wide and two or more narrow borders, with the usual floral effect, are often finished with a plain border like the field. Colon Rich shades in blue and red in per- manent dyes predominate, with stip- plings of white here and there. Texture and They are a very closely woven rug, having as many knots to the square inch as any rug made, even rivaling the Kirman and Senna rugs in this re- spect. The pile, of fine silky wool, is closely cut, and the warp and woof are of cotton. Fimsh and The cdges areovercast in dark wool, and the ends are finished with narrow web at one end and short fringe at the other. In size they range from three by five to twelve by twenty feet. 92 Material Size Persian Rugs HEREZ In the mountain districts of Azer- Country bijan, east of Tabriz and southwest of the Caspian Sea, is the old rug district of Herez. While these mountain tribes formerly made a rug of no par- ticular merit, resembling in some re- spects the modern Hamadan rugs, they have more recently borrowed ideas from their neighbors, and the result is the rugs known as Gorevan, Serapi, and Bakshaish, all having the same family type, but varying in quality. This is one of the districts where the modern rug is a great improvement over those of earlier times. The weav- ers have refused to be controlled by outside influence, hence their rugs have the true Oriental feeling — they have something of the ruggedness of the sur- rounding mountains in them. 93 Design of Gore van How to Know Oriental Bugs The Gorevan rugs, made in great numbers, contain large, pronounced medallions, in rich blues or ivory, on open fields of light or dark red, light blue, brown, or ivory. The character- istic note is a brilliancy of coloring and a boldness of outline almost barbaric in depth and tone. They are the most pronounced rug of the whole Oriental family, and yet have much artistic feel- ing, due to the harmonious blending of colors and the native originality in adapting designs. The corners are often serrated, and the borders are in bold figures, to match the centers. The Serapi are of finer quality, of closer texture, and shorter pile; they are softer in outline, finer in detail work, and of more refined colors than the Gorevan. The Bakshaish are still a grade finer and rarer. Texture, These rugs are firm and strong, of Material, and 111 1 rr>. Size good wool and permanent dyes. The 94 Serapi and Bakshaish Persian Rugs warp and woof are of cotton. The sides are overcast, and the ends have short fringe. They come in large sizes only, from eight to fifteen by ten to twenty-five feet; many of them are nearly square. HAMADAN In the northwestern part of Irak is Country Hamadan, the ancient Ecbatana, the home of Esther and Mordecai. It is to-day inhabited by many Jews, and is the fourth city of commercial impor- tance in Persia, but in a state of decay. About the city in all directions the rug- weaving industry is an important one, and the city is the market for their products. With its splendid history back of it, and its reputation for artistic rugs in the past, much might be expected of its fabrics to-day; but the antiques are rare, and the modern rug a coarse one 95 How to Know Oriental Rugs of the old Herez type, the cheapest of the Persians. Design The Tugs of the district have a marked individuality. The medallion center, with corners to match, filled with floral designs, on a field of light camel's hair, ivory, red, or blue, is sur- rounded by a border in light and dark browns, relieved by a rich floral stripe through it. The use of camel's hair in its natural color in the pile makes a rug which lends itself to color effects in browns, yellows, and light, neutral tints. This, with its beautiful, silky luster, makes it a favorite with many. Material and The warp and woof are of cotton, ^'^^ and the pile chiefly of camel's hair. These rugs come in all sizes, as small as two feet nine inches by four to six feet, and runners twenty-eight or thirty feet in length, as well as occasionally in carpet sizes. Their saddle-bags are numerous. 96 Persian Rugs SULTANABAD Sultanabad, in the mountains of Country Irak northwest of Ispahan and almost due west of Kashan, is the center of a rug industry, including nearly two hundred villages, within the radius of twenty-five miles. The district is a most picturesque one, with mountains and fertile plains, with a great variety of trees and flowers, with many little villages of mud huts surrounded by mud walls, and with nomad tribes, who spend their summers in the hills, only to return to their winter camping- grounds farther south. The industry here is directed en- tirely by European firms. Says Mr. Wigham : " It must be understood that these firms do not superintend factories run on European lines. Their carpets are made in Sultanabad and the sur- 7 97 Individual Touch Necessary How to Know Oriental Rugs rounding villages, exactly as they are anywhere else in Persia. It is the busi- ness of the firms to supply the wools and the dyes and to dictate the patterns and to receive the work when finished. Sometimes they buy up carpets that are brought in to them by villagers who have made them in their own ma- terial according to their own ideas; but generally speaking, each rug is made according to instructions and subject to a contract price. They have hundreds of designs collected from all sources, copies from ancient patterns, designs from European firms or inven- tions of their own, while they have spe- cially retained Persian designers, who are paid to do nothing else but invent." . It is unnecessary to say that all rugs of the Sultanabad district possess ar- tistic qualities, although many of them do; but it is as they adhere to the de- signs in the old types of Persian rugs 98 KASHAN SILK Loaned by Kent-Costikyan, NeV York City Persian Rugs that they are most successful. It is the individual touch, so indicative of the genuine article, which is lacking, and for whose presence we contend to pre- serve the art spirit of the true Persian rug. These rugs are made of a good qual- Materials ity of wool, with vegetable dyes, and in any size, althou-gh the large sizes are usual. The names Savalan, usu- ally given to rugs of light color, Mus- kabad, and " Extra Persian " all be- long to this district. ISPAHAN AND OTHERS The rugs known as Ispahan are an- Antiques tiques made at the city of Ispahan in Shah Abbas's time in the sixteenth century and later when it was the cap- ital of Persia. Their qualities are in- dicative of the ancient grandeur of the Shah's surroundings, and make 99 H&w to Know Oriental Rugs them worthy to be counted among the " treasury goods " of Persia. Typical Rug A typical rug of the Ispahan variety may be thus described: On a more open field than many antiques, of beau- tiful crimson or deep wine-color, which has come to be known as Ispa- han red, are large palmettes or rich floral patterns, proportionately dis- tributed, and connected by swinging creepers with serrated leaves so ar- ranged as to resemble an enlarged He- rat! pattern. The wide border, be- tween two narrow ones, often has the palmettes between serrated leaves on an old yellow field. These rugs are rare, and are sometimes found in small as well as carpet sizes. Holy Carpet At Kashan, not far from Ispahan, of ArdebU ^^^ j^^jy Q^^^^^ of Ardebil, one of the most famous carpets in the world — now in the South Kensington Mu- seum, London — ^was made for the lOO Persian Bugs mosque of Ardebil. Mr. Stebbing, in his book on " The Holy Carpet," de- scribes the rug most minutely. It is thirty-four feet six inches in length by seventeen feet six inches in width, and well preserved as to texture and col- ors. The ground, of rich blue, cov- ered with intricate floral designs and flowing creepers, has a central medal- lion, with corners to match, of pale yellow, from which extend little jewel- shaped figures, and from the center of the medallion sacred lamps. Of the three borders, one wide between two narrow ones, the inner has a cream ground and the outer a tawny yellow, with small floral designs and traceries ; and the wide border has a rich brown ground, with elongated and rounded figures alternating, surrounded by a profusion of floral lines. At one end it has the inscription, signature, and date of which we have before spoken. lOI H(m to Know Oriental Rugs "Arabic" The so-callcd " Arabic " rugs, with ^^ geometrical patterns, scrolls, and de- tached figures, with minute designs within, are doubtless of very early Per- sian weave. The ground is frequently of the Ispahan red. They come in me- dium sizes, and are very rare. I02 Ill CAUCASIAN RUGS I. Daghestan. 6. Kasak. z. Cabistan. 7. Guenja. 3. Tzitzi. 8. Cashmere. 4. Malgaran. 9. Shirvan. 5. Derbend. 10. Karabagh. Ill CAUCASIAN RUGS The country of the Caucasian or Country and Caucasus rugs lies between the Black ^^"^^^ and Caspian Seas on both sides of the Caucasus Mountains, extending south to Persia and touching Turkey on the southwest. The mountain range which gives this country its name extends as an impassable barrier for seven hun- dred miles from the Sea of Azof to the Caspian, with but one way through — the Dariel Pass. This pass, or door- way, with its perpendicular walls four thousand feet high, surmounted by the ruins of Queen Tamara's Castle, has been made into a military road by the Russians. The whole country is most 105 How to Know Oriental Rugs interesting and picturesque, with mag- nificent scenery, wonderful resources, and a people with a history dating back two thousand years. About its early history cluster many legends, among them that of Jason and his golden fleece, for Colchis strand is at the foot of the Caucasus; and Mount Kazbek is the scene of Prometheus's suffer- ings. Many a warrior has led his fol- lowers to the foot of the Caucasus, only to find it too great a barrier to cross, and each has left some remnant of his people, so that tribes of various nations inhabit this country to-day. Alexan- der went northward to Dariel Pass, as did Pompey and Justinian. The Turks conquered the native tribes, and were later expelled under the leader- ship of David II, a Georgian prince. The twelfth century marks their glo- rious age, with Queen Tamara as their idol. They succumbed to Genghis io6 Caucasian Rugs Khan, to the Persians, and last to Rus- sia in 1859 after a struggle of twenty years under their chief, Shamyl. It is Russia's work now to unify this eight millions of people of many races and religions. Of her native people there are sixty or seventy different tribes, speaking different languages and dia- lects. They are a simple, agricultural people to-day, peaceful and prosper- ous, cultivating the soil, tending their flocks, and making in their homes rugs, swords, felt, and cloth from Astrakhan — all with the mark of merit upon them. Mr. Henry Norman, in his " Russia of To-day," quotes from Mr. Clinton Dent as thus describing this country and people: " If you worship the mountains for their own sake, if you like to stand face to face with Na- ture when she mingles the fantastic and the sublime with the sylvan and idyllic — snows, crags, mists, flowers, and for- 107 Hem to Know Oriental Rugs ests in perfect harmony — ^where she enhances the effects of her pictures by the most startling contrasts and en- livens the foregrounds with some of the most varied and picturesque speci- mens of the human race — go to the Caucasus. If you wish to change not only your earth and sky, but your coun- try, to find yourself one week among the pastoral folk who once peopled northern Asia, the next among the barbarians who have been left strand- ed while the rest of the world has fol- lowed on ; if it attracts you to share the bivouac of the Tauli shepherds, to sit at supper with a feudal chieftain while his retainers chant the old ballads of their race by the light of birch-bark torches — go to the Caucasus." Art from Such is the Caucasus rug district to- day. These people, doubtless, learned the art of rug-weaving from the Per- sians ; but in their mountain fastnesses, io8 Persia DAGHESTAN Loaned by Mannheimer Bros., St. Paul, Minn. Caucasian Rugs surrounded by snow-capped peaks, they have developed their artistic gen- ius in their own way, unaffected by outside influence. In designs, their rugs have distinct Designs geometrical patterns on a clear ground with little or no shading, but with great harmony of color. There is usually one tone, to which all colors are subordinated. They lack all the richness and warmth of color of the Persian fabrics, but possess vigor and crispness and clearness of detail, allied to the snow-capped peaks of the Cau- casus Mountains as they stand out in sharp outline against the sky. Almost every conceivable geometrical form is used: the eight-pointed star of the Medes as well as the six-pointed star of the Mohammedans, the triangle, diamond, square, medallions in quaint shapes, tarantula-shaped figures, and an all-over fretwork. The " latch 109 Hoiio to Know Oriental Rugs hook," thought to be a modification of the swastika, a great feature of all rugs of this district, borders nearly all patterns, and so takes the place of shading. On account of its almost uni- versal use it has been called the " trade- mark" of the Caucasus rugs. The " barber-pole " stripe, too, borrowed from the Turkomans, is much used in border stripes. Another characteristic border consists of designs with saw- teeth on each side alternating with a goblet-shaped figure, said to represent the lotus in water. The countries of the Trans-Caucasus, separated from Persia only by the river Aras, show sometimes a strong Persian influence in the use of floral designs, but they are so modified as to lose the grace of the true Persian pattern. As the greater portion of these people are Moham- medans, no figures of birds or animals are used, except the little " Noah's ark no Caucasian Bugs animals " in the rugs of the southern districts. These rugs differ from the Persian Material in that the warp and woof are both usually of wool, and they are tied with the Ghiordes knot. The wool of the pile is fine, sometimes of lamb's wool, and the dyes, with the exception of the Karabagh rugs, are good, although one must be on his guard to detect anilin dyes in any rugs of the district, for Russian control does not insure good dyes, but rather the reverse. The Caucasian rugs are usually in small sizes. The prayer-rug is made in most varieties. DAGHESTAN Daghestan, or " mountain land," as Country and the name implies, is an eastern prov- ^^°P^^ ince of the Caucasus, bordering on the Caspian Sea and sloping northward to III How to Kfiota Oriental Bugs the Russian steppes. The country is intersected by deep gorges, between which are table-lands, furnishing good pasturage for flocks of sheep and goats. The country is peopled by the Les- ghians, a patrician race, who are di- vided into numerous clans, but who unite when there is a common cause, as they did under their hero, Shamyl, who led the whole Caucasian people against Russia. Rug8 The Daghestan weave of rugs is one of the oldest and most popular types of the Caucasus, and the rugs of to-day still are woven after the same patterns as centuries ago. They were among the first rugs brought to this country, and still hold a large place in the fa- vor of connoisseurs. Antique Daghes- tans, most evenly and beautifully wo- ven and of artistic coloring, are rare. So many of these were made for devo- tional purposes, and have been handed 112 Caucasian Bugs down from generation to generation, that one is particularly fortunate to obtain any of them. But many of the new rugs" have the old designs and col- ors, the same vegetable dyes, fine wool, and silky texture, and are still well made. The central ground, usually ivory, Designs producing a surface of high lights, is covered with geometrical designs of various patterns. The all-over fret- work is, perhaps, the oldest type; but we find the medallion, the star, the diamond scattered through the field, with many little detached figures, the larger ones many-times outlined with the " latch hook." The prayer- rug de- sign with the pointed mihrab is very common. The border has, in general, three main stripes on a cream-colored or light-ivory ground, with rectangu- lar designs; one often seen is the fig- ure with reciprocal saw-teeth alter- 8 113 How to Know Oriental Rugs nating with a goblet-shaped figure; this doubtless represents the lotus growing in water. The borders are separated by lines of plain color or with the narrow twisted pattern or " barber-pole," and often bounded by Vandykes. Color A great variety of colors are used — light and dark blue, red, yellow, ivory, and green. Harmony of color is one of the great features of Daghestan rugs, and is wonderful when we consider in what bold relief the designs are worked out, and what clear, strong tones are used. Materials, The warp and woof are of wool, "^^^^sh^^ either white or gray or a mixture of the two, and the pile is of fine, soft wool, giving a surface rich and smooth, soft and silky. These rugs are thin, firmly woven, skilfully made, and hence durable. The ends have a nar- row woven selvage with knotted 114 Caucasian Rugs fringe, and the sides are finished in colored wool. The Daghestan rug is small, from Size three by five to five by eight feet, never in carpet size. They have greatly increased in value in the past few years, due to the fact that no modern methods of industry have been introduced, and so the de- mand is much greater than the supply, CABISTAN The district of Kuba, in the south- Country eastern part of Daghestan, near the Caspian Sea, is the home of the Cabis- tan rugs. The rugs of this district are among Best of the best of the Daghestans, and by some ^aghestans are called " Daghestan of Kuba qual- ity " ; and while they resemble the Daghestan rugs in texture and design so much that they are often mistaken for them, they have some characteris- 115 IS tics Ho'w to Know Oriented Rugs tics which warrant a separate classifi- Character- cation. First, they are long, narrow rugs, from three and one-half to four and one-half by seven to ten feet, and claimed by some to be made for the special purpose of spreading between the graves of the relatives of the wealthy. Considered in this light, we can read in the beautiful weave, color, and varied patterns all the tenderness of the family feeling for the deceased, as each member contributed his part to the memorial. This may account for the fine quality of the Cabistan rugs. Second, a Persian influence, shown in the darker, richer coloring and in the blending of tones, produ- cing a most artistic effect, as well as in some floral designs, distinguishes them from the Daghestan proper. Third, they are finished like the Daghestans, except that the sides are overcast or selvaged with cotton threads. ii6 Caucasian Bugs The geometrical figures of intricate Design design and constantly changing pat- tern are hard to describe, but are un- mistakably Caucasian: the elongated stars on a plain ground covered with all kinds of rectangular figures, even the little crude animal and bird de- signs, the center field filled with per- pendicular stripes, the transverse rows of rectangular pear pattern making diagonal stripes, or the ordinary fret pattern, all are found. The prayer- rug design is never made. The " bar- ber-pole " stripe, in width from a quarter of an inch to an inch and a half, is used to separate the borders, one of which has the large geometrical designs. The warp is of wool or cotton, the Material woof of cotton, and the pile of short, fine wool. The Cabistan rug is a most desirable, moderate-priced rug, of artistic worth. 117 How to Know Oriental Bugs TZITZI OR CHICHI Country In the northwestern part of Daghes- tan is a nomadic tribe of mountaineers, called the Tchetchens, a powerful tribe, the men of whom are many of them over six feet in height. They are quite distinct in blood and language from any of the other tribes near them, and are considered by some to be of Jewish descent, a remnant of the lost tribes. Rugs But whatever their origin, they make a rug resembling the Shirvan in texture, with a mixture of Caucasian Design and Persian designs. Sometimes the blue center is covered with diamond- shaped figures or fretwork, like the Daghestans, and again decorated with rosettes or the palm pattern, like the Persians ; the borders have a combina- tion of geometrical and floral designs. ii8 TZITZI Loaned by Mannheimer Bros., St. Paul, Minn. Caucasian Rugs Like most nomadic textiles, great indi- viduality of taste is shown in the selec- tion of patterns. The colors are usually dark, and the Color and texture looser than most rugs of the '^''"""•^ Daghestan district. The warp, woof, and pile are of fine wool and good dyes. The sides and ends are finished like the Daghestans. Two characteristics must be noticed : they are nearly square, about four by five or five by six feet ; and the pattern is one which repeats itself over the en- tire field. MALGARAN In this country of the Caucasus, as we have pointed out, there are many distinct tribes and peoples, most of whom are rug weavers. From -one of these, not far to the west of the Tchetchens, comes a rug called the " Malgaran," of a type which is dis- tinctly of the Daghestan family, but 119 Ho*iio to Know Oriental Bugs with quite an individuality of its own. The marks by which this rug is best known are: first, they are small, from about three to four feet in length and from two to two feet six inches in width, occupying on account of size a -middle place between mats and the small rugs,.and asuitis a size much de- sired, there is a greaFdefman4;for them; second, they are made of a quality of wool which takes more of a luster than the ordinary Daghestan; third, the warp and woof are made of white, hard-twisted, lustrous wool, which forms the selvage at the sides, and is woven into a narrow web at the ends with a fringe tied in knots. A typical Malgaran in design may be described as having a rich red or dark-blue field, on which are octagons very many times and very deeply in- dented, giving the "latch-hook" ef- I20 Caucasian Bugs feet. In the center of these and in other parts of the field are stars, squares, or little tree-shaped figures, in spaces having an ivory ground. The three borders, nearly of the same width, are separated by a twisted stripe. They vary in pattern, with both floral and geometrical designs in browns, blues, rich reds, and tawny yellows. The Nouter border is fre- quently divided into rhomboids of three alternating colors, and with a modification of the " latch hook " in design. DERBEND The city of Derbend, or " fortified City gate," situated in Daghestan, on the Caspian Sea, was for many years a mil- itary outpost of the Persians against the northern hordes. It is a city of commercial importance, and a market for other rugs than those made in and around the city. 121 How to Know Oriental Rugs Barbaric The makers of the Derbend rugs are ^°'^ of the Tartar race, and so we find a strong barbaric note in their rugs, al- though closely akin to the Caucasus rugs in design. They are coarser, heavier, thicker, more closely woven, and larger than the Daghestan rugs, which they resemble in patterns. They have the deep, thick pile of the Kasak, and the luster of the Mossoul — in fact, they are many times taken for a coarse Mossoul. Design and The elongated star, or other geo- metrical designs, in bold outlines, with the " latch hook " as border, on a blue, ivory, or red field, is a characteristic feature. The borders have large, geo- metrical patterns, and, like the Da- ghestan, separated by stripes of plain color. Many striking colors, in red, blue, and yellow, give to the rug a cer- tain savage tone, unlike the Daghes- tans. 122 Color Caucasian Rugs The warp is of brown wool or goat's Material and hair, and the woof and pile of good ^"^^^ wool. The sides are usually overcast in colored wool, and the ends are either like the Daghestans, with short web and knotted fringe, or with the wide web of the Turkoman fabrics. A com- mon size of this rug is five to six by ten Size feet. It is a rug of little artistic worth, and but few are found in our markets. KASAK In the district of Erivan, near Lake Country and Goktcha, and in sight of Mount Ara- ^^°P^* rat, live the nomad Kasak tribes of the Caucasus. Their origin is unknown, but they are related to the Cossacks of Russia, and probably left here the rem- nant of an invading race. They are a brave, independent, and clever people, resembling the Turkomans, and doubt- less are of the same stock. They are 123 H&vo to Know Oriental Bugs shepherds, with some brigands among them, noted for their daring horse- manship; they build no houses, but burrow in the soil, where they stay in the winter, and go to the mountains in the summer. Character- Cossack, z wild, bold, restless horse- isricsof Rugs ^^^^ -g ^j^g original of Kasak, and the rug of the same name expresses the characteristics of their makers in a most peculiar way by showing the strength and instincts of the race. They are easily distinguished from all other rugs of the Caucasus by their heavy and firm texture, long, lustrous pile, bold figures, and brightness and rich- ness of coloring. There is a note ex- pressive of their free life in the dash and freedom with which the figures are placed upon the field. Designs Upon a ground of rich red, soft green, bright pink, or ivory are stri- king geometrical devices, said to rep- 124 ?,.<^b-^ era KASAK Loaned by Mr. John B. Baird, St. Paul, Minn. Caucasian Rugs resent a coat of arms, or octagonal shields with smaller designs of squares, circles, diamonds, stiff little animal figures, or conventionalized flowers, scattered throughout the field, and framed in bold borders of harmonious colors. The chief design of the bor- ders is the tarantula-shaped figure with the family trade-mark, the " latch hook " in many forms, and often bor- dered by Vandykes. The colors are always rich and Colors striking and strongly massed; red, blue, green, yellow, ivory, and white are the predominating ones. The warp and woof are of wool, and Material and the pile of long, fine, lustrous wool, T«'"^« which becomes very silky with age, taking on a sheen surpassed by few rugs. This may be partly due to the fact that four threads of the woof are thrown across between each row of knots, making the pile lie so that you 125 How to Know Oriental Rugs see the side of the yarn rather than the clipped ends. Finish and The sides are finished in a wide ^^^ selvage in colored wools; and of the ends, one is sometimes finished with a fringe, but often with loose ends of the warp, and the other with a short sel- vage. These rugs are often square or nearly so, from four to six by six to eight feet or five by nine feet. Desirable The Kasak is highly prized by many lovers of rugs on account of its striking Oriental note ; it is especially desirable where strong color effects are required. The antiques are rare and valuable, and the modern rugs of good values. GUENJA OR GENGHIS Country and The town of Elizabethpol, almost People jj^g g^gj. qJ Lake Goktcha, before Rus- sian possession was called Ganja. It was formerly a Persian metropolis, and 126 Caucasian Bugs the center to which the nomad tribes in this vicinity brought the products of their looms, hence the name Guenja rug. There are various nomad tribes who /range from Elizabethpol south- ward who are known as the " Genghis people," showing, doubtless, their Turkoman origin, and who are so re- lated to the weavers of the Kasak rugs. It is, perhaps, unnecessary to de- Rugs , scribe the Guenja rugs, except by say- ing that they may be considered a poor grade of Kasak, with coarser pile, looser texture, cruder colors; and in- stead of being nearly square, range in size from three by four to five by ten feet. CASHMERE OR SOUMAK The Cashmere or Soumak rugs are Country and not from the Vale of Cashmere, in In- ^*°P'* dia, as the name might suggest, but are made by the nomad tribes in and about 127 How to Know Oriental Rugs Shemakha, the old capital of Shirvan, and are called Cashmere in this coun- try from the resemblance of the wrong side to that of Cashmere shawls. Distinguish- Besides this distinguishing feature ing ar s ^j ^.j^^ j^^^^ ^^^^ hanging loose on the wrong side, due to the fact that each time a change in color is made the yarn is pulled through and left an inch or two in length, these rugs, un- like any other except the khilims, have no pile, but are worked with a flat stitch by means of a needle. Each stitch is made diagonally, taking in two or three threads of the warp. Every alternate row the stitches face in an opposite direction, making the herring-bone pattern. The whole ef- fect is of a fine mosaic. These rugs never take a luster, but are most at- tractive because of the great attention paid to detail of designs, which are on the Daghestan and Shirvan order. 