'4 •'l CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY FINE ARTS LIBRARY CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 1924 102 820 43 DATE DUE PRINTED IN U.SA. CORNELL i^ .'■'1 'J. ?i R A R V From the library of Elizabeth Gibson Holalian 1903-2002 ^ gift from the Rochester Area Community Foundation ORIENTAL RUGS Boston Transcript review of "Oriental Rugs" published by A. U. Dllley & Co., Inc., 5 Park Street, Boston, re-printed from the issue of May 28. 1909. Oriental Rugs Almost everybody nowadays owns rugs, has to buy rugs, and is more or less interested in knowing something about them ; but we fear that most of the knowledge on this subject is superficial. Arthur Urbane Dilley, who is a well-known Boston dealer in rugs, has published a brochure entitled " Oriental Rugs," largely composed of a series of papers which he re- cently wrote for the House Beautiful, and in this he undertakes to perform a valuable ser- vice for the purchaser of rugs ; that is, to pre- sent some facts which will help the buyer to estimate the value of a rug and to qualify himself to buy intelligently. The es!,ay is ex- ceedingly lucid, practical, compact, and to the point ; and it may be presumed that what it has to tell about rugs is just what the average buyer ought to know. Naturally, most of the text is somewhat technical, but the writer makes himself clear, and avoids as far as possible in- volving his argument in obscure and difficult terminology. In selecting rugs, he holds that the first question to be considered by the buyer is. What is the material? If it is wool, is it all wool, or is there jute and other fiber, cotton, hair, or silk used with it.' The second question concerns the quality or grade of the material, and the third question its disposition and rela- tive strength. There are other inquiries which are hardly less important, such as How well is the material woven.' Another matter for the buyer to determine is the condition of the material and the weaving. If it is worn, moth- eaten, drv and dead, cut, pieced, crooked, loose, the rug has lost value. Directions are given how to detect these defects by examination. There is also the question of the kind of dye used. It is important to the buyer to know whether he is buying good or bad dye. The final question before the rug buyer is whether the dye has been "treated"; in other words. whether the rug has been " doctored," " pickled," washed or boiled. Mr. Dilley gives a rather alarming account of the numerous denices employed to "treat" rugs. A large portion of the Oriental rugs on the market to- day, he says, are acid-treated. Many of them are sold as antiques, because genuine antique rugs are very scarce and costly. However, it appears that " treatment " is not necessarily injurious to a rug, since he adds that buyers need not hesitate to buy "treated" rugs if they have a proper guarantee from a responsible source that the rugs have not been injured, that is, that they will wear out through service and not disintegrate as a result of the "treat- ment." Here is an interesting paragragh : "The advertising of Oriental rugs as frequently prac- tised is discreditable. Much may be conceded to the hyperbole of commercial language, but to one who knows rugs the advertisements day after day are as grotesque as if a picture dealer advertised two hundred thousand museum Raphaels at $13.98 each, or a book dealer advertised: 'We have just sent our buyer to London and purchased, $700,000 worth of the first folios of Shakespeare. These are going like hot cakes. Scholars and book collectors say we have sold more good first editions of Shakespeare at ridiculously low prices than ever before in the history of poetry.' The public would laugh at this ; the most zealous advertising agent would not render his house ridiculous by displaying it. Yet many adver- tisements of rugs are no less ridiculous." A chapter follows on "How to Identify Oriental Rugs," in which the author describes the three kinds of weaving and the numerous different kinds of rugs named after the towns and districts in which they are made. There are about thirty illustrations, with a map of the Orient showing the principal rug-producing districts. AN OIUENTAL LOOM ORIENTAL RUGS By ARTHUR URBANE DILLEY A. U. DILLEY & CO., Inc. Dealers in Oriental Rugs 5 PARK street" BOSTON Copyright, 1909, by • Arthur Urbane Dilley The Tudor Press, Boston HOW TO SELECT ORIENTAL RUGS MANY purchasers of oriental rugs are un- Present aware that the methods of manufacture con*t'ons in the East have changed greatly in the last thirty years, and that the change has an important bearing upon the character, condition, and quality of the rugs now offered for sale. Between 1875 and ]890 it was a compar- atively easy matter to purchase a good rug for the price which many dealers ask for a poor one to-day. Not all the rugs offered for sale were good, even