Table of Contents

THE
PRACTICAL BOOK
OF ORIENTAL RUGS

FOURTH EDITION

 

 

 

TEKKE BOKHARA RUG.
TEKKE BOKHARA RUG
Size 5'6" × 6'4"
PROPERTY OF MR. F. A. TURNER, BOSTON, MASS.
This piece is unusual in many ways. The background of old ivory both in the borders and in the field; the old rose color of the octagons; the difference in the number of border stripes and in the designs of same on the sides and ends are all non-Turkoman features. It is the only so called "white Bokhara" of which we have any knowledge.

 

 

 

THE
PRACTICAL BOOK
OF ORIENTAL RUGS

BY

DR. G. GRIFFIN LEWIS

With 20 Illustrations In Color, 93 In Doubletone
70 Designs In Line, Chart And Map

NEW EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED

PHILADELPHIA & LONDON

J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY

 

 

COPYRIGHT, 1911, BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY

COPYRIGHT, 1913, BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY

 

PRINTED BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY
AT THE WASHINGTON SQUARE PRESS
PHILADELPHIA, U.S.A.

 

PREFACE TO THE REVISED EDITION

It is most gratifying to both author and publishers that the first edition of "The Practical Book of Oriental Rugs" has been so quickly exhausted. Its rather remarkable sale, in spite of the fact that within the past decade, no less than seven books on the subject have been printed in English, proves that it is the practical part of the book that appeals to the majority.

The second edition has been prepared with the same practical idea paramount and quite a few new features have been introduced.

The color plates have been increased from ten to twenty; a chapter on Chinese rugs has been inserted; descriptions of three more rugs have been added and numerous changes and additions have been made to the text in general.

 

PREFACE

Oriental rugs have become as much a necessity in our beautiful, artistic homes as are the paintings on the walls and the various other works of art. Their admirers are rapidly increasing, and with this increased interest there is naturally an increased demand for more reliable information regarding them.

The aim of the present writer has been practical—no such systematized and tabulated information regarding each variety of rug in the market has previously been attempted. The particulars on identification by prominent characteristics and detail of weaving, the detailed chapter on design, illustrated throughout with text cuts, thus enabling the reader to identify the different varieties by their patterns; and the price per square foot at which each variety is held by retail dealers, are features new in rug literature. Instructions are also given for the selection, purchase, care and cleaning of rugs, as well as for the detection of fake antiques, aniline dyes, etc.

 

In furtherance of this practical idea the illustrations are not of museum pieces and priceless specimens in the possession of wealthy collectors, but of fine and attractive examples which with knowledge and care can be bought in the open market to-day. These illustrations will therefore be found of the greatest practical value to modern purchasers. In the chapter on famous rugs some few specimens illustrative of notable pieces have been added.

In brief, the author has hoped to provide within reasonable limits and at a reasonable price a volume from which purchasers of Oriental rugs can learn in a short time all that is necessary for their guidance, and from which dealers and connoisseurs can with the greatest ease of reference refresh their knowledge and determine points which may be in question.

For many valuable hints the author wishes to acknowledge indebtedness to the publications referred to in the bibliography; to Miss Lillian Cole, of Sivas, Turkey; to Major P. M. Sykes, the English Consulate General at Meshed, Persia; to B. A. Gupte, F. Z. S., Assistant Director of Ethnography at the Indian Museum, Calcutta, India; to Prof. du Bois-Reymond, of Shanghai, China; to Dr. John G. Wishard, of the American Hospital at Teheran, Persia; to Miss Alice C. Bewer, of the American Hospital at Aintab, Turkey; to Miss Annie T. Allen, of Brousa, Turkey; to Mr. Charles C. Tracy, president of Anatolia College, Morsovan, Turkey; to Mr. John Tyler, of Teheran, Persia; to Mr. E. L. Harris, United States Consulate General of Smyrna, Turkey; to Dr. J. Arthur Frank, Hamadan, Persia; and to Miss Kate G. Ainslie, of Morash, Turkey.

For the use of some of the plates and photographs acknowledgment is made to Mr. A. U. Dilley, of Boston, Mass.; to H. B. Claflin & Co., of New York City; to Mr. Charles Quill Jones, of New York City; to Miss Lillian Cole, of Sivas, Turkey; to Maj. P. M. Sykes, of Meshed, Persia; to Maj. L. B. Lawton, of Seneca Falls, N. Y.; to the late William E. Curtis, of Washington, D. C.; to The Scientific American and to Good Housekeeping magazines; while thanks are due Mr. A. U. Dilley, of Boston, Mass.; to Liberty & Co., of London; to the Simplicity Co., of Grand Rapids, Mich.; to the Tiffany Studios and to Nahigian Bros., of Chicago, Ill., for some of the colored plates, and to Clifford & Lawton, of New York City, for the map of the Orient.