128 Caucasian Bugs A typical rug may be described as Typical having three or more large medallions on a field of dark blue or red, with octagonal figures within and on either side. The latter from their designs are called " Zela," and are said to rep- resent the seasons. The central field, as well as the medallions, are strewn with geometrical figures and little " Noah's ark animals." All designs are outlined in black, and the " latch hook" is often used to its utmost. There are usually four borders: two narrow ones on an ivory ground, be- tween which is the wide border with zigzag lines of red and blue on a black field, and the outer one, with a modi- fication of the " latch hook." These rugs have the rich coloring of Colors the south more than the coldness of the northern fabrics — dark red and blue, green, yellow, white, and black pre- dominate. Great harmony of color 129 How to Know Oriental Bugs and artistic effect is produced by the softening of lines through the use of the " latch hook." Material and Cashmcre rugs are of good wool, Texture ^^^ ^^^ many times so closely woven that they are harsh to the touch; the degree of closeness depends on whether the woof is carried across between every one, two, or three rows of stitch- es. The sides are overcast in dark wool, and the ends have long, light fringe. Antiques and There are a few antiques to be had ° ""* of fine texture, with colors toned down- to a quiet harmony ; and there are many new ones produced with the same pa- tience, the same beauty of design, ma- terials, and dyes, although, as in some other rugs, much undesirable work is offered to the public. Size They range in sizes from four to nine by six to twelve feet, and a few larger ones, about eight by twelve feet. 130 Caucasian Rugs SHIRVAN The home of the Shirvan rugs is the Country and district south of Daghestan, separated ^^°P'* from it by the Caucasus Mountains, and extending from the Caspian Sea to the River Kur. Baku, or " place of the winds," is the trade center of this district, an important railroad and shipping-point. It is probably more famous for its naphtha and oil wells than for anything else; but it was of old a place much revered by the fire- worshipers of Persia, and since Russia has controlled this country the Par- sees of Bombay send a priest to ca-re for the temple built over one of these springs, and to keep the light burning. With the entrance of Russia and the Effect of railroad, the commercial spirit is Commerce abroad in the land; and owing to the great demand for rugs, they have fall- 131 Colors How to Know Oriental Rugs en below the old standard in quality, texture, and dyes, but this spirit has not been so detrimental to the fabrics as in Karabagh— in fact, many modern rugs have real worth. Designs and All the designs of the Daghestan rugs are found here, with often some Persian influence in the borders. The prayer pattern is much used. We find great variety and great contrasts in color, the latter being heightened by the close trimming of the pile. Materials The warp is of white or gray wool or a mixture of the two, the woof of wool or cotton, and the pile of fine wool, closely cut, which gives an^uDb usually thin texture to the rug. The endTare finished with web and fringe, often knotted, and the sides are either overcast or selvaged. Shirvan There is a Shirvan khilim somewhat heavier and coarser than the Senna khilim, and differing from it in design. 132 and Finish Khilim SHIRVAN Loaned by Mannheimer Bros., St. Paul, Minn. Caucasian Rugs This khilim is woven in stripes across the rug with bold, regular, geometrical designs in red and blue on an ivory ground enclosed in stripes of plain red, blue, and green. They are made in the khilim stitch, without pile, and of good wool. The open-work spaces are much larger than in the Senna khilim. KARABAGH The province of Karabagh lies south Country of the Caucasus in the angle between the old historic river Arax and the Kur. It is a remarkably fertile coun- try, with mountain streams coursing through it, and its natural resources are but partially developed. When a dependency of Persia, the Rugs of in- rugs, of which few remain, were of ™°''>2" '^ good workmanship; but since the in- fluence of Russia has predominated, and the demand for rugs has been 133 Size and Color Designs Materials, Texture, and Finish How to Know Oriental Rugs greater, they have deteriorated from their former standard, and are, per- haps, the most inferior product of the loom imported. They are usually small rugs, from three and one-half to five feet, some- times larger, of crude, vivid colors, poor dyes, and devoid of all artistic qualities. The glaring blues, reds, and yellows, on a white field, are anything but pleasing. While the borders adhere more closely to the Caucasus designs, the cen- ters defy description. Many prayer- rugs are seen with figures of the hands on each side of the prayer-point. The wool of both warp and woof is coarse, the pile longer and heavier than the Shirvan rugs, and they are more loosely woven. The sides are overcast in colored wools and the ends left loose, or made into a short web and hemmed back. 134 Caucasian Bugs Karajagh runners are made just Karajagh south of the Karabagh district; and as they are marketed at Tabriz, where they compete with Persian fabrics, they are of better quality than the Kar- abagh rugs. 135 IV KURDISTAN RUGS I. Persian Kuristan. 3. Turkish Kurdistan, a. Saraklis. 4- Mossoul. 5. Khilim. IV. KURDISTAN RUGS The home of the Kurdistan rugs is Country not a natural or political division, but is wherever the Kurds live, both in Persia and Turkey. They may be found in the country extending south from Armenia to the plains of the Tigris River and east to the Luristan Mountains, and also a few tribes in Anatolia and in northern Khorasan. Their origin is unknown; some People claim that they are descendants of the Medes, and so Aryan, and others that they are of Turanian stock. This we know, that Saladin was a Kurd; and we may take him as a type of the best Kurd of to-day, for they are a power- ful race, with strong, well-shaped fea- 139 How to Know Oriental Bugs tures, with open countenances and open hearts, hospitable and frank to friends, but unscrupulous and cruel to foes. They possess strong tribal at- tachments. They are a people with lit- tle history, no literature, and yet a dis- tinct race. Even those whom SHah Abbas transplanted in the sixteenth century to northern Khorasan to act as a barrier against the warlikie Turko- mans still retain their native martial habits, still wear their untrimmed hair and beards and the tall sheepskin bon- nets. They are Mohammedans, and under Persian rule more subject to law than ever in their history, but in Tur- key they are still wild and lawless. Peculiar It is not Strange, then, that this peo- >peofRugpjg weave a distinct type of rug, whether we find them in rude villages or in their tents made of black goatV hair blankets stretched upon poles. They make a heavy, closely woven rug, 140 ^m^^s&^^^Sks^mm^k^k^S^^mSSm 'i^pi !fc*ji^'3s:s mmnSiimi'^e^mi >s^wm»:^mmii»\ I ^%^it?2r?' PERSIAN KURDISTAN Loaned by Mannheimer Bros., St. Paul, Minn. Kurdistan Rugs using the Ghiordes knot. Their wool is of exceedingly fine quality, and their designs are largely borrowed from Persia, with a few from the Caucasus ; but they show their originality in com- bining them, giving their work bold- ness of design and richness of coloring. Their rugs are noted for shading of colors and for harmony of tones, as well as for permanence of dyes. PERSIAN KURDISTAN Living as the Persian Kurds do, in Character ot one of the most fertile parts of Persia, ^"^ in the western mountain districts, with fine pasture for their flocks, which are of ^ood breed, they have for their rugs a soft lustrous wool, which they make into the heaviest carpets, whose very texture is indicative of the character of the makers — so firm and unbending. The designs are usually Persian: Designs 141 How to Know Oriental Rugs the medallion, with corners to match, on a plain, rich red or blue field, is a favorite pattern, as well as the smaller designs of the Senna, Feraghan, and Saraband rugs, for they seem to love a pattern which repeats itself through- out the field; or sometimes scattered over the whole dark field with no- madic freedom are small medallions of various sizes, with flowers and rosettes in bright colors. The borders, often narrow for the size of the rug, are in harmony with the center, but with bolder outlines than the Persian. They make many rugs with the prayer de- sign, for which they use the soft down obtained from the winter combings of the sheep and goats. These are rare and expensive, as are those made of silk. Colors In colors, rich reds and deep blues predominate, with yellow and green. These people seem to have a poetic 142 Kurdistan Bugs sense of color, so that their combina- tions produce rich, harmonious effects, and they are adepts, too, in the matter of shading and dyeing. Their rugs are so closely woven, Texture and with each row of knots pressed down M^'^"*^ with such force, that they are many times hard when new, but become softer and of a beautiful sheen with use. Sometimes a heavy thread is thrown across with the warp for fill- ing, giving a " body " to the carpet. The largest carpets are the heaviest made, and all of them are among the very best. Both warp and woof are of wool, sometimes in the natural color, and the pile is of strong wool, kurk, goat's or camel's hair, or silk. These rugs have a narrow selvage, Finish and with a line of colored wool worked ^^ into it, which is a distinguishing fea- ture of all Kurdish rugs. The sides are overcast in brown wool. In size they 143 HoKa to Know Oriental Rugs vary from four to five by seven to eight feet, making a nearly square rug, and oblong shapes from five to twelve by nine to twenty feet. Use These rugs are durable and artistic, with a true Oriental spirit; they are suitable for entrance-halls, libraries, or any place where strong tones and rich, decorative effects are needed. SARAKHS OR LULE Country and At the most northwcstcm point of ^°P^ Khorasan, in the angle on two sides of which are the Turkomans of Merv, is the frontier post of Sarakhs. For many years Persia was so annoyed by repeated and unlooked-for attacks and inroads of the Turkoman tribes that Shah Abbas, in the sixteenth century, placed tribes of Kurds from the west to guard this boundary. Rugs Various nomad tribes of mixed ori- 144 Kurdistan Rugs gin, but most of them Kurds, once made magnificent carpets of fine qual- ity of tone and durability, with a dis- play of great originality and beauty in the combination of colors, quite won- derful from an artistic point of view, as well as in a simplicity of design, which has the true art note. In texture they resembled the Kurdistan rugs, above described, but were not so heavy. To- day their fabrics do not possess the artistic qualities of the Persian Kurds ; they are not deserving of the old name of Lule or pearl, but have deterio- rated much from their former stand- ard — where beautiful curves of the old Arabic type were used in the me- dallions and corner-pieces, now are straight lines, and in color there is more crudeness. The patterns are pronounced and Designs and irregular: the bold, floral medallion, ^°^°'^ with serrated corners on a shaded field 10 145 How to Know Oriental Bugs of Egyptian or Indian red, sapphire blue, tawny yellow or camel's hair, is the most characteristic design. Cu- rious figures of animals and birds oc- cur. The borders, harmonizing with the centers in their bold patterns, are enclosed in a plain band, the color of the field. The prayer- rug is made and also the mosque carpet with several prayer niches, but they are usually in carpet sizes. Materials These rugs are heavy, thick, and and Finish durable. The warp and woof are of heavy wool, and the pile of lustrous wool. One end is finished with a selvage, which is sometimes doubled back and woven in, and the other has fringe. The sides are overcast. TURKISH KURDISTAN Kurds of The Kurds of Turkey, " the free " ^^ Arabs of the mountains," as they are 146 Kurdistan Bugs called, wander in the low countries in the winter and seek the hill pastures in the summer-time; fewer of them be- come stationary than of the Persian Kurds. The women weave rugs, and the business of the men is often war and plunder. They are said to be hand- some, of fine physique, with strikingly brilliant and picturesque costumes, and in their tent-life have an appearance of comfort and industry. The