then, but the majority of them were honest, individual, and cheap, partly because most of them were " home rugs "; that is, rugs made in East- ern homes, for use in the East. Rugs offered for sale to-day are, in most cases, not home pro- ducts, made for Eastern use, but hand-woven factory products made to sell in the West and to sell quickly. Some of them are very good, some ordinary, some very bad. It is this condition which makes it important to the purchaser of rugs who desires to buy in- telligently that he should learn how to examine a rug and estimate its value. The purpose of this book is to present some facts which will help lovers of good rugs to select them discriminating-lv. The first question which the rug buyer should The first ask himself is, What is the material of the rug ? question If it is wool, is it all wool, or is there jute and other fiber, cotton, hair, or silk used with it. The second question concerns the quality or grade of the material, and the third cpiestion its disposition and relative strength. The bearing of the first question lies in the fact that jute and some other fibers which may be mixed with wool are brittle and rot. and that jute and cotton are cheap materials. Jute breaks oflf Page Five and sweeps out when the rugs are cleaned, and rots when wet, thereby loosening the texture of the whole rug, to its great detriment. Cotton warp and weft, though cheaper than wool, is harder and stiffer than a wool foundation, and rugs which con- tain it ordinarily lie better. Cotton occurring in the pile, as it often does in certain rugs — in parts of the design in Ghiordes rugs, for example — wears well and by remaining white and sharp, gives " snap " and freshness even after the rug has attained great age. Silk and hair in the pile gives pleasing color and variety. The second question, concerning the quality of material, is also important. Rug material varies in cost all the way from two cents to thirty-five cents a pound, and in character from the softest and most tender to the strongest and most rigid. The best is both strong and rigid. Pile material that packs down is lifeless and unattractive. It is important that a purchaser should know whether he is paying for the pick of the fleece or for what is essentially waste product. The third question, concerning the disposition and relative strength of the material, involves ex- amination of the weight of warp, weft, and pile. The warp should be heaviest, strongest, and thick- est, the pile next, and the weft lightest, though not too light. If the warp is lighter than the pile, and the pile is compact, the warp is likely to break in handling. If the warp is light, and the weaving loose, the rug will pucker and creep on the floor and no amount of stretching will keep it in shape. The weft should be strong enough to hold the fab- ric together, despite rough handling. If the pile is lighter or shorter than it should be, the rug Avill not give good service. In a few years it will be worn to the warp and worthless. Page Six Certain other inquiries are hardly less important Some other than the three questions which have just been important named as fundamental. One is, how well is the '"'^""''^^ material woven ? The essential matter here is not only the number of knots to the square inch — that is, the fineness of the weaving — but also the tightness of the individual knots. As most modern oriental rugs, especially in carpet sizes, are made in three to five dift'erent grades, it is very important to the buyer whether he is considering the best or the poorest. A margin of fifty to two hundred or more dollars between the quality represented and the quality ofi^ered is not uncommon. It is very impor- tant to the buyer that the knots be firmly tied. Knots poorly tied pull out easily at the back and loosen in service. Finally, the weaving should be so fin- ished at the ends that the last rows of knots will not work away. Another matter for the buyer to consider is the Condition condition of the material and the weaving. Is it worn .'' Is it motheaten ? Is it dry and dead ? Is it cut ? Is it pieced ? Is it crooked ? Is it loose .'' If any of these conditions exist the rug has lost value. Old rugs that are worn to the foundation in spots are much less desirable for service than those with pile of fair depth that is worn evenly. The repair of mothholes, if they are numerous, is expensive and unsatisfactory. A few bale-hook holes need give no concern. As rugs are handled they are inevitable. Rugs that are dry and rotten from age — and there are such — are worthless. They usually break in seams along the line of the warp; in other words, the weft threads, which are the lightest threads in the rug, give way first. Rugs that have been cut to eliminate Avorn sections or to fit rooms have been weakened. Rugs that have been pieced are ordinarily spoiled in design as well as