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

 



PART I

 

Introduction

17

 

 

Age of the weaving art; Biblical reference to the weaving art; a fascinating study; the artistic worth and other advantages of the Oriental products over the domestic; annual importation.

 

I.

Cost And Tariff

25

 

 

Upon what depends the value; the various profits made; transportation charges; export duties; import duties; cost compared with that of domestic products; some fabulous prices.

 

II.

Dealers And Auctions

31

 

 

Oriental shrewdness; when rugs are bought by the bale; the auction a means of disposing of poor fabrics; fake bidders.

 

III.

Antiques

35

 

 

The antique craze; why age enhances value; what constitutes an antique; how to determine age; antiques in the Orient; antiques in America; celebrated antiques; American collectors; artificial aging.

 

IV.

Advice To Buyers

43

 

 

Reliable dealers; difference between Oriental and domestic products; how to examine rugs; making selections; selection of rugs for certain rooms.

 

V.

The Hygiene Of The Rug

55

 

 

The hygienic condition of Oriental factories and homes; condition of rugs when leaving the Orient; condition of rugs when arriving in America; United States laws regarding the disinfection of hides; the duties of retailers.

 

VI.

The Care of Rugs

63

 

 

Erroneous ideas regarding the wearing qualities of Oriental rugs; treatment of rugs in the Orient compared with that in America; how and when cleaned; how and when washed; moths; how straightened; removal of stains, etc.

 

VII.

The Material of Rugs

69

 

 

Wool, goats' hair, camels' hair, cotton, silk, hemp; preparation of the wool; spinning of the wool.

 

VIII.

Dyes and Dyers

75

 

 

Secrets of the Eastern dye pots; vegetable dyes; aniline dyes; Persian law against the use of aniline; the process of dyeing; favorite colors of different rug-weaving nations; how to distinguish between vegetable and aniline dyes; symbolism of colors; the individual dyes and how made.

 

IX.

Weaving and Weavers

87

 

 

The present method compared with that of centuries ago; Oriental method compared with the domestic; pay of the weavers; the Eastern loom; the different methods of weaving.

 

X.

Designs and Their Symbolism

97

 

 

Oriental vs. European designs; tribal patterns; the migration of designs; characteristics of Persian designs; characteristics of Turkish designs; characteristics of Caucasian designs; characteristics of Turkoman designs; dates and inscriptions; quotations from the Koran; description and symbolism of designs alphabetically arranged, with an illustration of each.

 

XI.

The Identification of Rugs

147



A few characteristic features of certain rugs; table showing the distinguishing features of all rugs; an example.



PART II

XII.

General Classification

161

 

How they receive their names; trade names; geographical classification of all rugs.

 

XIII.

Persian Classification

169

 

Persian characteristics; the knot; the weavers; factories in Persia; Persian rug provinces; description of each Persian rug, as follows: Herez, Bakhshis, Gorevan, Serapi, Kara Dagh, Kashan, Souj Bulak, Tabriz, Bijar (Sarakhs, Lule), Kermanshah, Senna, Feraghan (Iran), Hamadan, Ispahan (Iran), Joshaghan, Saraband (Sarawan, Selvile), Saruk, Sultanabad (Muskabad, Mahal, Savalan), Niris (Laristan), Shiraz (Mecca), Herat, Khorasan, Meshed, Kirman, Kurdistan.

 

XIV.

Turkish Classification

217

 

The rug-making districts of Turkey in Asia; annual importation of Turkish rugs; Turkish weavers; the knot; Turkish characteristics; the Kurds; description of each Turkish rug, as follows: Kir Shehr, Oushak, Karaman, Mujur, Konieh, Ladik, Yuruk, Ak Hissar (Aksar), Anatolian, Bergama, Ghiordes, Kulah, Makri, Meles (Carian), Smyrna (Aidin, Brousa), Mosul.

 

XV.

Caucasian Classification

253

 

The country; the people; Caucasian characteristics; description of each Caucasian rug, as follows: Daghestan, Derbend, Kabistan (Kuban), Tchetchen (Tzitzi, Chichi), Baku, Shemakha (Soumak, Kashmir), Shirvan, Genghis (Turkman), Karabagh, Kazak.