rugs of the northern tribes are Rngs not marketed at Tabriz, where they would compete with Persian fabrics, but at Tiflis, in the Caucasus, where they are shown side by side with the Karabagh and Guenja rugs, and the quality does not in any way compare with the rugs of the Kurds of Persia. They bear a very close resemblance to the Guenja rugs, but are heavier and more closely woven. The quality of wool is good, but coarse ; and the warp 147 How to Know Oriental Bugs and woof are in the natural color of brown wool. Anatolian There is also an Anatolian Kurdish Kurdish Rug j-jjg^ which resemblcs the Yuruk in bold designs, long, shaggy pile, fine wool and dyes, and the braided warp- threads for a finish. These rugs are many times very crooked, and so unde- sirable. MOSSOUL Country and Within sight of the ruins of the an- People ^.jgjjf (.jjy Qf Nineveh is Mossoul, the great rug market of the Tigris Valley. Few, if any, of the Mossoul rugs are made in or immediately around the city of Mossoul, but by wandering tribes of Kurds and Bedouins, whose textile products find market at Mos- soul, and who inhabit the country from Lake Van southeast to the Persian bor- der, and many of whom wander to the warm plains of the Euphrates in the 148 Kurdistan Bugs winter. As when Abraham left Ur of Chaldea to go to Canaan, taking with him all his wealth in flocks of sheep and goats, so these pastoral, nomad tribes may be seen folding their oval goat's-hair tents, lading their women with their household furnishings, which consist of rugs, caldrons for cooking, and a few wooden bowls and platters, and seeking new pasture-lands for their flocks. A few of the tribes have become sedentary. The women do the weaving and, in fact, most of the work, and the men are given to plun- dering. While the country is under Turkish Designs rule, the rugs of this district have none of the characteristics of the Anatolian carpets. They follow either the floral patterns of the Persian rugs or the geometrical designs of the Caucasus; and while in color and blending of col- ors they resemble the Persians, they are 149 and Colors How to Know Oriental Rugs of much heavier and coarser texture. The weavers of Mossoul rugs show no originality in designs; the Saraband and Feraghan patterns are often seen, as well as various designs of the Da- ghestans. Materials These rugs have a thick, coarse pile, of good wool, camel's or goat's hair of rich sheen; the warp and woof are of either wool or cotton. The col- ors, rich, soft, and mellow, are of good dyes, often with browns and yellows predominating. Sometimes a band of camel's hair, in the natural color, en- closes the rug (as a border) . They are a durable rug, and often a favorite on account of the color effects in soft yel- lows, golden browns, greens, blues, or reds, which can be obtained by their use. The usual tone is dark. Finish and The edges are overcast in dark wool, and the ends selvaged, with color woven in. The usual size is about four 150 Size MOSSOUL Loaned by Mannheimer Bros., St. Paul, Minn. Kurdistan Rugs by eight feet; there are also runners, from two to four by twenty feet, and most desirable saddle-bags. KURDISH KHILIM Throughout the Kurdish districts khilims are made for use as rugs and tent-hangings, and by the horsemen as mantles to throw about them in their journeyings by day and as a bed or covering at night. They are without pile, but, like the rugs of this district, are often very artistic, having more re- finement of color and less striking de- signs than the Shirvan khilims. They are closely woven, without the open- work spaces, either in one piece with stripes of geometrical designs across the width, or in a heavier plain piece, or in several stripes joined together, with embroidered designs, often quite elaborate. Some of these, called dji- 151 Homo to Know Oriental Rugs jims, are large and of fine quality. The ends are finished with wide-woven web, like the Turkoman rugs, or some- times have an edge woven in an at- tractive pattern and sewed on. 152 TURKISH RUGS 1. Ghioides. 5. Yuruk. 2. Koulah. 6. Milas 3. Bergamo. 7. Kaisarish. 4. Ladic. 8. Khilim. 0. Modern Turkish. V TURKISH RUGS . The country of the Turkish rugs is Country the district of Asia Minor, or, as the Greeks termed it, Anatolia, the " land of the sunrise." We know it as one of the oldest parts of the world, a his- toric land: the land of the Iliad and Homer; the home of a wonderful early Greek civilization, with its arts, industries, and commerce, supplanted in succession by Persian, Roman, and Turkish rule. We associate with its past the early apostoljc churches, the crusaders on their way to Palestine; but to-day it is the land of Moham- medanism and stagnation. This dis- trict is about the size of France — a very fertile table-land, surrounded by ^55 Hotv to Know Oriental Bugs mountain ranges, with valleys sloping to the Black Sea on the north and to the Mediterranean on the west and south. Its natural resources, under Turkish rule, are only partially devel- oped; but the finest grade of wool for rug-making is produced in great quan- tities, as well as mohair from the An- gora goat, silk, cotton, linen, and dye- stuffs in abundance. People Its people we call Turks, but there are many Greeks almost as pure in lineage as those of Greece proper, Kurds, partly sedentary but mostly nomadic shepherds, Turkomans of the mountain districts of the Taurus, Ar- menians, Jews, and Europeans. With the exception of the cities like Smyrna, Broussa, and Adana, where European influence is felt through its commerce, the life of the people is very primitive. In many parts of Anatolia the rug- weaving people still carry on the in- 156 Turkish Bugs dustry as of old — one family raising, Rug-Weav- carding, spinning the wool, making ^^ ^^"^ the dyes and designs, and weaving the Foreigners carpet. Among these people we find a genuine article ; but merchants, bent on supplying the Western market, have, in certain districts of the western part of Asia Minor around Smyrna, which is the Oriental rug market for Tur- key in Asia, abolished the old system of individual work, and are directing the work of thousands of weavers, sup- plying them with materials and de- signs and demanding a certain article. While this has been done in Persia in the province of Azerbijan and at Sul- tanabad with comparatively good re- sults, in Turkey the modern rugs are so unlike the old that it is a misnomer to call them by the same names. The commercial spirit has so permeated Asia Minor that unless something is done to encourage the individual in- 157 How to Know Oriental Rugs dustry of rug-making it will soon be a thing of the past, which we shall all regret, for among the antique Turkish rugs are some masterpieces. If for- eign merchants would only take as pat- terns the early examples of this art, they would be the greatest benefactors in preserving one of the most desirable types of rugs. What Turkey needs is a Shah Abbas to encourage the best that can be done. This, indeed, is be- ing done in a small way by the present Sultan, for he has made a collection of carpets said to be the finest in the world; and at Hereke, fifty miles from Constantinople, he has established an art school and a factory, where Greek girls study the designs of these art treasures and reproduce them as nearly as possible in color and texture. As yet this has had no influence on the products of Anatolia, but it surely will if continued. 158 Turkish Bugs The prayer- rug doubtless originated Designs in Asia Minor, where we find it in per- fection and with most elaborate pat- terns. Both floral and geometrical de- signs abound — the floral less lifelike than in many Persian rugs. Perhaps the most characteristic feature of the floral patterns is the various flowers — ■ pinks, tulips, hyacinths — in profile or silhouetted on the plain field, with the stems serving as connecting lines. The geometrical patterns are less pro- nounced than in other varieties, and the " latch hook " less frequently used. The materials for rug-making are of Materials the best. The wool of Anatolia, much of which is raised by Turkoman tribes, is of specially fine quality, and is spun loosely, giving a fluffy appearance and producing a soft blending of colors. An attempt to introduce spinning ma- chines has failed, and it is all done by hand in various homes. The Angora 159 How to Knoiio Oriental Rugs goat furnishes a fine grade of mohair, which makes a rug with a beautiful sheen when new, but it soon becomes matted, and is not as durable as wool. Silk and cotton are both raised in abundance. The warp and woof of these rugs are usually of wool. Dyes In early days the dyes were veg- etable and permanent, for Anatolia abounds in dyestuflfs, but its nearness to the Occident has brought the anilin dyes into use to a large extent; how- ever, there is an attempt being made to return to permanent dyes. Red, a favorite color in Turkey, is made from madder, which grows abundantly; and the tawny yellow, so much used, is from Persian berries. Green^a ^acred color with the Mohammedans, is sel- dom seen except in prayer-rugg_pr those designed for mosques. Whatever the colors, they are usually bright and rich, but well blended. 1 60 &^^,.,':r'X^.^;?^'){i^.:fc/,„? -A 'jm^,^ :-'W;' VV^yj einA3KfeKk j r jriA«3 Cg«'kJgi^ ANTIQUE KOULAH Loaned by W. & J. Sloane, New York City Turkish Bugs The fluffy wool gives to the Ana- Texture tolian rugs a peculiar softness to the touch. They are more loosely woven, of longer and thicker nap than the Per- sian rugs, and are tied with the Ghiordes knot. The antique Anatolians are all small. Size but to-day many carpet sizes are made. GHIORDES A little to the northeast of Smyrna Country is the small city of Ghiordium, made famous in olden times by Alexander the Great in his cutting of the Ghior- dium knot, but known in more recent times as the home of a rug of most ex- quisite colors, designs, and workman- ship — a real masterpiece of the weav- er's art. Many of the old prayer-rugs, upon Best Turkish which Mohammedans have p rostra- ^"^ ted themselves in the act of devotion, " i6i How to Know Oriental Rugs have been preserved, and are too pre- cious to-day to tread under foot, so are used chiefly as wall decorations. This is the best rug Turkey has ever pro- duced and one which has seldom been surpassed in any country. Design The prayer-rug is the design in which the people of Ghiordium ex- celled: the center, of a beautiful green, blue, yellow, ivory, or red, is plain, with the prayer-point or temple design supported by two pillars, from the center of which hangs a lamp. Sometimes the architectural form, which dates back to Saracenic times, is not plainly marked; and at times the pillars are omitted or replaced by a modification of the tree of life. Some- times the prayer-niche is changed to resemble a horseshoe or crescent, per- haps made for the Stamboul sultans; and again, a floral design takes the place of the lamp. The spandrels 162 Turkish Bugs above the point are often filled with arabesque work or with floral conceits. The central panel sometimes has a frieze above and below. The borders, of which there are at times seven, but usually three — one wide between two narrow ones — have narrow ribbon stripes enclosing them. The designs are floral, often very realistic, or con- ventionalized into rosettes and pal- mettes, but seldom connected with the wavy line of the Persians — the flower- stalks sometimes serving the same end. Great patience is written on the face Colors of these rugs as well as a deep religious feeling in the great detail of design and in the exquisite handling of colors. One tone predominates, which is the same as the plain center; and the few contrasting colors are so used in the in- tricate designs as to produce great har- mony. Although the colors are bright, they have great depth and mellowness. 163 Materials How to Know Oriental Rugs The warp and woof are usually cot- and Texture jqu^ i[^q the Persian rugs, as well as some of the white figures of the pile; sometimes the warp is of silk or fine wool, or the woof is of linen. The pile is of the finest wool, closely cut; and while it does not possess the sheen which we so often see in the antique Persians, it is very velvety to the touch. But this rug has not the texture of most Anatolians, due to the fineness of the wool. These rugs have often a silk selvage at the sides, and an extra silk fringe at the ends, or are finished with web and fringe. The average size is four by six feet. The antique is a thing of the past, and almost unattainable ; and the mod- ern Ghiordes is so changed, so crude, coarse, and cheap, so without a distinct design, that a new name should be given them and the name of Ghiordes 164 Finish and Size Modern Ghiordes Turkish Rugs not be dragged in the dust. They are made in carpet sizes from six by nine to seventeen by twenty feet. KOULAH Southeast of Ghiordium, and due Country east of Smyrna, is Koulah, one of the old rug-weaving districts of Turkey. The same conditions prevail here as at Ghiordium, namely, that antiques have great worth and that the modern rugs are of inferior quality. The antique Koulah prayer-rug dif- Design fers from the Ghiordes in various ^^"'^f^^ ways: the center, instead of being plain, has a floral pattern extending through it; the temple design has no architectural form, and the arch is ser- rated. Sometimes there is a point at both ends, and the rug is then desig- nated a hearth-rug; and in place of the three borders there are many narrow 165 How to Know Oriental Bugs ribbon stripes, alternating light and dark, with small, detached floral con- ceits through them. Colors Tawny yellow and brown are pre- dominating colors for the center, but ivory, blue, and red are used, and the borders have blue, green, and ivory. These rugs are much to be desired where yellow or brown effects are wanted. Materials The materials are always good; the and Texture y^^rp and woof are usually of wool, and the pile of fine wool, more loosely spun and longer than the Ghiordes, and not as compactly woven, making a softer rug. They are the same size as the Ghiordes, about four by six feet. The ordinary, modern Koulah is a very coarse carpet, of good materials, with geometrical and floral designs of little merit. There is also a mohair Koulah, of thick, silky pile, which is one of the better grades of modern i66 Modern Koulah Turkish Bugs Turkish rugs. These are both made in carpet sizes. BERGAMO Bergamo, or Pergamos, one of the Country old Greek cities of Asia Minor, lies about forty miles northeast of Smyrna. The ruins that lie about bespeak its departed splendor^ which flourished down to the time of the early Chris- tians, when it was the home of one of the churches. The rugs woven here of antique Rugs make are scarce and much prized on account of their beautiful coloring; but many of the modern ones are the most desirable of all the present Ana- tolian fabrics, although sometimes crude in color. They usually have the medallion de- Design, sign, with the field well covered with ^^ex'turf geometrical patterns, and with wide floral borders — the flowers in profile. 