weakened. These deep and serious defects Page Seven of a rug are easily detected by holding it to the light, and by examining carefully the back. Crooked weaving shows carelessness on the part of the maker. It detracts from appearances and does not, therefore, enhance value. Looseness of weave, re- sulting from long service and innuinerable beatings and washings, is a condition of dissolution. The prospective purchaser will do well to remember that although, as is commonly said, a rug may improve with age, meaning in appearance, it never grows firmer and stronger. Dyes There is also the question of the kind of dye. Three kinds are used in oriental rugs — vegetable dye, animal dye, and modern aniline dye. They vary in cost from sixty cents to ten dollars a pound. It is important to the purchaser, therefore, to know whether he is buying good dye or poor. Of two Kazak rugs belonging to the writer, absolutely similar in design, size, and intent, and to the inex- perienced rug buyer apparently of similar value, one is worth at least ten times as much as the other simply because of the difference in dye. " Treatment " The final question before the rug buyer is whether the dye has been " treated " ; in other words, whether the rug has been "doctored," "pickled," washed, or boiled. Much has been written concerning " treatment " processes. Reduced to its simplest terms, " treatment " means the application of chloride of lime, peroxide of hydrogen, or oxalic and sulphuric acid, either in a bath or with a brush. The purpose of this " treatment "is, by reducing the harsh colors of a new fabric, to obtain the har- mony of color characteristic of age. The results may be satisfactory if the object is attained without detriment to the durability of the fabric. They are very unsatisfactory if the rug is injured. The practitioners of " treatment " maintain that their processes simply put a finish on the rug. Page Kiyht Lovers of antique rugs, wedded to the old dyes and old methods, maintain, on the other hand, that the " treatment " processes are a fraud. Whether these processes are to be approved or not, they are probably here to stay. They Avill be practised as long as the vast majority of rug buyers demand old color effects in new rugs. A large portion of the oriental rugs on the market to-day are acid- treated. Many of them are sold as antiques, be- cause genuine antique rugs are exceedingly scarce and very costly. Purchasers need not hesitate to buy " treated " rugs, if they have a proper guarantee from a respon- sible source that the rugs have not been injured: that is. that they will wear out through service and not disintegrate as a result of the " treatment." The creation of an artificial sheen is also part of the " treatment " process. The rug is " panned," much as velvet is, under hot cylinders, ordinarily after an application of glycerine or paraffin wax. The sheen is not permanent; it disappears with wear and with washing ; but in the course of time it will be replaced by a natural sheen, if the pile of the rug is good. " Treatment " covers also the changes that are made in individual colors. Reds, yellows, greens, and blues are easily converted into other colors by expert dyers. Ink is frequently employed as a last Erocess to color the exposed warp when the acid as over-bitten certain portions of the pile. These facts in regard to the " treatment " of rugs are ugly and unpleasant. It will be seen at once hoAv they complicate the problem of rug buying, and what a source of perplexity and disappointment they may be to the inexperienced buyer. Nevei"- theless they do not prevent the attainment of full value in rug purchasing, if the buyer will inform himself of the new conditions or resort to the advice Page Nine " bargains " of those who understand them and can be trusted to treat him honestly. It ought not to be necessary to say that if a dealer sells " treated " rugs he should state the fact frankly and without reserve to his customers. There are, however, many dealers who do not do this. As there is none too much confidence reposed in rug dealers by rug buyers, it is a common thing for Concerning a collcctor of rugs to be asked by friends to furnish prices and them a list of oriental rug values. The idea back of the request is that the various kinds of rugs of a given size have something like a uniform value; for example, that Afghan rugs about seven by ten feet are worth approximately one hundred dollars. Those who make the request contemplate going into the market with their list and buying such rugs as please them and are priced according to their schedule. The idea is so prevalent among rug ( ; buyers that a service may be rendered them by showing why generalizations concerning rug values are impossible. There are three possible values in every oriental rug — the utility value, the art value, and the col- The three lector's valuc. The