FOURTH EDITION
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.
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.
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.
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Introduction |
17 |
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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. |
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I. |
Cost And Tariff |
25 |
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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. |
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II. |
Dealers And Auctions |
31 |
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Oriental shrewdness; when rugs are bought by the bale; the auction a means of disposing of poor fabrics; fake bidders. |
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III. |
Antiques |
35 |
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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. |
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IV. |
Advice To Buyers |
43 |
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Reliable dealers; difference between Oriental and domestic products; how to examine rugs; making selections; selection of rugs for certain rooms. |
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V. |
The Hygiene Of The Rug |
55 |
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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. |
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VI. |
The Care of Rugs |
63 |
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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. |
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VII. |
The Material of Rugs |
69 |
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Wool, goats' hair, camels' hair, cotton, silk, hemp; preparation of the wool; spinning of the wool. |
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VIII. |
Dyes and Dyers |
75 |
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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. |
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IX. |
Weaving and Weavers |
87 |
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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. |
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X. |
Designs and Their Symbolism |
97 |
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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. |
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XI. |
The Identification of Rugs |
147 |
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A few characteristic features of certain rugs; table showing the distinguishing features of all rugs; an example. |
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PART II |
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XII. |
General Classification |
161 |
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How they receive their names; trade names; geographical classification of all rugs. |
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XIII. |
Persian Classification |
169 |
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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. |
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XIV. |
Turkish Classification |
217 |
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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. |
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XV. |
Caucasian Classification |
253 |
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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. |
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XVI. |
Turkoman Classification |
277 |
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Turkoman territory; Turkoman characteristics; description of each Turkoman rug, as follows: Khiva Bokhara (Afghan), Beshir Bokhara, Tekke Bokhara, Yomud (Yamut), Kasghar, Yarkand, Samarkand (Malgaran). |
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XVII. |
Beluchistan Rugs |
295 |
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The country; the people; Beluchistan characteristics; description and cost of Beluchistan rugs. |
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XVIII. |
Chinese Rugs |
301 |
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Slow to grow in public favor; exorbitant prices; geographical classification; classification according to designs; Chinese designs and their symbolism; the materials; the colors. |
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XIX. |
Ghileems, Silks, and Felts |
311 |
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How made; classification, characteristics, uses, description of each kind. |
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Silks |
316 |
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Classification, colors, cost, wearing qualities. |
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Felts |
318 |
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How made; their use; cost. |
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XX. |
Classification According to Their Intended Use |
321 |
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Prayer Rugs. How used; the niche; designs; how classified; prayer niche designs with key. |
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XXI. |
Famous Rugs |
331 |
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Museum collections; private collections; the recent Metropolitan Museum exhibit; age and how determined; description and pictures of certain famous rugs. |
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Glossary |
341 |
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Giving all rug names and terms alphabetically arranged, with the proper pronunciation and explanation. |
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Bibliography |
359 |
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Giving an alphabetically arranged list of all rug literature in the English language. |
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Index |
363 |
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RUGS |
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COLORED PLATES |
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PAGE |
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Tekke Bokhara rug |
Frontispiece |
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Meshed prayer rug |
22 |
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Khorasan carpet |
32 |
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Saruk rug |
40 |
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Shiraz rug |
52 |
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Anatolian mat |
60 |
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Ghiordes prayer rug |
66 |
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Ladik prayer rug |
74 |
||
Daghestan rug |
84 |
||
Kazak rug |
94 |
||
Kazak rug |
144 |
||
Shirvan rug |
158 |
||
Saruk rug |
166 |
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Kulah hearth rug |
216 |
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Shirvan rug |
250 |
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Beshir Bokhara prayer rug |
274 |
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Daghestan prayer rug |
292 |
||
Chinese rug |
300 |
||
Chinese rug |
306 |
||
Chinese cushion rug |
318 |
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DOUBLETONES |
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The Metropolitan animal rug |
26 |
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Bergama prayer rug |
46 |
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Symbolic Persian silk (Tabriz) rug |
48 |
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Symbolic Persian silk rug |
98 |
||
Semi-Persian rug (European designs) |
100 |
||
Shiraz prayer rug |
104 |
||
Hamadan rug |
110 |
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Feraghan rug |
114 |
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Kermanshah rug (modern) |
118 |
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Khiva prayer rug |
120 |
||
Kir Shehr prayer rug |
130 |
||
Konieh prayer rug |
138 |
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Tekke Bokhara strip |
150 |
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Tekke Bokhara saddle half |
162 |
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Herez carpet |
172 |
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Gorevan carpet |
176 |
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Serapi carpet |
178 |
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Kashan silk rug |
180 |
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Tabriz rug |
182 |
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Bijar rug |
186 |
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Senna rug |
188 |
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Feraghan rug |
190 |
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Hamadan rug |
192 |
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Ispahan rug |
194 |
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Saraband rug |
198 |
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Mahal carpet |
202 |
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Niris rug |
204 |
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Shiraz rug |
206 |
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Shiraz rug |
208 |
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Kirman prayer rug |
210 |
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Kirman rug |
212 |
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Kurdistan rug (Mina Khani design) |
214 |
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Kir Shehr prayer rug |
220 |
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Kir Shehr hearth rug |
222 |
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Konieh prayer rug |
224 |
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Maden (Mujur) prayer rug |
226 |
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Ladik prayer rug |
228 |
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Yuruk rug |