167 How to Know Oriental Rugs They are a medium-dark rug, in showy colors — red, yellow, ivory, blue, and green predominating. In texture they are thicker than either the Ghiordes or Koulah, are loosely woven, and take on a beautiful sheen. , Distinguish- Their size and finish distinguish ing Marks ^^^^ ^^^^ othgj. Turkish rugs. They are nearly square — from three by three to seven by eight feet The sides are finished with a flat selvage in color, often with tassels along the sides or with rosettes at the ends of wool the colors of the pile. The warp and woof, of colored wool, are woven into a web at the ends, which often has a design worked into it or a rosette or tuft of wool woven like the pile. These are marks of a Bergamo rug, as is a tassel which is sometimes fastened to the center of the rug. All these embel- lishments are to keep away the " evil eye." Sometimes the fringe is braided i68 BERGAMO Loaned by Mannheimer Bros., St. Paul, Minn. Turkish Bugs into several strands, with a bead or charm fastened to it. LADIC Not far to the northeast of Konieh, Country and on the site of the ancient Laodicea, is ^°^^ to-day a most primitive village, in which the inhabitants live in mud huts or in tents, thrash out wheat on thrash- ing-floors, use the same primitive im- plements of industry, and dress in the same costumes as in days gone by, Paul and Barnabas traveled together over this country, which is to-day a great pasture-land for sheep and goats, rich in undeveloped resources. The antique Ladic, either in the Rugs large prayer pattern so renowned for its glory of color, or in the small mats, from one to two and a half by two to three and a half feet, intended by the weavers for pillow covers, are very 169 How to Know Oriental Rugs rare. These rugs, made of the finest soft wool, are in beautiful, subdued but rich colors — unusual greens, deep ivory, rich reds, and light blues blend into each other in a most artistic fash- ion — and the designs are Turkish pat- terns adapted to small surfaces. They are finished in a wide colored selvage, and the ends in a web. Modern The modem Ladic or Anatolian " *^ mats are coarser, cruder in color, and of poorer dyes; but they are of good wool, and the demand for them is greater than the supply. MILAS Character- A short distance southeast of Smyrna """ the Milas or Meles rugs are made. They are a typical Anatolian rug, in loose weave, coarse, fluffy, long pile, in rich shades in the antiques and in the modern of brilliant colors which 170 Turkish Bugs soon fade to more attractive shades. The general tone of the rugs is a golden color, with red, blue, and green sub- ordinated to it. There is no character- istic pattern, as both geometrical fig- ures and floral designs are used. One occasionally sees a brilliantly striped rug, and, again, a simple prayer-rug, or one resembling a Bergamo in de- sign. They often have the flowers in profile in the borders. In luster and texture they resemble the Kasak. The warp of wool makes the colored fringe, and the sides are selvaged. They are a nearly square rug, four by five feet be- ing the usual size. YURUK The word Yuruk means " wan- Country and derer " ; and the rugs of this name are ^^"P'* made by nomad tribes resembling the Turkoman, who were, doubtless, left stranded here after an invasion of the 171 How to Know Oriental Bugs country. They live in oblong tents, made of black goat's hair, after the same fashion of nineteen hundred years ago when Paul was a tent-maker in this same country. They pass their summers in the Taurus Mountains and their winters in the fertile plains of Cilicia, near the warm Mediterra- nean; and although inhabiting a part of Turkey they render allegiance only to their tribal chiefs. Resemblance This independence of spirit is shown they are unlike any other Anatolian weave, and resemble the Kasaks more than any other in their bold massing of color and unusual designs, as well as in the use of the " latch hook." They have the long, fluffy pile and loose weave of the Anatolians, which, with the brilliant coloring, gives them a rough, barbaric appearance. This, however, together with the depth and 172 Turkish Rugs richness of coloring, gives them art qualities sometimes missed by one who is looking only for fineness of texture and design. The best of wool is used, which Beautiful takes on a splendid luster. The whole ^""^"^ rug often has a sort of metallic bril- liancy, which is heightened by the fire- light. The colors are permanent, as no foreign influence has yet touched them. These rugs are finished like the Finish Turkoman rug, with colored web or with fringe braided into rough cords. The sides are either selvaged or over- cast, making a heavy, round edge. As these people are very superstitious, some irregularity of design is woven in to charm away the evil eye. KAISARIEH The modern city of Kaisarieh is Rug Center situated in the eastern part of Ana- tolia, southeast of Angora. It is a 173 How to Know Oriental Bugs great rug market for the surrounding country, and the center of a rug in- dustry directed by Armenians and Greeks- Term Ana- The term Anatolian, while applied toiian ^Q ^jj Turkish rugs, has a more limited meaning, and has been used to desig- nate a certain rug made near Kaisarieh and Koniah and marketed at the for- mer place. These rugs are made in small sizes, from three by five to four by seven feet, of the best wool from the district of Angora. Design and The prayer-rug follows much the same design as the old Turkish rugs with less care as to detail, with a close- ly woven pile of bright, crude colors. When the prayer design is not fol- lowed, the rugs are of long, loose, lus- trous pile, with geometrical designs. The warp and woof are of wool, and the ends are finished with narrow web and fringe. 174 Finish Anatolian Turkish Rugs There is a silk Anatolian made at suk Kaisarieh, which we speak of in con- nection with silk rugs. TURKISH KHILIM The young Turkish and Armenian women weave for their future hus- bands, as a betrothal gift, a " bride's rug," or kis khilim. These rugs are always of good wool, of light weight, and with many open-work spaces; and as the young women wish to show their accomplishments in this art as well as their devotion to their future lords, they are often of very beautiful design. They are made either in small sizes, about four by five feet, in the prayer design, or in long, narrow rugs in pairs and sewed together, with bold designs running across the width and a border at one side. They are finished with a fringe. 175 How to Know Oriental Rugs Kaisarieh is a great khilim center; and here are also woven djijims, either in plain stripes with embroidered pat- terns, sometimes called " Bagdads," or the mosque djijim, in one piece, with designs of mosques or other figures em- broidered on them. MODERN TURKISH CARPETS Smyrna We have already spoken of the mod- Carpets em Ghiordes and Koulah rugs. With- in a radius of a hundred and fifty miles of Smyrna, the great rug market of Turkey, many carpets are made, known as Turkish or Smyrna carpets. The work of rug-weaving in this vi- cinity is largely directed by foreign merchants, at Oushak, Ghiordium, Koulah, Demirdji, Sparta, and Akhis- sar, where nearly every house, it is said, has onfe or more looms set up in the main room or in the courtyard, 176 Turkish Bugs and where the weavers no longer use their own designs and dyes, but are simply machines, doing the bidding of a foreign master. They are described as working to the rhythm of weird chants, from early morning until dark, for the pittance of eight or ten cents a day. At Oushak, alone, it is estimated that Oushak from five to six thousand weavers, and dyers are employed. And here the best rugs are made. They are some- times called Kirmans and Gulistans, perhaps on account of the medal- lion centers. Bright reds and greens prevail, and the warp and woof are dyed the predominating color of the rug. The distinction of rugs of modern make is one more of quality than of de- sign. They are usually of good wool, often of permanent dyes, and of a mod- erate price. IS 177 VI TURKOMAN RUGS Bokhara or Tekk6. 3. Khiva or Afghan. Yomut. 4- Beluchistan. VI TURKOMAN RUGS The rugs of West-central Asia, or Country and Turkoman, as they are called, include Classification not only those of the Turkoman tribes of Russian Turkestan (the Bokhara or Tekke, Khiva or Afghan, and Yo- mut rugs) but all made in Afghanis- tan except the Herat rugs, and the Beluchistan rugs. By some those made at Samarkand would be placed in this family, but they are really Chinese rugs, although the city of Samarkand is in Russian Turkestan, The rugs of Afghanistan and Beluchistan find their way to Western markets through Bo- khara; and as they have some of the characteristics of the Turkoman fab- rics, perhaps it is as well to place them among the Turkoman rugs. i8i HovD to Know Oriental Bugs BOKHARA OR TEKKE Country and The Bokhara, or, more properly, the People Tekke rugs, are made by the Tekke Turkoman tribes who inhabit the country extending southwest of Bo- khara to Afghanistan and Khorasan. These tribes of nomad Turkomans, a branch of the Turkish race, until sub- dued by the Russians under General Skobeleflf in 1879, their stronghold taken, and thousands of their numbers murdered, were turbulent, restless rob- bers, who, fortifying themselves within their rectangular-walled forts, made ' raids for plunder and slaves upon all the surrounding country, especially upon Persia. But to-day, awed by Russian power, they seem content to give up the life of the border plun- derer, to peaceably cultivate the soil, and tend their flocks. They still re- tain their primitive life in tents of felt 182 mwm\. *fmi ft t,) > ,1.1 v(J 'fii* '1 1 1"»** iftM'W'r'*' BOKHARA Loaned by Mr. Joseph F. Langtorii St. Paul, Minn. Turkoman Bugs hung with bright carpets and with a fire in the center; and still continue to wear the same striking costumes of white cotton and colored silk, with large brown sheepskin bonnets; and still retain their cruel, untruthful, but hospitable natures. The two cities for distributing their Cities fabrics, which consist of silks, velvets, embroidered goods, and woolens, as well as rugs, are Bokhara and Merv. " Bokhara the Noble," as it is called, a centei: of learning and commerce, has one hundred thousand people, mostly Mohammedans. Its many mosques, extensive bazaars, old ruins, and people in Oriental dress make it one of the most interesting of Eastern cities. Merv, to the southeast, on the historic Oxus River, is the center of the trade routes from Bokhara to Eastern Persia and from Central Asia through Afghanistan to India. 