utility value depends entirely values upon the durability of the fabric as a floor covering. The art value depends on the color and design of the ruo' rather than on its texture, though fineness of texture is desirable. The collector's value de- pends on the rarity of the art value. The utility value has already been described. Art values in oriental rugs are like art values in pictures. The rugs, indeed, bear the same relation to the floor that the pictures bear to the wall; and it would be just as absurd to speak of Raphaels being worth a hundred thousand dollars a square foot, or Millets ten thousand dollars, as to attempt to measure the value of oriental rugs by name and size. Page Ten of rugs These three values, if they co-exist in a rug, Methods cannot be disassociated. Certain dealers advertise °^ =^'^ that they disregard the art and collector's values of the oriental rugs which they offer for sale, and price their goods in " cold blood " on utility value alone. The argument may be plausible enough to sell goods, but it has no foundation in fact, for the reason that no dealer can buy rugs on utility value alone. This is true whether he buys by the piece or by the bale. When good and bad rugs, artistic and inartistic, rare and common, are sold as a lot, the wholesaler frequently places the valuable rugs in the bale for the sole purpose of disposing of the poor ones. If the rugs are bought by the piece the manufacturer pays for art value in the quality of the material and the skill of master weavers; the importer pays for art value to the manufacturer or to the eastern middleman; and the retailer pays for art value to the importer. These values persist whether the dealer imports his own goods or buys from a wholesaler. The business of importing oriental rugs has been so perfected that only with the largest amounts of capital can these goods be bought abroad to advantage. The tourist who thinks to save money by buying his rugs in the East ordinarily pays the long price. The existence of these three possible values in every oriental rug makes a fair comparison of prices very difficult for the purchaser. Rugs which appear to the buyer quite alike and equally valuable, may in fact be as far apart, in quality and worth, as the work of Michael Angelo and that of Gustave Dore. It follows that oriental rugs are valued and priced according to their individual worth, and that an honest dealer cannot ask five hundred dollars for a two hundred dollar rug, or confess attempted ex- tortion by reducing a rug from five hundred to two hundred dollars. Page Eleven Warning may fairly be given the rug buyer against dealers who fail to mark their goods in plain figures, against the auction room, and against sei^- sational advertising. At the ordinary rug ai. lon extravagant and false statement is at its height, and generally the bids are as fictitious as the merits o' the rugs are over-estimated. The rugs are cor signed largely by wholesalers who wish to disp-o of the left-over portion of a shipment, or by fii" which practise the purchase of cheap rugs w' possibilities. These rugs undergo every proo- of conversion, become " the rarest of antique and are sold only when the bids advance to a sa'.is- factory figure. The advertising of oriental rugs, as frequently practised, is discreditable. Much may be con- ceded to the hyperbole of commercial language, but to one who knows rugs, the advertisements day after day are as grotesque as if a picture dealer ad- vertised two thousand museum Raphaels at thirteen dollars and ninety-eight cents each, or a book dealer advertised: " We have just sent our buyer to London and purchased seven hundred thousand dollars' worth of the first folios of Shakespeare. These are going like hot cakes. Scholars and book collectors say we have sold more good first editions of Shakespeare at ridiculously low prices than ever before in the history of poetry." The public would laugh at this; the most zealous ad- vertising agent would not render his house ridicu- lous by displaying it. Yet, many advertisements of rugs are no less ridiculous. Page Twelve HOW TO IDENTIFY ORIENTAL RUGS I Tiiere are three kinds of weaving in oriental rugs The ttu-ee • — t)ke Khilini, the Soumak, and the rug with jnle. leavings ,The first of these weavings and the earliest type of , ^^^l^l ^oriental rug is that known as the Khilim. It is a Khili'm rug of two members only — A\'ar]) and weft — and ,]^nsequently has a smooth surface. The weft, ••^hich is dyed, is carried over and under the war|» ijfeads by means of a needle. As the designs are 'iKtde by using weft thread of different colors, open aces appear between the warp threads where the v.: anges of color are made. Since the weft ends are cut oti' close to the fabric the l)ack and face appear absolutely alike. The numerous open spaces be- tween the warp threads and the similarity of the two