 

XVI.

Turkoman Classification

277

 

Turkoman territory; Turkoman characteristics; description of each Turkoman rug, as follows: Khiva Bokhara (Afghan), Beshir Bokhara, Tekke Bokhara, Yomud (Yamut), Kasghar, Yarkand, Samarkand (Malgaran).

 

XVII.

Beluchistan Rugs

295

 

The country; the people; Beluchistan characteristics; description and cost of Beluchistan rugs.

 

XVIII.

Chinese Rugs

301

 

Slow to grow in public favor; exorbitant prices; geographical classification; classification according to designs; Chinese designs and their symbolism; the materials; the colors.

 

XIX.

Ghileems, Silks, and Felts

311

 

How made; classification, characteristics, uses, description of each kind.

 

 

Silks

316

 

Classification, colors, cost, wearing qualities.

 

 

Felts

318

 

How made; their use; cost.

 

XX.

Classification According to Their Intended Use

321

 

Prayer Rugs. How used; the niche; designs; how classified; prayer niche designs with key.
Hearth Rugs, Grave Rugs, Dowry or Wedding Rugs, Mosque Rugs, Bath Rugs, Pillow Cases, Sample Corners, Saddle Bags, Floor Coverings, Runners, Hangings.

 

XXI.

Famous Rugs

331

 

Museum collections; private collections; the recent Metropolitan Museum exhibit; age and how determined; description and pictures of certain famous rugs.

 

Glossary

341

 

Giving all rug names and terms alphabetically arranged, with the proper pronunciation and explanation.

 

Bibliography

359

 

Giving an alphabetically arranged list of all rug literature in the English language.

 

Index

363

 

 

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

 

 

RUGS

 

COLORED PLATES

PAGE

Tekke Bokhara rug

Frontispiece

 

Meshed prayer rug

22

Khorasan carpet

32

Saruk rug

40

Shiraz rug

52

Anatolian mat

60

Ghiordes prayer rug

66

Ladik prayer rug

74

Daghestan rug

84

Kazak rug

94

Kazak rug

144

Shirvan rug

158

Saruk rug

166

Kulah hearth rug

216

Shirvan rug

250

Beshir Bokhara prayer rug

274

Daghestan prayer rug

292

Chinese rug

300

Chinese rug

306

Chinese cushion rug

318

DOUBLETONES

The Metropolitan animal rug

26

Bergama prayer rug

46

Symbolic Persian silk (Tabriz) rug

48

Symbolic Persian silk rug

98

Semi-Persian rug (European designs)

100

Shiraz prayer rug

104

Hamadan rug

110

Feraghan rug

114

Kermanshah rug (modern)

118

Khiva prayer rug

120

Kir Shehr prayer rug

130

Konieh prayer rug

138

Tekke Bokhara strip

150

Tekke Bokhara saddle half

162

Herez carpet

172

Gorevan carpet

176

Serapi carpet

178

Kashan silk rug

180

Tabriz rug

182

Bijar rug

186

Senna rug

188

Feraghan rug

190

Hamadan rug

192

Ispahan rug

194

Saraband rug

198

Mahal carpet

202

Niris rug

204

Shiraz rug

206

Shiraz rug

208

Kirman prayer rug

210

Kirman rug

212

Kurdistan rug (Mina Khani design)

214

Kir Shehr prayer rug

220

Kir Shehr hearth rug

222

Konieh prayer rug

224

Maden (Mujur) prayer rug

226

Ladik prayer rug

228

Yuruk rug

230

Ak Hissar prayer rug

232

Bergama rug

236

Ghiordes prayer rug

238

Kulah prayer rug

240

Meles rug

242

Meles rug

244

Makri rug

246

Mosul rug

248

Daghestan rug

254

Daghestan prayer rug

256

Kabistan rug

258

Tchetchen or Chichi rug

260

Baku rug

262

Shemakha, Sumak or Cashmere rug

264

Shirvan rug

266

Genghis rug

268

Karabagh rug

270

Kazak rug (Palace design)

272

Khiva Bokhara rug

278

Beshir Bokhara rug

280

Tekke Bokhara rug

282

Tekke Bokhara (Princess Bokhara, Khatchlie) prayer rug

284

Yomud rug

286

Samarkand rug

290

Beluchistan rug

296

Senna Ghileem rug

312

Kurdish Ghileem rug

314

Merve Ghileem rug

316

Kurdish Ghileem rug

316

Saddle cloth, saddle bags and powder bag

324

Kirman saddle bags

326

Bijar sample corner

328

Ardebil Mosque carpet

330

Berlin Dragon and Phœnix rug

332

East Indian hunting rug

334

The Altman prayer rug

336

The Baker hunting rug

338

RUG MAKING, ETC.