183 Hoi!) to Know Oriental Rugs Rug The Bokhara, or Tekke, rugs, woven entirely by women, are the most popu- lar of all the rugs of the Turkoman districts, and are rightly so, for, strangely in contrast to the people who in their lives have nothing of re- finement, their rugs possess unusual artistic coloring, a wonderful depth of color, like the old Dutch portraits, and a luster or bloom rarely seen. Design They follow a uniform pattern, with a variety in combination of colors, so that no two rugs are ever exactly alike, although very similar. The ground, always a rich, dark red, wine, or pink, with octagonal figures, separated by some geometrical device, repeated with great regularity over the entire field, makes the Bokhara rug easy of recog- nition. The pattern within each oc- tagonal is divided into four parts, with the diagonal sections alike. The main border usually contains the same de- 184 Turkoman Rugs sign, enclosed in smaller borders of an intricate fretwork. These are fre- quently most beautiful. The colors — blue, brown, green, Colors orange, and ivory, in the designs and borders — are all subordinated to the beautiful, warm, autumn tints of the ground, which grow richer and deep-' er with age. This characteristic makes them of great decorative value when warmth of color is desired. The per- manent vegetable dyes have been used until Russia gained control, when ani- lin dyes were introduced ; but even yet the old dyes prevail. The Bokhara, like all Turkoman Texture and rugs, are of looser, softer texture than ^^'^"^ most Persian rugs; they are fine, hav- ing from one hundred and forty-four to four hundred knots to the square inch. The materials are always good ; the warp and woof are of wool, and the pile of soft wool, velvety to the i8s How to Know Oriental Rugs touch, and closely clipped or some- times of goats' hair. Finish and The sides are overcast in wool the ^^ color of the rug, and the ends finished in a wide web of the same color, some- times striped in red and blue and again with a dainty pattern in color. Occasionally there is a twisted rope at the ends, showing that the rug was de- signed as a hanging. In size they range from two by three to eight by eleven feet, and sometimes as large as twelve by eighteen feet. Prayer-rug The prayer-rug, in rich mahogany, of Rembrandt shades, has at one end the usual pointed device. The center field, covered with little tree-shaped patterns, is divided into four sections by a large cross, with geometrical de- signs within. The widest border has larger tree-forms enclosed in a modi- fication of the swastika. These rugs are nearly square, about four by five i86 Turkoman Rugs feet, and finished like the larger rugs. When the prayer-point is omitted, these square rugs, with the " Kchatch- li," or cross, are designed as saddle- covers. Saddle-bags are made in great num- Saddle-bag bers, with the octagonal design of the family on a rich color. They have long fringe on three sides. There is also a khilim made at Merv, Khiiim which resembles the Kurdish embroid- ered khilim. Antique Bokharas are of great value. Antiques running as high as a thousand dollars. Some, which have had long use as tent portieres, are of wonderful, deep tones, and before the firelight seem to possess a radiance all their own. YOMUT West of the Bokhara rug district, Turkoman bordering on the Caspian Sea and " ^ north of Khorasan, are nomad tribes of 187 Bokhara HotJO to Know Oriental Bugs Turkomans who are the weavers of the Yomut rug. These tribes differ but little from those who make the Bo- khara rugs, but are not friendly to them. Resembles They make a rug resembling the Bokhara in color, texture, and end fin- ish, but unlike in design, although at times the octagon is used. They have borrowed color from the Tekke tribes at the east and designs from the peo- ple beyond the Caspian Sea, so that the Yomut rug is a composite. The field is usually a darker, duller red than the Bokhara, more of a brownish red, and one which does not light up or pos- sess the sheen of the Bokhara proper. The diamond, with " latch hook " or- namentation in dark blues and browns, is a frequent design; and when the octagon occurs it is more elongated than in the Tekke rugs. The borders have geometrical figures, with the i88 Turkoman Rugs " latch hook " on an ivory ground; and the narrow, twisted, or " barber-pole " stripe, which seems to have originated with the Turkomans, is used to sepa- rate the sections. In texture these rugs are not so fine Texture and and soft or velvety as the Bokhara, but ^""'^ the wool and dyes are good. The fin- ish is the same as the Bokhara at the ends, wide web and fringe, but the sides have a double selvage in two col- ors arranged in checks, and a stripe of wool is sometimes woven into the col- ored web at the ends. They are not as artistic a rug as the true Bokhara, but are of refined colors and durable. The sizes are from five by eight to eight by eleven feet. KHIVA OR AFGHAN The country of the Khiva or Afghan Country rugs is that part of Afghanistan bor- dering on Russian Turkestan. 189 vnth Bokhara How to Know Oriental Bugs Compared Thcsc rugs are recognized at once as belonging to the Turkoman family. They resemble the Bokhara in design, but are a much heavier, larger rug, of coarser weave, larger pattern, longer pile, deeper coloring and more blend- ing of color, and with a barbaric note not found in the Tekke rugs. It is a wonderful thing that these uncul- tivated peoples can produce such har- monious blending of striking colors as is seen in their fabrics. Age gives to these rugs a beautiful sheen, a silky ef- fect, and a depth and richness of color unsurpassed. The colors in the patterns are blue, green, brown, yellow, and ivory, on a dark, almost blood-red or maroon field, which take on a rich glow in the fire- light. The materials are of the best wool, and the finish the same as the Bokhara rugs. They are in sizes from five by 190 Colors Materials and Size Turkoman Rugs eight to eight by eleven feet, and rarely one is found as large as nine by twelve feet. They make saddle-bags, too. The Khiva rug is adapted to libra- ries, entrance-halls, living-rooms, and wherever warm, rich tones are desired. Besides the Khiva and the Herat Other Rugs rugs, which we have classified as Per- sian, the wild tribes to the southeast make a rug allied to the Persian in de- sign, but with the texture of the Khiva. These people, living in the wild moun- tain districts of Afghanistan, many of them brigands and outlaws, with an in- stinct for independence, put much of their natures into their woven fabrics, and so give us rugs of barbaric splen- dor in color and of heavy texture, which are most attractive. 191 How to Know Oriental Bugs BELUCHISTAN Country and The couiitry of the Beluchistan rugs, ^°P* including a large district, partly un- der Persian rule and partly under the protection of India, extends from Kir- man to India and from Afghanistan to the sea. It is an undeveloped country, with great diversity of surface and vegetation — with jungles of acacia, mimosa, and tamarisk in the south, with plains and mountains farther north, where many date-palms grow and where abundant pasturage is found for flocks of goats and the dark- wooled sheep. This country, which has been the highway from Persia to India for ages, is inhabited by a pas- toral people, whose villages are sim- ply groups of huts made of palm-leaves and mud or of sun-dried bricks, and by numerous nomad tribes of primitive habits. 192 Turkoman Bugs The rugs of this district, sometimes Character- wrongly called " Blue Bokhara," from"""°^^"es their resemblance in design to Bokhara rugs and from the bluish sheen which many of them take on, have some very distinguishing characteristics. They are always small, from two and one- half by three and one-half to five by seven feet, with occasionally one seven by eleven feet. They have rich, sub- dued tones of rich red, camels' hair, or deep blue, which in some lights is al- most a black, for the field, upon which are geometrical figures of various col- ors — maroon, brown, soft blue, ivory, red, or green, and over all this a won- derful sheen, like the blue of distant hills. Occasionally the designs are in stiff, floral patterns, or in stripes, or in a checked, mosaic pattern. The mih- rab is usually square in the prayer-rug, and the " latch hook " and Vandykes are used in the borders with geomet- rical figures. 13 193 How to Know Oriental Rugs Material and Both warp and woof of these rugs Texture ^^^ ^^ wool, and the pile of finest wool or goats' hair, which gives a soft, silky texture. The natural wool is dark, and takes on an unusual richness when dyed. No other rugs have this pecul- iar blue cast, and so they are much de- sired. They make a most attractive hearth-rug, for the firelight seems to heighten this feature. They are loose- ly woven, making a pliable rug. The wide, striped selvage at the ends, like the Tekke rugs, is found here, often worked in exquisite patterns, and the sides are either selvaged or overcast. 194 VII INDIA RUGS VII INDIA RUGS India, stretching from the Hima- Country laya Mountains southward into the Indian Ocean, is a remarkable coun- try both in its natural resources and in its development. Bounded on the north by the highest range of moun- tains in the world, and separated from other countries by the Indus and Bramaputra Rivers, here, apart from other peoples, the early Aryans, after making subject a native race, devel- oped on the banks of their great rivers a most splendid civilization. There is something very fascinating about them, their history, literature, religion, and arts ; and with a knowledge of these we can better appreciate the present con- ditions. 197 How to Know Oriental Bugs Three We may divide their history into Periods ^\yxQQ periods, according to Hindu, Mohammedan, or English supremacy. The Hindu, with his subtle intellect; the Mohammedan, with his chief thought his religion, to which at one time he made subservient all the arts; the Englishman, with his commercial- ism, has each had his share in shaping the destinies of this people. It is with the last two periods that carpet-weav- ing is connected. Homes This land of diverse races and peo- ^™^ h d*"^ P^^®' differing so widely in their mode of life that they have little in common, yet agree in furnishing their homes most simply. For it has been said "that in India the great art in fur- niture is to do without it." Mr. Bird- wood writes: "You may pass through a whole palace and the only furniture in it will be rugs and pillows, and, of course, the cooking pots and pans, and 198 India Bugs gold and silver vessels for eating and drinking, and wardrobes and caskets and graven images of the gods. But you are simply entranced by the per- fect proportions of the rooms, the pol- ish of the ivory-white walls, the gay fresco round the dado, and the beauti- ful shapes of the niches in the walls, and of the windows, and by the rich- ness and vigor of the carved work of the doors and the projecting beams and pillars of the veranda." This people seem filled with a true art spirit, and everything they touch shows a magic hand. There is an old Hindu saying "that Handicrafts the first, the best, and the most perfect "^^""^^ of instruments is the human hand"; and when we read of the beautifully carved temples, the inlaid work, the gold and silver plate, the enamels, the jewelry, the pottery, the fabrics — espe- cially shawls, muslins, and rugs, which 199 How to Know Oriental Bugs have been brought to such perfection in far-oflf India — ^we can but believe that they have been and are a race of cunning craftsmen. Mr. W. S. Lilly, in his India and Its Problems, writes: "It may be truly said that the artistic spirit displayed in the architecture of their temples permeates the life of the people. From the earliest times they have been famous through the world for their skill in the production of deli- cate woven fabrics, in the blending of colors, in the working of metals and precious stones; everything that comes from the hands of their artisans down to the cheapest toy or earthen vessel is a work of art." And Sir George Bird- wood, who is an authority on this sub- ject, says in his Industrial Arts of India: " Every house in India is like- wise a nursery of the beautiful. . . . There is a universally diffused popular appreciation of technical skill and taste 200 India Rugs in workmanship which must necessarily have had its effect in promoting the unrivaled excellence of the historic art handicrafts of India." Little is known of Indian art until Rugs after the Mohammedan invasion about Moslems'' looo A. D. As the invaders used rugs to kneel upon in their religious devo- tions and to ornament their mosques, they doubtless brought them into In- dia. It is possible that cotton car- pets were indigenous to India. But the great era of carpet-weaving was in the sixteenth century and con- tinued down to the middle of the nineteenth. The great Mogul, Akbar, who was contemporary with Queen Elizabeth in England, brought carpet weavers from Persia to work at the looms in the royal palace at Lahore, and under his direction, as under Shah Abbas's in Persia, the art side of the in- dustry was developed. For it is said 201 How to Know Oriental Bugs that he had a personal supervision of all work done in the palace, and that he was not unfamiliar with all proc- esses. This made possible a high grade of work. And so from Lahore the industry spread throughout India. Antiques It is thought by some that the pro- ductions of these looms are still in ex- istence, and that they resemble very closely the old Ispahan carpets. In the museum at Jeypore are carpets of very early date, said to be manu- factured at Lahore, and to resemble the sixteenth-century Persian work. Effect of Vii- The village system of grouping into on^Ca^e™ ^'^^ guild all workers in one industry Weaving helped to preserve the handicrafts of India, and so the art of carpet- weaving. It has been said : "The Code of Manu has secured in the village system of India a permanent endowment of the class of hereditary artisans and art workmen, who of themselves consti- 202 India Bugs tute a vast population; and the mere touch of their fingers, trained for three thousand years to the same manipula- tion, is sufficient to transform whatever foreign work is placed for imitation in their hands into something 'rich and strange' and characteristically Indian." And so, although the designs of car- pets introduced by Akbar were Persian and the fabrics from the Mogul's pal- ace really Persian fabrics, yet, as the years went by, the true Hindu feeling crept in and a true Indian carpet was the result. Especially in the south, in Tanjore, the floral designs entirely dis- appeared and geometrical patterns, re- sembling the Turkoman, but with the Hindu spirit, took their place. This is but an illustration of what has been said of the Hindu as a race : "That they adapt and assimilate easily and express as Indian whatever comes within their touch." 