sides are the sure signs of a Khilim. Although fine Khilims are exceedingly light in weight, and coarse ones much lighter than rugs with pile, they are used in the East as floor coverings. These are probably the same kind of rugs that were made by the early Egvptians, the Assyrians, and Babylonians. Each of the great rug districts — Persia, Kurd- istan, Asia Minor, the Caucasus and Turkestan — produces a Khilim. In general, the Persian Kliilims or Sehnas can be identified l^y their close- ness of texture in comparison with which all other Khilim textures are coarse; the Kurdistan Khilims by the particolored thread woven through the mat at the end; the Turkish or Kis Khilims by the prayer design — a niche at one end — and the seam in the center joining the two sections of the large Kliilims of this variety; the Shirvan Khilims of the Caucasus by their numerous horizontal stripes, about a foot wide; and the Khilims of Merv, in Turkestan, by their diagonal defining lines. The coarse Khilims are very serviceable for the Page Thirteen ^W'V'''" SEHNA KHILIM {Persian) Herati Design Page Fourteen floors of bedrooms, and the finest make decorative wall pieces, table and settle covers. No rugs are in more demand l)y discerning collectors than really choice Khilim antiques. Their lightness and simplicity give to them — especially to the Sehnas — a refinement which can be found only in the finest rugs of the other weavings. The second form of weaving, a development of The second the Ivliilim, is that commonly known as Cashmere, f"'™' Soumak though the proper name is Soumak, an abbrevia- °^ ^^ ™"^ tion of Shemakha, which is the name of the town in the Caucasus where this weaving is done. It is a rug of three inembers — warp, weft, and stitch. The stitch is flat woven with a needle on the warp, making a second oriental rug weaving with a smooth surface. The distinguishing feature of this weaving is the long, loose ends of stitch yarn at the back of the rug, as at the back of Cashmere shawls. The designs follow the order of the Caucasian rugs, medallions and numerous geometrical patterns. The best of these rugs are far more serviceable than is usually supposed. Their surfaces are com- pact with rows of stitches, sometimes twenty to the inch, perpendicular, and the numerous long threads at the back serve as a buffer between the back and the floor. The poorer grades, on the other hand, are too loosely woven — have too few rows of stitches — to make satisfactory floor coverings. Although the antiques are among the most beauti- ful of all the oriental productions, the new Soumaks generally contain too much gaudy dye to be attrac- tive. The third and last form of weaving — the rug The third with a pile — is a rug of three members — warp, ^o""*^- """ss weft, and knot. The knots are tied hy hand, one ""^^ ^'^^ at a time, usually in rows, on the warp threads. The weft is merely a binder, drawing the knots close together. Page Fifteen \^5M'^**>'' "•'^'*'^ V ^s\^,S^>>i.', SOUMAK OB CASHMERE'UUG (Cancasinn) Page Sixteen The knots are of two kinds, the Sehna or Persian, and the Ghiordes or Turkish. When the Sehna knot is used the pile threads come to the surface of the rug between each two strands of warp. The result^is a rug with fine texture, short pile, and sharply defined design. When the Ghiordes knot The two kinds of knots Seh-na ou Persian Kkot (jIiikjkijks ou '1 ukkisu Ivnot is used the pile threads come to the surface only between each two pairs of warp threads. The result is, comparatively, a coarse rug with long pile and less detailed design. The wearing quality of rugs made in the Ghi- ordes and Sehna knots differ very little, if at all, by reason of the knot, but rather by reason of the difference in the amount and angle of the pile. Pile that is long and lies flat, as in most of the rugs of Ghiordes weaving, has substance and " give " enough to resist hard wear. Pile that is short and upright, as in most of the rugs of Sehna weaving, is compact, but light and resistant. The Sehna weaving produces, as a rule, the greater art merit. The unconditioned statement that either of these weavings will " last forever "or even for a lifetime, under heels, is absurd. The lasting quality of is remarkable, but rugs are used and moderate beating light beating with Sweeping, washing. Page Seventeen even the poorest oriental it depends on the way cleaned. Heavy and eventually ruins them. the even Very a wicker beater is allowable. KARABAGH RUG (Caucasian) Page Eighteen and cleaning in the snow are most to be recom- mended. In the three kinds of weaving there are produced Identification over one hundred different kinds of rugs, named after the towns and districts in which they are made, and after the people who make them. These are identified by innumerable details of design, mate- rial, construction, and finish. For example, the antique Karabagh rugs (Caucasian) are