A Persian rug merchant

38

Expert weaver and inspector

38

Spinning the wool

72

Persian dye pots

80

A Persian village

80

A Turkish loom

88

The Senna and Ghiordes knots

90

Youthful weavers

90

A Persian loom

92

A wooden comb

92

A Kurdish guard

124

The Emir of Bokhara and his ministers

134

Turkomans at home

134

Characteristic backs of rugs

152

Inspecting rugs at Ispahan

170

Persian villages near Hamadan

170

Turkomans

276

Having a pot of tea at Bokhara

288

A street in Samarkand

288

The rug caravan

376

DESIGNS

 

Angular hook

101

Barber-pole stripe

102

Bat

103

Beetle

103

Butterfly border design

104

Caucasian border design

105

Chichi border design

105

Chinese fret

106

Chinese cloud band

106

Comb

108

Crab border design

108

Greek cross

109

Fish bone border design

112

Galley border design

112

Georgian border design

112

Ghiordes border design

113

Herati border design

114

Herati field design

114

Knot of destiny

116

Kulah border design

116

Lamp

117

Lattice field

117

Link

118

Lotus

118

Lotus border design

119

Greek meander

119

Pole medallion

120

Mir or Saraband border design

120

Octagon

122

Palace or sunburst

122

Pear

123

Pear border design

124

Reciprocal saw-teeth

126

Reciprocal trefoil

126

Lily or Rhodian field design

126

Lily or Rhodian border design

126

Ribbon border design

127

Rooster

127

Rosette

128

S forms

129

Scorpion border design

129

Shirvan border design

130

Shou

131

Solomon's seal

131

Star

133

Swastika

134

T forms

134

Tae-kieh

135

Tarantula

135

Tekke border designs

135

Tekke field designs

135

Tomoye

136

Tortoise border designs

136

Tree designs

137

Wine-glass border designs

138

Winged disc

139

Y forms

139

Various forms of prayer-niche in rugs

322

NAMELESS DESIGNS

Persian border designs

140

Turkish border designs

141

Caucasian border designs

142

Turkoman border designs

143

Chinese border designs

143

Chinese field design

143

Kurdish field designs

143

Caucasian field design

143

Turkish field designs

143

Persian field designs

143

CHART

Showing the distinguishing features of the different rugs

156

MAP

The Orient

 

At end of volume

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

Just when the art of weaving originated is an uncertainty, but there seems to be a consensus of opinion among archæologists in general that it was in existence earlier than the 24th century before Christ. The first people which we have been able with certainty to associate with this art were the ancient Egyptians. Monuments of ancient Egypt and of Mesopotamia bear witness that the products of the hand loom date a considerable time prior to 2400 B.C., and on the tombs of Beni-Hassan are depicted women weaving rugs on looms very much like those of the Orient at the present time. From ancient literature we learn that the palaces of the Pharaohs were ornamented with rugs; that the tomb of Cyrus, founder of the ancient Persian monarchy, was covered with a Babylonian carpet and that Cleopatra was carried into the presence of Cæsar wrapped in a rug of the finest texture. Ovid vividly described the weaver's loom. In Homer's Iliad we find these words: "Thus as he spoke he led them in and placed on couches spread with purple carpets o'er." The woman in the Proverbs of Solomon said, "I have woven my bed with cords, I have covered it with painted tapestry from Egypt." Job said: "My days are swifter than the weaver's shuttle and are spent without hope." Other places in the Bible where reference is made to the art of weaving are, Ex. 33, 35, Sam. 17, 7, and Isa. 38, 12. Besides Biblical writers, Plautus, Scipio, Horace, Pliny and Josephus all speak of rugs.

The Egyptian carpets were not made of the same material and weave as are the so-called Oriental rugs of to-day. The pile surface was not made by tying small tufts of wool upon the warp thread. The Chinese seem to have been the first to have made rugs in this way. Persia acquired the art from Babylon many centuries before Christ, since which time she has held the foremost place as a rug weaving nation.