230 |
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Ak Hissar prayer rug |
232 |
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Bergama rug |
236 |
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Ghiordes prayer rug |
238 |
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Kulah prayer rug |
240 |
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Meles rug |
242 |
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Meles rug |
244 |
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Makri rug |
246 |
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Mosul rug |
248 |
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Daghestan rug |
254 |
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Daghestan prayer rug |
256 |
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Kabistan rug |
258 |
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Tchetchen or Chichi rug |
260 |
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Baku rug |
262 |
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Shemakha, Sumak or Cashmere rug |
264 |
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Shirvan rug |
266 |
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Genghis rug |
268 |
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Karabagh rug |
270 |
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Kazak rug (Palace design) |
272 |
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Khiva Bokhara rug |
278 |
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Beshir Bokhara rug |
280 |
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Tekke Bokhara rug |
282 |
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Tekke Bokhara (Princess Bokhara, Khatchlie) prayer rug |
284 |
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Yomud rug |
286 |
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Samarkand rug |
290 |
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Beluchistan rug |
296 |
||
Senna Ghileem rug |
312 |
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Kurdish Ghileem rug |
314 |
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Merve Ghileem rug |
316 |
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Kurdish Ghileem rug |
316 |
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Saddle cloth, saddle bags and powder bag |
324 |
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Kirman saddle bags |
326 |
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Bijar sample corner |
328 |
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Ardebil Mosque carpet |
330 |
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Berlin Dragon and Phœnix rug |
332 |
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East Indian hunting rug |
334 |
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The Altman prayer rug |
336 |
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The Baker hunting rug |
338 |
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RUG MAKING, ETC. |
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A Persian rug merchant |
38 |
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Expert weaver and inspector |
38 |
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Spinning the wool |
72 |
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Persian dye pots |
80 |
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A Persian village |
80 |
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A Turkish loom |
88 |
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The Senna and Ghiordes knots |
90 |
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Youthful weavers |
90 |
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A Persian loom |
92 |
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A wooden comb |
92 |
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A Kurdish guard |
124 |
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The Emir of Bokhara and his ministers |
134 |
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Turkomans at home |
134 |
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Characteristic backs of rugs |
152 |
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Inspecting rugs at Ispahan |
170 |
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Persian villages near Hamadan |
170 |
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Turkomans |
276 |
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Having a pot of tea at Bokhara |
288 |
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A street in Samarkand |
288 |
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The rug caravan |
376 |
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DESIGNS |
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Angular hook |
101 |
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Barber-pole stripe |
102 |
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Bat |
103 |
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Beetle |
103 |
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Butterfly border design |
104 |
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Caucasian border design |
105 |
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Chichi border design |
105 |
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Chinese fret |
106 |
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Chinese cloud band |
106 |
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Comb |
108 |
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Crab border design |
108 |
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Greek cross |
109 |
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Fish bone border design |
112 |
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Galley border design |
112 |
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Georgian border design |
112 |
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Ghiordes border design |
113 |
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Herati border design |
114 |
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Herati field design |
114 |
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Knot of destiny |
116 |
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Kulah border design |
116 |
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Lamp |
117 |
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Lattice field |
117 |
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Link |
118 |
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Lotus |
118 |
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Lotus border design |
119 |
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Greek meander |
119 |
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Pole medallion |
120 |
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Mir or Saraband border design |
120 |
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Octagon |
122 |
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Palace or sunburst |
122 |
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Pear |
123 |
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Pear border design |
124 |
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Reciprocal saw-teeth |
126 |
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Reciprocal trefoil |
126 |
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Lily or Rhodian field design |
126 |
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Lily or Rhodian border design |
126 |
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Ribbon border design |
127 |
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Rooster |
127 |
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Rosette |
128 |
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S forms |
129 |
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Scorpion border design |
129 |
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Shirvan border design |
130 |
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Shou |
131 |
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Solomon's seal |
131 |
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Star |
133 |
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Swastika |
134 |
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T forms |
134 |
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Tae-kieh |
135 |
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Tarantula |
135 |
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Tekke border designs |
135 |
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Tekke field designs |
135 |
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Tomoye |
136 |
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Tortoise border designs |
136 |
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Tree designs |
137 |
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Wine-glass border designs |
138 |
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Winged disc |
139 |
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Y forms |
139 |
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Various forms of prayer-niche in rugs |
322 |
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NAMELESS DESIGNS |
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Persian border designs |
140 |
||
Turkish border designs |
141 |
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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 |
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CHART |
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Showing the distinguishing features of the different rugs |
156 |
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MAP |
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The Orient |
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At end of volume |
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.
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
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
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.
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
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)
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