made Avith the Ghiordes knot, about sixty to the scpiare inch, with wool warp, weft, and pile, and are finished at one end either by a simple fringe or numerous loops of warp, and at the other by a mat in which the web is turned back and sewn down. The sides are usually selvaged. The wool, dye, and design are each generally of a kind common to the district. Knowledge of this kind covering the subject can- not be quickly accjuired, nor can it be taught out- side the rug laboratory. iVbility to identify oriental rugs, equal to that possessed by many rug collec- tors, can, however, be obtained from a careful study of rug designs as shown in rug plates. In general, the designs of Persian rugs and India rugs copied from them are conventionally floral. Turkoman designs are geometrical, usually with an octagonal basis. Turkish, Caucasian, and Chinese designs mav be either oeometrical, or con- ventionally floral, or both. In general, the weavers of each country, however prone they may be to adopt the designs of contiguous and conquering people, use patterns which are peculiar to their own country and to the district in which they live. In general, each community has a peculiar method of treating appropriated designs in a way that localizes them and converts them into a district possession. Inability to classify oriental rugs results as frequently from an inability to recognize the local treatment of appropriated patterns, as Page Nineteen Generali- zations concerning designs from an inability to recognize unusual materials and colors. Design merit Designs to havc exceptional merit must be clearly defined and properly proportioned. Models of refinement, answering these requirements, are to be found among the antique rugs of Ispahan, Ghiordes, Sehna, and Kirman; models of strength among the antique rugs of Kurdistan, Bergamo, Konieh, and Ivazak. Excellence of color is just as desirable as excellence of design, and for many purposes of decoration much more important. Vaije T irentij PERSIAN (Iran) RUGS Bakhshis Bibikabad Beshir Bnrujird Djushaglian Feraghan Gorevan Ilamadan Herat Ilerez Ispahan Kara-Da-h Kara-Geuz Kashan Kermansliali Khorassan Kirman Koultuk Kurdistan Laristan JIahal Meshed ]Mosul JNIuskabad Xiris Oustri-nan Saraband Sarakhs Saruk Savalan Sehna Scrapi Shiraz Souj-Bulak Sidtanabad Tabriz Teheran Yezd Page Twenty-one ISPAHAN RUG (Persian) Sixteenth Century Property of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts Although this is a photograph of a fragment, the corner of a large Ispahan carpet, the type of design used by the Ispahan weavers is satisfactorily shown. It is a realistic design of high decorative order. The minutely drawn flowers and vines of the center are not independent designs; they are the dependent, connected parts of an elaborate pattern. The border is made up of three stripes, one very broad and two narrow. As a class, the Ispahan rugs of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries are the great rugs of the East, rivaled for pre-eminence only by the prayer rugs of Ghiordes. Made by expert weavers in the employ of the nobility at Ispahan, Teheran, and Saruk, during the period of the highest art in Persia, they are examples of the most perfect weaving skill. Fragments have sold in recent years for three hundred to one thousand dollars, and carpet size pieces for eighteen to twentv-five thousand. Page Twenty-two ISPAHAN RUG (Persian) Page Twenty-three KESHAN SILK RUG (Persian) Buyers of oriental rugs to-day in this country show very little interest in silk rugs. Collectors generally pass them with a shrug or comment adversely on them. Yet the silk rug, in the eye and heart of the oriental, is the finest rug of them all, — the work of the most expert of weavers and the exclusive possession of royalty and men of wealth. Our lack of interest in silk rugs can be attributed to three causes, First, good silk rugs are expensive and impractical, — in other words, they are a luxury in rugs. Second, neither the museums nor the market contain antique silk rugs to stimulate the interest of the col- lector. Third, the cheap silk rugs with which the market is flooded are the most intoleralile of travesties on the good ones and bring the whole class into contempt. The rug shown in the illustration is a fine example of Kashan silk. The design is harmonious, — the large ornate medallion which the Persians think necessary to the finest decorative effects, has a setting unusually in accord with it. The drawing is clear and crisp, and the color rich. The warp, weft, and pile are all the most expensive silk, and the weaving contains four hundred and eighty-four hand-tied knots to the square inch. Most of the Persian silk rugs, known either as Kashan or Herez, are good. The Turkish silk rugs made at Hereke are fref{uently excellent. The silk rugs to be avoided are made at Kaisarieh, Asia Minor, in imitation