203 How to Know Oriental Bugs Love of The Hindu is a true Oriental in his love of color, but in carpets his choice is in rich colors, not glaring and gaudy, with tints well blended, making a fabric admirably adapted to rest the eye when out of the glare of the sun. Dyes Dyeing was a special gift in India carried on by women, while the weav- ing is done by men and boys. Indigo, from which the finest blue is obtained, is indigenous and produced in great quantities, and her beautiful lac dyes formerly gave employment to thou- sands before the introduction of anilin dyes. Materials Wool Can not be raised in all parts of India, as the climate is not favor- able. The mountain districts in the north and the plains of Tibet furnish the best wool, as well as "pushmina" or shawl wool, the down growing next the skin and under the hair of the goats of Tibet. Punjab and the Northwest 204 India Rugs Province furnish some wool, but India imports much. Cotton, which is so largely used in making the blue and white striped rugs for native use and as the warp and woof of the woolen carpets, grows in great abundance, and silk and hemp are of native production. The characteristics of the old fabrics Character- were the natural beauty of the dyes, Antiques the taste and skill exercised in the har- monious arrangement of colors, the simplicity of decorative details, and the avoiding of extreme contrasts by outlining in black the details of de- sign. The designs of these carpets varied Designs Vary with the districts and the peculiar in- fluences surrounding. In the north, floral designs were used in imitation of the Persian, with more boldness and dash, with more plain surface and less delicate tracery, and with more sym- metry and balance. In the south, geo- 205 Seats of Old Industry- Carpets Made in Royal Palaces Tanjore Rugs How to Know Oriental Bugs metrical designs were in general use to the exclusion of the floral. The principal seats of the old indus- try were Lahore, Multan, Mirzapoor, Allahabad, Benares, Hyderabad, Wa- rangal, Masulipatam, Malabar, and Tanjore. Following the example of the Em- peror at Lahore in placing the manu- facture of rugs in the royal palace, other princes brought the art of carpet- making to a high standard. At Tanjore, one of the centers of the Hindu religion, the rugs are said to have been made with designs character- istically Indian, to be especially fitted for the durbar display or for the halls and tents of native princes. With me- dallions of enormous size, sometimes measuring eight feet across, filled with unique designs in gorgeous colors — greens, blues, crimsons, and yellows, so harmoniously arranged as to give the 206 India Rugs effect of a rich fabric without crudeness — ^with a border from two to six feet wide, a rug from this district possessed a beauty of its own unlike any other made. The silk carpets of Tanjore, Wa- rangal, Masulipatam, and Benares are said to have rivaled in texture and col- oring the finest Persian. Sometimes the pile was left long, so that the wave of color gave the effect of the plumage of a bird. It is the loss of native fabrics like these which is so much re- gretted. In 1 8 CI an exhibition of Indian tex- Exhibition in tiles was held in London, and carpets ""g"^'^ gathered from all parts of India were shown. At that time the industry was practised in its original purity through- out India; and it is of these carpets that Mr. Robinson and Mr. Birdwood speak in their descriptions of the vari- ous varieties. But since that time the 207 Hofw to Know Oriental Rugs native work has deteriorated, due to various causes : the demand in England for cheaper rugs, the introduction of carpet-weaving in Government jails, thereby making competition so strong that the native weaver is crowded out, and the introduction of foreign designs and anilin dyes. So that a true Indian carpet is seldom met with except in the cotton rugs which are universally used throughout India. But private firms, English and American, are directing carpet-making, and while their prod- ucts are not an expression of the Hindu spirit, yet they have merit in that they are genuine in dyes and material, that they can be ordered of any size, pattern, or coloring, and that the workmanship is good. When all these qualities are combined in one rug, as they many times are, the result is a fabric far more artistic than any machine-made rug, though not equal to many Persian rugs, 208 India Rugs for the individual expression is lack- ing. The best jail-made carpets are manu- JmI Carpets factured at Agra; and while the au- thorities aim to use good dyes and old designs, the subtle and art qualities of an Oriental rug are not produced by this kind of workmen. In many dis- tricts the native industry of rug-weav- ing has disappeared in the face of this rival — the Government jail. These carpets are prohibited by law from the American market. The desertion of the native patterns Foreign for those of English importation has oeTrSnt been a misfortune to the carpet in- dustry. And in all industries where European designs have been followed the results have been unsatisfactory, as, for example, the cashmere shawls, which, when made after French pat- terns, lost their " peculiar loveliness." We agree with Sir Richard Temple 14 209 How to Know Oriental Bugs in his India in 1880, when he says: " We ought to recognize the indige- nous arts of India when produced by hereditary artists with designs origi- nating in nature and worked out with tact and skill." MODERN INDIA RUGS Modern Rug The modern India rugs brought to "°Producr^ this country are made by firms which control the industry in India. While made by native boys and men, often un- der the immediate direction of native princes, or other men, they can hardly be said to be a really native product, for the designs, materials, and dyes are furnished them and they simply do the mechanical work, but with such deft- ness and skill that the result is a good article. Let me quote from Eliza R. Scidmore's Winter India; speaking of the work at Amritsar, where some of the best results are obtained, she says: 210 India Rugs "At the large carpet factory ninety- seven looms were strung with cotton warp, and little Kashmiri boys sit- ting elbow to elbow before them tied in the woolen threads, cut them with miniature scythes, and pressed down the stitches with wooden combs. A spectacled old Kashmiri, seated be- hind each curtain of warp threads, read off the directions for the pat- tern from pages of Kashmiri cipher, all understanding and following this ancient, conventional cipher by in- herited association more easily than any of the clear, mechanical direc- tions devised and used by the managers of jail carpet-works. Four small bpys, with one old man to read the pattern to them, will make a fine, close, velvet- pile carpet, measuring eleven by thir- teen feet, in two months and a half — a carpet worth twenty-five dollars gold at Amritsar. The design is chosen, the 211 Hofw to Know Oriental Rugs materials allotted, and the contract let to the reader, who pays each boy three or four rupees a month. Conventional old Turkish and Persian designs are followed. They are first drawn in col- ors, traced on scaled paper, graded to the number of warp threads, and the pattern written in Kashmir cipher. The small boys work mechanically, tying on two, four, or twenty stitches, as the reader calls to them, paying little heed to what is growing under their fingers, whether scroll, leaf, or stripe. 'Two pink, three green, one red,' chant the boys in monotones after the reader. The reader watches the pat- tern grow, and, detecting a false stitch, raps the offender with the stick he holds for the purpose. The carpets are val- ued both for the fineness of the stitches and the quality of the wool. . . . Each loom was a genre picture and a color study, with the spectacled Kashmiri in 212 India Rugs sober turban and jacket on one side and on the other the row of long-lashed boys in brilliant garments elbowing and shoving one another and tittering together, quite as all children behave in the presence of school visitors." This is probably a typical picture of rug-making as it exists to-day in India. There is no opportunity for spontaneity or originality of design, no chance for the subtle Hindu thought or feeling to creep in. Many of the firms are copying old Designs Persian rugs, especially the Herati and Guli henna patterns, and the medal- lion center on a plain ground with cor- ners to match. The palm design and the stiff cypress-tree are used, as well as scrolls, and in as great a variety as can be imagined. If you wish a de- sign of your own and are willing to wait and to pay for it, you can have your heart's desire. 213 H&w to Know Oriental Bugs Colors The modern rugs have departed from the old Hindu thought of rich tones only, and all colors and shades are used to suit the fancy of the maker. Dyes Reliable firms see to it that the dyes are vegetable and permanent and that the wool is of good quality; so the way to get a good article is to deal with the right people. Texture The texture of Indian rugs varies: some are very fine, having as many as four hundred stitches to the square inch, and others much coarser. They are closely woven and are the heaviest rug made. Material Like most Persian rugs, they have a cotton warp and woof. The ends are finished with a fringe and the sides are overcast with the prevailing color of the rug. They are made in all sizes, from mats to the largest carpets. Districts There are four districts where rugs are made in large quantities: Punjab, 214 India Rugs Northwest Province, Cashmere, and Madras Presidency; of these the Pun- jab produces the best carpets. The name is given by the firm importing or manufacturing. Amritsar, Candahar, Bijapyr, Punjab, Lahore, Mirzapoor, Cawnpore, Ardahan, are a few of the varieties. Mr. Ruskin, speaking of the English Effect of influence on carpet-making in India, and the same is partly. true of Ameri- can influence, says: "Modern commer- cialism has laid its poisonous trade upon this useful industry since the days when I was a young man, and to-day it is almost ruined as an art." If a na- tion can not survive the loss of its re- ligion, can this industry survive the loss of its ideals? Commercial- 215 VIII CHINESE RUGS 1. Peking. 3. Ning-hsai. z. Tientsin. 4. Eastern Turkestan. 5- Samarkand. VIII CHINESE RUGS Ever since Marco Polo's time, China, Country "the long-lived empire," has been more and more of interest to the outside world. This country, whose glories lie mostly in the past, is the home of the oldest, continuing nation, dating back in its history to 2852 B. C. The empire, the largest in the world, includes China Proper, Mongolia, Tibet, and Eastern Turkestan. Her people, mostly engaged in man- People ual labor, are skilled in many handi- crafts. The manufacture of silk, por- celain, and lacquered ware originated with them, and their cloissonneg pot- tery, carved ivory, embroidery, and 219 How to Know Oriental Rugs rugs are the admiration of the world. Wisdom is said to lodge in the hand of the Chinese, and we believe it when we see the delicate work of their hands. Every art object is the work of one artist in design and execution. Homes As a people, they have no old or great buildings, no monuments except the Great Wall of China. The homes of the poor and middle classes, with their earth floors covered with matting, have no comforts; and the houses of the rich, with marble tiles or glazed brick floors sometimes spread with rugs of exquisite coloring and work- manship, are neither beautiful in de- sign nor elegant, although they possess rich, carved ornaments and many art treasures. Rugs Rugs have long been made in China, where they are masters of the art, for there is the record of a beautiful white silk Chinese carpet which covered the 220 Chinese Bugs shrine of the Kaaba at Mecca long be- fore Mohammed's time, and to-day some few of surpassing excellence from the Chinese palaces reach this country. Their carpets are unique and un- Designs usual, without the grotesque figures which occur in many of their art fab- rics. They are original in design, and less influenced by modern ideas than many rugs. The trellis, or fretwork, is a common background on which are arranged disks, circles, octagons, fig- ures of dragons, bats, butterflies, and other animals, as well as the lotus and a few other floral patterns. The Greek border, supposed to be derived from the old emblem of happiness, the swas- tika, and the cloud band, which is thought to be the snake emblem of In- dia, are much used. In addition to originality of de- Colors signs, the colors, especially in the old carpets, are soft, pleasing, and well 221 Hota to Know Oriental Rugs balanced. Golden and tawny yellows, fawn shades, old blue and a turquoise, and red are favorite colors. As the Emperor puts on robes of blue when he worships the heavens in reference to the sky, yellow for the earth, red for the sun, and white for the moon, so the use of these colors in their rugs are likewise suggestive. SymDoHsm Mr. Wells Williams, in The Mid- dle Kingdom, says that " a rug often tells a story," and he believes that their use of animal figures is sym- bolical. " The bat represents hap- piness, and when five are used the five happinesses — riches, longevity, sound body, love of virtue, and peace- ful end." The dragon, which is their national emblem, symbolizes sov- ereignty; the tortoise, immortality; and the deer, honor and success. Materials The finest rugs, soft in texture and lustrous, are of Tibetan wool or silk, 222 *«*«<' PEKING Loaned by A. A. Vantine & Co., New York City Chinese Mugs and others are made of coarser wool from Mongolia or from camel's hair. Formerly only permanent colors were known, but anilin dyes are fast taking their place. The rug districts are Peking, Tien- Districts tsin, Ning-hsai, in the northern part of China Proper, in Tibet and Mon- golia, in the cities — Khotan, Yarkand, and Kashgar — in Eastern Turkestan, and in Samarkand of Russian Turkes- tan. The Peking, Tientsin, and Sa- markand are the only varieties known in this country. PEKING In the Chinese city of Peking, which Chinese City is the outermost of the four cencentric cities — including the Chinese, the Tar- tar, the Yellow or Imperial, and the Purple Forbidden City— is manufac- tured one of the best grades of Chinese rugs. 223 How to Know Oriental Rugs Antique The antique rugs of this make pos- ^"^* sess many art qualities. They are soft in texture, of good, lustrous wool, silk, or camel's hair, and have the usual characteristic Chinese designs — the conventional fret pattern, the bats and butterflies of longevity, dragons sur- rounded by cloud bands, disks, and lotus blossoms. One, in a private col- lection in New York city, is of glori- ous, golden, sunset color, with its fret- work pattern of the field imperceptible only when the shades of golden-dyed wool are in certain lights, and the Greek border encircling it in clear out- line. A similar one has exquisite fawn shades. Such wonderful art Designs treasures are rare, and are only to be found in the Celestial palaces. One sometimes sees a rug of tawny yellow on which are scattered disks with drag- ons and cloud bands; or on a deep blue or Chinese red is a fretwork in 224 Chinese Rugs shades of tan ; or scattered over a plain field are bats or other animals. The borders usually have the Greek mean- der with disks or lotus blossoms. These rugs come in small squares, made for pillows, in medium and carpet sizes, and sometimes circular. The modern carpets retain the old Modem designs, but combine them with scrolls, ^"^^ flowers, and leaves, which rob them of their Chinese spirit; and here, too, the use of anilin dyes is slowly and artfully taking the place of the old permanent ones. TIENTSIN The rugs known as Tientsin, made at Compared the port of Peking, are of coarse wool "^"a^gf^ or camel's hair, of long, thick nap, close, firm weave, with none of the ar- tistic coloring or luster of the antique carpets of Peking. But few colors — two shades of blue, black, brown, and 15 225 How to Knot!