There is no more fascinating study than that of Oriental rugs and there are few hobbies that claim so absorbing a devotion. To the connoisseur it proves a veritable enchantment: to the busy man a mental salvation. He reads from his rugs the life history of both a bygone and a living people. A fine rug ranks second to no other creation as a work of art and although many of them are made by semi-barbaric people, they possess rare artistic beauty of design and execution to which the master hand of Time puts the finishing touches. Each masterpiece has its individuality, no two being alike, although each may be true in general to the family patterns, and therein consists their enchantment. The longer you study them the more they fascinate. Is it strange then that this wonderful reproduction of colors appeals to connoisseurs and art lovers of every country?

Were some of the antique or even the modern pieces endowed with the gift of speech what wonderfully interesting stories they could tell and yet to the connoisseur the history, so to speak, of many of these gems of the Eastern loom is plainly legible in their weave, designs and colors. The family or tribal legends worked out in the patterns, the religious or ethical meaning of the blended colors, the death of a weaver before the completion of his work, which is afterwards taken up by another, the toil and privation of which every rug is witness, are all matters of interest only to the student.

Americans have been far behind Europeans in recognizing the artistic worth and the many other advantages of the Oriental rug over any other kind. Twenty-five years ago few American homes possessed even one. Since then a marked change in public taste has taken place. All classes have become interested and, according to their resources, have purchased them in a manner characteristic of the American people, so that now some of the choicest gems in existence have found a home in the United States. To what extent this is true may be shown by the custom house statistics, which prove that, even under a tariff of nearly 50 per cent., the annual importation exceeds over five million dollars and New York City with the possible exception of London has become the largest rug market of the world. This importation will continue on even a larger scale until the Orient is robbed of all its fabrics and the Persian rug will have become a thing of the past.

Already the western demand has been so great that the dyes, materials and quality of workmanship have greatly deteriorated and the Orientals are even importing machine made rugs from Europe for their own use. It therefore behooves us to cherish the Oriental rugs now in our possession.

Both Europe and the United States are manufacturing artistic carpets of a high degree of excellence, but they never have and never will be able to produce any that will compare with those made in the East. They may copy the designs and match the shades, to a certain extent, but they lack the inspiration and the knack of blending, both of which are combined in the Oriental product.

Only in a land where time is of little value and is not considered as an equivalent to money, can such artistic perfection be brought about.

 

 

 

PART I

 

 

 

 

MESHED PRAYER RUG.
MESHED PRAYER RUG
Size 4' × 3'
FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE AUTHOR

Prayer rugs of this class are exceedingly rare. This is the only one the author has ever seen. It is extremely fine in texture, having twenty-eight Senna knots to the inch vertically and sixteen horizontally, making four hundred and forty-eight knots to the square inch, tied so closely that it is quite difficult to separate the pile sufficiently to see the wool or warp threads. The central field consists of the tree of life in dark blue with red, blue and pink flowers upon a background of rich red.

The main border stripe carries the Herati design in dark blue and dark red upon a pale blue ground on each side of which are narrow strips of pink carrying alternate dots of red and blue.

(See page 209)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Practical Book of
Oriental Rugs

COST AND TARIFF

The value of an Oriental rug cannot be gauged by measurement any more than can that of a fine painting; it depends upon the number of knots to the square inch, the fineness of the material, the richness and stability of its colors, the amount of detail in design, its durability and, last but not least, its age. None of these qualifications being at sight apparent to the novice, he is unable to make a fair comparison of prices, as frequently rugs which appear to him to be quite alike and equally valuable may be far apart in actual worth.

When we consider that from the time a rug leaves the weavers' hands until it reaches the final buyer there are at least from five to seven profits to pay besides the government tariffs thereon, it is no wonder that the prices at times seem exorbitant. The transportation charges amount to about ten cents per square foot. The Turkish government levies one per cent. export duty and the heavily protected United States levies forty per cent. ad valorem and ten cents per square foot besides, all of which alone adds over fifty per cent. to the original cost in America, and yet should we estimate the work upon Oriental rugs by the American standard of wages they would cost from ten to fifty times their present prices.

To furnish a home with Oriental rugs is not as expensive as it would at first seem. They can be bought piece by piece at intervals, as circumstances warrant, and when a room is once provided for it is for all time, whereas the carpet account is one that is never closed.