of the Persian silks. Like most rug copies they are flfcven upside down to establish early the crown of the design, and consequently have Y>ile which inclines upwards. Still more to be avoided are the mercerized cotton rugs which frequently pass for silk. Such rugs are built for the Western market to supply the demand for an excess of decoration at a minimum cost. Page Twenty-four KASHAN SILK RUG {Persian) Page Twenty-Five KIRMAN RUG [Southeastern Persia) This piece exhibits in a general way the principal design used by the masterly weavers of southeastern Persia. In its purity it consists of large red roses arranged in clusters, or in vases set in rows, with a border of five strips similarly decorated. In this particular rug the multiplicity of details obscures the rose forms, which are suggested rather than actually drawn, and the emphasis is placed on the vases with their elaborate decoration, attendant birds, and numerous flowers. The border is not Kirman in the least, but a nomad arrangement of minute Chinese and Persian forms in splendid keeping Avith the detail of the general design. Genuine Kirman rugs are exceedingly scarce because of the remoteness of the district from the avenues of trade. They are not to be confused with the Kermanshah rugs or with the Turkey Kirmans. These so-called Kirmans are modern rugs, desirable for certain purposes, but strictly commercial products, made by hand under the direction of men employed by Western capitalists. Page^Twenfy-sixj KIRMAN RUG {Southeastern Persia) Page Twenty-seven OLD HEREZ RUG {Norilicrn Persia) The type of design used in northern Persia, in the manufacture of the rup's known as Gorevan, Serapi, and Bakhshis, is shown in this Herez illustration. It can be instantly recognized by its heavy, some- what conventional floral design. Most of the rugs from this district have larger medallions, set corner designs, and more plain, solid areas. But the character of the design remains the same. A conclusive proof that this rug is an untrammeled native product and not a modern factory weaving is the faulty but possibly intentional curtailment of four of the six large rosettes of the border. Either the weaver was not sufficient master of his art to " turn the corner " properly, or else he purposely wove half figures to avert " the evil eye," forever covetous of things made perfect. The Herez district is one of the few districts from which are obtained new rugs that are a decided improvement on the old. The best Gorevans and Serapis are exceedingly service^ a!.)le. I'uye T wentij-ciijht OLD HEREZ RUG {Northern Persi 'a) Page Twenfy-niiie LARISTAN RUG {Southicestern Persia) The so-called palm-leaf design shown in this rug is one of the most common and effective designs used in rug manufacture. Its numerous sources of origin — as numerous as the cities which gave birth to Homer — account for and localize its many guises. It ap- pears most often as a simple palm-leaf, cone, or pear. But sometimes one cannot help feeling that it represents the composite crown jewel of the rulers of ancient Persia, the loop in the Cashmere River, the flame worshipped by the Zoroastrians, or the bottah, i.e., the money bag, worshipped by the every-day Persian. The treatment accorded the design in the rugs of Laristan suggests the composite crown jewel. It is an assemblage of points rather than of lines, and is much more minutely worked out than are the smaller forms found in the rugs of Saraband. This is characteristic Laristan drawing. Individual taste has made all the leaves to face one way, has created some special art effects at the edges of the field, and invented an unetfective plant and " parasol " for the border. Page Thirty LARISTAN BUG {Southwestern Persia) Page Thirty-one KURDISTAN RUG {Western Persia^ The design shown in this rug is a prime favorite with rug col- lectors. It is called the Mina Khani, after an early West Persian " Count." On a deep blue field, red, yellow, and particolored flowers, connected by green vines, alternate in diamond arrangement. This design belongs to the Kurd weavers of western Persia. It is occa- sionally found in other weavings, but with treatment so little altered that the adaptation is apparent. I'uge Thirly-two KURDISTAN RUG {Western Persia) lyge Thirty-three SARUK RUG (Western Persia) The modern oriental rugs made at Saruk are the Ispahans of the present day. Although not to be compared with the finest antique weavings of this district, they are tightly woven, gracefully designed, commonly with center medallion, and harmoniously col- ored with dark, rich dyes. The people who make them, living out of the paths of trade up in the Feraghan mountains, have held well to the old traditions of their art. Page Thiriy-fou SARUK RUG {Western Persia) Page Thirty -five HAMADAN RUG {Persian) Hamadan or Ecbatana, associated in biblical history with Esther and Mordecai, was the weaving place of the best of the camel hair rugs. Made up largely of undyed camel hair of many shades often sorted and woven to streak the rug as shown in the plate, the old Hamadan with simple pole-medallion on a plain field, and plain, out- side color band is a rug of unusual individuality and attractiveness. Unhappily, no good word can be said for the modern rug product of this city. The weaving of recent years is loose, and the dyes, materials and character cheap. i'age ThiHy^.