} Oriental Rugs white — have been used until very re- cent times. Design On a white field, Chinese geomet- rical and conventional patterns, with various modifications of the swastika and a border of the Greek fret, have been the usual scheme of design; but the weavers are exchanging the old pat- terns for large roses in reds, greens, and the whole range of colors in the anilin dyes ; and with the deterioration in de- signs and colors the texture has also changed for the worse. So that the latest rug has none of the sturdy and genuine qualities of earlier days, for which the corrupting influence of for- eign trade is responsible. NING-HSAI Ning-hsai, on the upper Whang-Ho, near to the border of Mongolia, has been famous for centuries for its wool carpets. On their rude vertical looms 226 Chinese Rugs the men and women, with no pattern before them, tie in the colored wools of their own dyeing, making a carpet with the usual Chinese designs. As this is the home of the old Chinese na- tion, doubtless carpet-weaving in China originated here. They make them for use as pillows, saddle-covers, and to spread on the floors of tents. Many are sold to the Mongolians, and some find their way to Tibet. CHINESE TURKESTAN The country of Chinese Turkestan, Country surrounded as it is on the north, west, and south by high mountains, has re- ceived little influence in its primi- tive civilization except from China. Marco Polo tells how the people in this country lived by trade and handi- crafts, among which were the polish- ing of jade and the weaving of rugs. 15* 227 How to Know Oriental Rugs And to-day, in the vicinity of Khotan, Yarkand, and Kashgar, rugs are made whose prevailing note is Chinese, though some of the floral patterns may have found their way from Persia. Khotan Bayard Taylor, in his Travels, speaks of the beautiful Khotan car- pets which were spread on divans in the " royal rest " rooms near Yar- kand, and of the fine trappings of their horses. Yarkand At Yarkand, which is the chief city -" and the home of the military officials, rugs of a pronounced Chinese type are woven. The designs are disks, medal- lions, and stiff tree forms, the latter of which sometimes cover the entire sur- face. In color and texture they have something of the barbaric note of the rugs of eastern Afghanistan. Kashgar And at Kashgar, which is the center of a great caravan trade, and one of the richest markets of central Asia, a car- 228 Chinese Bugs pet of coarse wool with glossy surface and bright colors is used by the natives in their tents and for saddle-covers and saddle-bags, SAMARKAND More than a hundred miles east of City Bokhara and still in Russian territory, on a branch of the'Oxus River, is Sa- markand, once famed for its learning, and the center of college life in Asia. It contains the tomb of Tamerlane and the ruins of many grand buildings. Even in its decay its public square is said to rival that of St. Mark's at Ven- ice. The surrounding country is very fertile, and noted for its beauty, fine fruits, and delightful climate. Tamerlane brought artists from Persian captured Persian cities to his capital; and so the art of rug-weaving was con- veyed to these people by experts, and 229 How to Know Oriental Rugs to-day, although hundreds of miles from Persia, we see traces of her influ- ence, although the Chinese character- istics predominate. Rugs The Samarkand rugs are of fine, loose texture, almost like silk with their rich, heavy nap. Antiques are rare and of exceptionally refined colors, and the rhodern fabrics are very attractive. Design The field is usually blue or red, but sometimes golden brown, soft fawn, :or a mellow gray, with the Chinese fret or wavy lines covering it, and with from one to five disks in soft yellow, red, or blue, symmetrically! scattered through it. Within each disk is often the figure of a dragon surrounded, by cloud bands. Or sometimes the center is divided into squares with conven- tional designs within. In the modern rugs there is often a fretwork border- ing the field within the border proper. The borders consist of coordinate 230 SAMARKAND Loaned by Mannheimer Bros., St. Paul, Minn. Chinese Rugs stripes, sometimes the outer one a little wider than the others, and finished with a band of solid color. The inner bor- der usually has the Greek meander, the outer one with floral patterns connected with the wavy lines of the Persian bor- ders, and the middle one has figures corresponding to the center. The warp is coarse cotton or silk, the Materials woof cotton or wool, and, like the Ka- ^^ ^'"^''^ saks, is thrown across a number of times between each row of knots. The pile is of loosely spun wool or of silk and wool. The sides are selvaged, sometimes in two colors like the Yomut rugs, and the ends are finished like the Turkoman rugs, with web and fringe. The sizes are from three by six to Size nine by fifteen feet. The modern rugs have deteriorated somewhat from the high standards of early times. 231 IX SILK RUGS IX SILK RUGS Silk rugs of most exquisite work- Masterpieces manship, by some considered the mas- °^ '^^ "^^ terpieces of the loom, have been woven in Persia, Turkey, India, and China. They were made for palaces and mosques under the patronage of roy- alty, and no expense was spared to make them perfect specimens of the handicraft of carpet-weaving. Many of the most beautiful ones have been gifts to Mecca, or some other sacred city, for the Mohammedan rulers vied with each other in making rich gifts to their shrines. The interior of the mosque at Meshed is famed for its gor- geous carpets, which harmonize so well with the splendor of its iridescent tiled ^35 How to Know Oriental Bugs walls ; and the temples of the dervishes are said to be rich in these art treasures. An antique Persian "Hunting Carpet," a Turkish prayer-rug with its mihrab and hanging-lamp looking almost like stained glass, an Indian floral carpet with its long pile, said to resemble the brilliant plumage of their native birds, or a Chinese rug of imperial yellow, are any of them rare, and are to this art what the works of the old masters are to the art of painting. Persian Kashan, between Teheran and Ispa- han, was in Shah Abbas's time, as it is to-day, the center of the silk-rug indus- try in Persia. The antiques, with their gorgeous colors, fine texture, and me- tallic luster — real works of art — seem suited to rooms of Louis XVI style, or in keeping with brilliant decorations, as those of St. Mark's at Venice. The old "Hunting Carpets," with elaborate detail work, showing in their designs 236 PERSIAN SILK Loaned by Kent-Costikyan, New York City Chinese Bugs forests with hunters and dogs pursuing animals of the chase, rugs with ex- quisite floral designs with birds, those with a medallion on a plain center, as well as the prayer pattern, are all found among the old silk carpets. The col- ors — red, rose shades, turquoise and the rare old blue, deep wine, ivory, and green — in silk have less warmth and softness than the fine wool carpets, but often possess iridescent luster not seen in any other rugs. The modern reproductions of the Modem old in design and color are of much Pe«>™ better quality and workmanship than the rugs of Anatolia. They are seldom made as large or as elaborate in design as many of the antiques ; the usual size is four by six feet. The warp and woof are often of silk, and they are finished with narrow web and fringe. The antique Anatolian, or Turkish Turkish silk rug, follows the designs of the 237 How to Know Oriental Bugs Ghiordes wool rug, having the temple design with its lamp, showing that it was intended for sacred use. The in- tricacy of design in the borders and in the spandrels above the point is height- ened by the fine material. Modern The modern rugs are of two grades : the better one, made in the Sultan's factory at Hereke, rivals the modern Persians in quality and follows them in design, as well as reproduces the an- tique Turkish patterns; while those made at Kaisarieh are purely Turkish in design and less desirable in coloring, dyes, and workmanship. India and The India and Chinese silk rugs are Chinese gxtinct. The India rugs resembled the Persian in design, but with much Hindu feeling, and the Chinese dif- fered not in design from the wool rugs of Peking. 238 INDEX INDEX. Afghan rugs, tee Khiva. America, rugs in, zz. Amritsar rugs, 215. Anatolian rugs, see Turlcish. Anilin dyes, 43, 44, 55, 64, III, 160, 225. Animal figures, 53. Arabic rugs, loz. Ardahan rugs, Z15. Ardebil, Holy Carpet of, 51, lOO-IOI. Asia Minor, Greeks of, 21, rugs of, 155-177. B Babylonia, rugs of, 20. Bakshaish rugs, 93—94. Beluchistan rugs, 192-194. Bergamo rugs, 167—169. Bijapur rugs, Z15. Bokhara rugs, 182-187. Cabistan rugs, 115—117. Camel's hair, 37. Candahar rugs, 215. Cashmere rugs, 127—130. Caucasian rugs, 103-135. classification of, 104. Caucasus, the, 105-108. Cawnpore rugs, 215. Chichi, see Tzitzi. Chinese rugs, 217-231. classification of, 218. Chinese silk rugs, 238. Chinese Turkestan rugs, 227- 229. Color, 38-39. D Daghestan rugs, 111-115. Derbend rugs, 121-123. Designs, animal figures, 53. charm of, 44. classes according to, 47. floral, 48-50. geometrical, 50. imitations of nature, 47. , influence of religious cen- ter on, 69. of Caucasian rugs, 109- IIO. of Chinese rugs, 221. of India rugs, 205. of Kurdistan rugs, 141— 142. 241 How to Knowo Oriental Rugs Iian, use of term, 91. Ispahan rugs, 99-100. |i K. Kaisarieh rugs, 173-175. Karabagh rugs, 133-134. Kaiajagh rugs, 135. Kasak rugs, 123-126. Kaslian, 100, 236. Kashgar rugs, 228. Kermanshah rugs, 78— So, Khilim, 85. Kurdish, 151, Merv, 187. Senna, 85. Shirvan, 132. Turkish, 175-176. Khiva rugs, 189-191. Khurasan rugs, 65-68. Khotan rugs, 228. Kirman rugs, 76-80. Knots, kinds of, 33. Koulah rugs, 165—167. Kurdistan rugs, 137—152. classification of, 138. khilim, 151-152. Peisan, 141-144. Turkish, 146-148. Kurk, 37. Designs of Persian rugs, 64. of Turkish rugs, 159. origin of, 45-46. symbolism in, 5 1—52, 222. Dyes, 39-44; sic Anilin. Egypt, rug-malcing in, 19. England, 22. " Extra Persian " rugs, 99. Feiaghan rugs, 88-91. Floral designs, see Designs. G see Guenja. Genghis rugs, jet wu^^.j Geometrical designs, 50. Ghiordes rugs, 161—165. Gorevan rugs, 93-94. Guenja rugs, 126-127. Gulistan rugs, 177. H Hamadan rugs, 95-96. Handicraft of rug-weaving, 19, 25, 36. Herat rugs, 71-73. Herez rugs, 93—95. "Holy Carpet" of Ardebn, 52, lOO-IOI. I India rugs, 195-215. modern, 210-215, 242 Ladic rugs, 169-170. Lahore rugs, 215. Latch hook, 50, 1 10. Lule, see Sarakhs. Index M Malgaran nigs, 119—121. Masulipatam, Z07. " Mecca" carpets, 75. Melf's rugs, see Milas. Merr khilim, 187. Meshed rugs, 69—70. Milas rugs, 170-171. Mirzapoor rugs, zi5. Mossoul rugs, 148-151. Muskabad rugs, 99. N Ning-hsai rugs, 226-227. Palm, see Designs, Peldng rugs, ZZ3-225. Perda, zo, 59-61. Perdan rugs, 57-ioz. classificadon of, 58. "Polisli carpets," 38. Prayer-rug, 24, III, 159, 186, Z36. Punjab rugs, 215. Fushmina, 37, 204. Rugs, antiques, 54. artistic merits of, 26. classes, 47. demand for, II. desirable qualities of, 12. deterioration of, 55. expression of individual, 26. Rugs, finish of, 34. literature of, 13. luster of, 53. materials of, 36—38. study of, 56, time taken to make, 34- 35- "treated," 54. uses, Z3-25. value dependent on, 54. Saddle-bags, 24, 73, 76, 96, 151, 187. Samarkand rugs, 229-231. Saraband rugs, 86-88. Sarakhs rugs, 144-146, Saruk rugs, 91-92. Savalan rugs, 99. Sehna, see Senna. Senna khilim, 85. Senna rugs, 83—86. Serapi rugs, 93-94. Shah Abbas, 6z, Shiraz rugs, 73-76. Shirvan khilim, 132-133. rugs, 131-133. Silk, 38. Silk rugs, 233-238. Soumak rugs, see Cashmere. Spain, 21. Sultanabad rugs, 97-99. Swastika, 50, 51, no. Symbolism, 51-52, zzz. Haw to Know Oriental Rugs Tabriz rugs, 80-83. Tekk^ rugs, see Bokhara, Tientsin rugs, 225-226. " Tree of Life," 49. Turkish khilim, 175-176. Turkish rugs, 153, 177. classification of, 154. modem, 176-177. Turkoman rugs, 179-194. classification of, 180. Tzitzi rugs, iig-119. W Weaving, process of, 30-32. tools for, 32—33. Women weavers, 28. Wool, 36-37. Yarkand rugs, 228. Yomut rugs, 187-189. Yuruk rugs, 171-173. THE END 244