In the United States good, durable Eastern rugs may be bought for from sixty cents to ten dollars per square foot, and in England for much less. Extremely choice pieces may run up to the thousands. At the Marquand sale in New York City in 1902, a fifteenth century Persian rug (10-10 x 6-1) was sold for $36,000, nearly $550 a square foot. The holy carpet of the Mosque at Ardebil, woven at Kashan in 1536 and now owned by the South Kensington Museum, of London, is valued at $30,000. The famous hunting rug, which was presented some years ago by the late Ex-Governor Ames of Massachusetts to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, is said to have cost $35,000. The late Mr. Yerkes of New York City paid $60,000 for his "Holy Carpet," the highest price ever paid for a rug. Mr. J. P. Morgan recently paid $17,000 for one 20 x 15. Two years ago H. C. Frick paid $160,000 for eight small Persians, $20,000 apiece. Senator Clark's collection cost $3,000,000, H. O. Havemeyer's $250,000, and O. H. Payne's $200,000.

 

THE METROPOLITAN ANIMAL RUG.
THE METROPOLITAN ANIMAL RUG
BY COURTESY OF THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS
NEW YORK CITY
(See page
337)

 

 

Everything considered, the difference in cost per square foot between the average Oriental and the home product amounts to little in comparison to the difference in endurance. If one uses the proper judgment in selecting, his money is much better spent when invested in the former than when invested in the latter. While the nap of the domestic is worn down to the warp the Oriental has been improving in color and sheen as well as in value. This is due to the fact that the Eastern product is made of the softest of wool and treated with dyes which have stood the test of centuries and which preserve the wool instead of destroying it as do the aniline dyes.

In comparing the cost of furnishing a home with Oriental rugs or with carpets one should further take into consideration the fact that with carpets much unnecessary floor space must be covered which represents so much waste money. Also the question of health involved in the use of carpets is a very serious one. They retain dust and germs of all kinds and are taken up and cleaned, as a rule, but once a year. With rugs the room is much more easily kept clean and the furniture does not have to be moved whenever sweeping time comes around.

 

 

 

 

DEALERS AND AUCTIONS

Few Europeans or Americans penetrate to the interior markets of the East where home-made rugs find their first sale. Agents of some of the large importers have been sent over to collect rugs from families or small factories and the tales of Oriental shrewdness and trickery which they bring back are many and varied. We have in this country many honest, reliable foreign dealers, but occasionally one meets with one of the class above referred to. In dealing with such people it is safe never to bid more than half and never to give over two-thirds of the price they ask you. Also never show special preference for any particular piece, otherwise you will be charged more for it. No dealer or authority may lay claim to infallibility, but few of these people have any adequate knowledge of their stock and are, as a rule, uncertain authorities, excepting in those fabrics which come from the vicinity of the province in which they lived. They buy their stock in large quantities, usually by the bale at so much a square foot, and then mark each according to their judgment so as to make the bale average up well and pay a good profit. So it is that an expert may occasionally select a choice piece at a bargain while the novice usually pays more than the actual worth. Every rug has three values, first the art value depending upon its colors and designs, second the collector's value depending upon its rarity, and third the utility value depending upon its durability. No dealer can buy rugs on utility value alone and he who sells Oriental rugs very cheap usually sells very cheap rugs.

It might be well right here to state that when rugs are sold by the bale the wholesaler usually places a few good ones in the bale for the purpose of disposing of the poor ones. Dealers can always find an eager market for good rugs, but poor ones often go begging, and in order to dispose of them the auction is resorted to. They are put up under a bright reflected light which shows them off to the best advantage; the bidder is allowed no opportunity for a thorough examination and almost invariably there are present several fake bidders. This you can prove to your own satisfaction by attending some auction several days in succession and you will see the same beautiful Tabriz bid off each time at a ridiculously low price, while those that you actually see placed into the hands of the deliveryman will average in price about the same as similar rugs at a retail store.

 

 

KHORASAN CARPET.
KHORASAN CARPET
Size 14' × 10'
LOANED BY A. U. DILLEY & CO.
OWNER'S DESCRIPTION

An East Persian rug of especially heavy weave in robin egg blue, soft red and cream.

Design: Serrated centre medallion, confined by broad blue corner bands and seven border strips. A rug of elaborate conventionalized floral decoration, with a modern rendition of Shah Abbas design in border.

(See page 207)

 

 

ANTIQUES

 

The passion for antiques in this country has in the past been so strong that rugs showing signs of hard wear, with ragged edges and plenty of holes, were quite as salable as those which were perfect in every respect and the amateur collector of so-called "antiques" was usually an easy victim. Of late, however, the antique craze seems to be dying out and the average buyer of to-day will select a perfect modern fabric in preference to an imperfect antique one.

of certain European pictures, to which he assigns dates by their peculiarities in style. Every time a design is copied it undergoes some slight change until, perhaps, the original design is lost. This modification of designs also affords great assistance