^ix^ 'f&Sih;i^"--Vhi-i'''-K HAMADAN RUG {Persian) Page Thirty-seven SHIRAZ RUG (Persian) The rug selected for illustration here is an excellent choice from which to point the diversity of appropriated design used by the weavers of the garden city of Persia, the city of the poets Sadi and Hafiz. The center is pole-medallion, not unlike the Hamadan rug on the preced- ing page, from the weavers of which it was "probably taken. The centei' is also Herati, that is, decorated with two leaves surrounding a rosette, as in the Sehna Khilim on page 14. This pattern is taken from the weavings of Feraghan. The center might consist of the Cau- casian shawl stripe, here used in the corners of the field, or the palm leaves and cypress trees of the border. The sure signs of the Shiraz are not these appropriated patterns. They are the overcasting of the sides of the rug in several colors, the little tassels of wool projecting from this overcasting, and the broad mats at the ends of the rug as in the weavings of Afghanistan. Page Thirty-eight SHIRAZ RUG {Persian) Page Thirty-nine BIJAR RUG (Persian) The difficulty of designating oriental rugs by design and design treatment is amply enforced by the composite pattern of this re- markable Kurdish weaving. The rug, however, is a sampler, and therefore not of a kind frequently met with. All Asia seems to have contributed to its composition. The heavy border on the left contains the Chinese cloud band and tarantula. The other borders are either Persian or Caucasian. The detached flowers, combs, vases, and other curious figures, are simply nomad, unrelated and unplanned. This ruo- must be identified bv its material, texture, and finish. Page P'orty BIJAR RUG (Persian) Page Forty-one TURKOMAN RUGS Bokhara Beshir (Bijar; Afghan Katchli Beluchistan Khiva Kashgar Tekke Yarkand Yomud Page Forty-three TEKKE OR BOKHARA MAT (Turkoman) A great many people have began their purchases of Oriental rugs with one of the Bokhara weavings, attracted by the combination of rich color and effective geometrical design. That the design is popular is evidenced by the numerous copies of it made in rugs of American manufacture. The Tekke mat here presented is typical of its class. It has the elongated octagon arranged in rows alter- nating with rows of diamond forms. In the Tekke rugs, as dis- tinguished from mats, straight lines connect the centers of the octagons; and in the Yomud Bokhara the diamond forms are elaborated to the exclusion of the octagons. But this is the common design of the Tekkes, the Khivas, and the Afghans; and it is not un- common in the Beluchistans. The eight-pointed star in the center of the octagons and about the sides of the diamonds is said to have represented the Deity to the ancient Medes. Page Forty-fimr -v.,\i:^ TEKKE OR BOKHARA MAT {Turhoman) Page Forty- five AFGHAN OR XIIIVA BOKHARA (Turkoman) In the Afghan rug's, made by the Kirgiz tribes living between Bokhara and Afghanistan, the octagonal design is (juartered by alter- nating colors, either yellow, orange, or white with blue or green. The illustration shows, further, that they are finished at the ends with broad mats iii which there are colored stripes. However great the diversity of opinion concerning a thousand and one matters pertaining to oriental rugs, dealers and buyers are agreed that an Afghan rug is one of the best inexpensive rugs on the market. Care must be exercised in the selection, however, as the " buried- wasli" or lime steaming to which many of them are subjected has a particularly vicious effect on their material. I'agc l'\irtij-six ..' ) AFGHAN OE KHIVA BOKHARA (Turlcoman) Page Forty-seven CHINESE RUGS Pekin Thibetan Tientsin Samarkand Page Forty-nine PEKIN RUG {Chinese) Present day interest in Cliinese rugs is to be attributed to their wonderful richness of color, their simple, interesting designs, and their scarcity. In general they are coarse-woven, light in weight, and lacking in rigidity. In other words, they are wonderful pieces of decoration and comparatively jjoor carpeting. The border of this rug contains the Chinese seal or crest, the coin, the svastika, and numerous symbolical bats. The center consists of the invariable circles of happiness, two butterflies repre- senting cupids, a branch from a pomegranate tree with its fruit, a tea plant, an apple bough, and numerous flowers, such as the lotus, the lilv, and the everlasting flower. r