Il>
t
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RUGS-ORIENTAL AND
OCCIDENTAL
1
RUGS
ORIENTAL AND OCCIDENTAL
ANTIQUE.AND MODER^L
Ready Ref^erence
ROSA BELLE HOLT
CHICAGO
JA-C7<l?Qur^&€o-
igoi
Copyright
A. C. McClurc & Co.
1901
LANDSCAPE
ARCHITECTURE
GIFT
CONTENTS
PAGE
Introduction xv-xvi
Section I. History and Details of Rug- Weaving i
Section II. Rug- Weaving in Egypt, Persia, and
Turkey 35
Section III. Rug- Weaving in India, Afghanistan,
Beluchistan, Turkoman, and Cau-
casus 61
Section IV. Polish and Miscellaneous Oriental
Rugs 83
Section V. Rug- Weaving in the Occident, Great
Britain, and the United States . loi
Section VI. Miscellaneous Information . . .118
Bibliography 149
Index 153
Hi
/90/
578
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Plate
I.
Plate
IL
Plate III.
Plate
IV.
Plate V.
Plate
VL
Plate VII.
Plate VIII.
Plate
IX.
Plate
X.
Plate XI.
Plate
XII.
Plate
XIII.
Plate
XIV.
Plate XV.
Plate XVI.
Plate
XVII.
Plate
XVIII
Plate XIX.
Plate XX.
PAGE
Antique Tabriz . . . Frontispiece
Soumak 12
Shiraz 16
Kazak 20
Camel Hair Mat from Hamadan 24
Old Persian 28
Sarakhs 32
Samarkand 38
Sinna 42
Khorassan 46
Old Ghiordes Prayer Rug . . 50
Khilim 54
Arabian 58
Indian Prayer Rug .... 64
Afghanistan 70
Tekke Turkoman ..... 74
Daghestan 78
Old Persian Silk Rug ... 86
Antique Chinese Wool Rug . . 90
Old Kirman 94
List of Illustrations
PAGE
Plate XXI. Derbent loo
Plate XXII. Old Anatolian Prayer Rug . . 104
Plate XXIII. Feraghan 108
Plate XXIV. Navajo Blanket 114
Plate XXV. Turkish Loom and Weavers . 122
Plate XXVI. Vats for Washing and Dyeing
Wool 128
Plate XXVII. Indian Loom and Weavers . . 132
Plate XXVIII. Map 136
Plate XXIX. Indian Rug Designers . . . 140
Plate XXX. Wool Drying after Dyeing . . 144
Plate XXXI. Rugs being Transported . . 148
INTRODUCTION
WHILE there is a singular lack of books in the
English language treating directly of Rugs, — a theme
which is so intensely interesting to buyers, — it is note-
worthy that under the category of Oriental Carpets
are to be found a few volumes of interest. These,
however, are too rare and expensive for the general
reader. For this reason I have undertaken to present
in a concise form certain facts that may enable a
novice to appreciate the beauty and interest attaching
to rugs, and assist a prospective purchaser in judging
of the merits of any particular rug he may desire to
possess.
For much valuable information on the subject I
am indebted to publications which are referred to in
my Bibliography, to correspondence with Ministers
to Oriental countries and Consuls residing therein,
to interviews with rug dealers in various cities, and
to certain learned Americans, Armenians, Greeks,
Syrians and Turks. It has also been my good fortune
to be intrusted, for purposes of description and re-
Introduction
production, with many beautiful and rare rugs, from
owners who cherish them as treasures. These true
rug-lovers have generously contributed to whatever
there may be of interest in this book.
R. B. H.
New York City,
August I, I go I.
I
HISTORY AND DETAILS OF
RUG-WEAVING
X
THE HISTORY AND DETAILS OF
RUG-WEAVING
The History
TN the house beautiful, rugs impart richness and
■*■ represent refinement. Their manufacture was one
of the earliest incentives for the blending of colors
in such harmony as to please the eye and satisfy the
mind ; consequently, it is one of the most important
of the industrial arts. Since the days when ancient
peoples first lay down to sleep wrapped in the skins of
animals, the human intelligence has quickened, and as
the race has become more civilized, rugs have gradually
taken the place of skins. Thus began the industry of
rug-weaving, and it has grown to such an extent that it
is now of world-wide importance.
The word Rug is used in this volume in the follow-
ing sense : "A covering for the floor ; a mat, usually
oblong or square, and woven in one piece. Rugs,
especially those of Oriental make, often show rich
4 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
designs and elaborate workmanship, and are hence
sometimes used for hangings." In several books rugs
and carpets are referred to as identical. In fact most
written information on rugs has been catalogued
under the term carpets; and there seems to be good
reason for assuming that the terms tapestries and
carpets, as used in ancient times, were synonymous
with the word rugs of the present day, for these
were spread loosely on the floor without the aid of
fastenings.
Historical references to spinning and to the
weaving of tapestries date back to a very early period.
An ancient Jewish legend states that Naamah, daughter
of Lamech and sister of Tubal-Cain, was the inventor
of the spinning of wool, and of the weaving of thread
into cloth.
On at least two of the wonderful rock-cut tombs
of Beni-Hassan, in Egypt, — b. c. 2800-2600, — there
are pictures of weavers at work. In one, women
are filling a distaff with cotton, twisting it with a
spindle into thread, and weaving this on an upright
loom. Beside them is a man, evidently an overseer,
watching the weavers and their work. The other
wall painting represents a man weaving a checkered
rug on a horizontal loom. Other monuments of
ancient Egypt and of Mesopotamia bear witness that
History of Rug- Weaving 5
the manufacture of rugs dates a considerable time
prior to 2400 b. c.
At Thebes a fresco, dating 1700- 1000 b. c,
represents three men weaving at an upright loom. A
small rug, discovered in that city some time between
the years 666 and 358 b. c, and now in the possession
of Mr. Hay in England, is described by Sir J. Gardner
Wilkinson as follows : ' ' This rug is eleven inches
long by nine broad. It is made like many carpets of
the present day, with woollen threads on linen string.
In the centre is the figure of a boy in white, with a
goose above it, the hieroglyphic of ' child ' upon a
green ground, around which is a border composed of
red, white, and blue lines. The remainder is yellow,
with four white figures above and below, and one at
each side, with blue outlines and red ornaments ; and
the outer border is made up of red, white, and blue
lines, with a fancy device projecting from it, with a
triangular summit, which extends entirely round the
edge of the rug. Its date is uncertain, but from the
child, the combination of the colors, and ornamental
border, I am inclined to think it really Egyptian, not
of the Pharaonic, but of the Greek and Roman period.
Dr. Samuel Birch, who edited the last edition of Wil-
kinson's work, affirms that this is so.
On the marbles of Nineveh is represented the
6 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
pectoral worn by Sardanapalus. It is an exact miniature
of a Kurdish rug of modern times. The Tree of Life, the
motive of most of the Persian rug designs, is in the centre,
and the border is ornamented with rosettes and bars.
Phoenician Art is intermediate between Egyptian and
Assyrian. The color most prized in the art of Phoenicia
was the rare and beautiful purple (properly crimson)
dye used exclusively for the garments of royalty. For
centuries the process of making this dye was lost, and
even at the time of its highest fame it was familiar only
to the maritime Canaanites, who procured the color
from an animal juice of the murex, a shell-fish. The
shell-fish and the dye were known to the ancients as
conchylium.
When Cleopatra, the famous Queen of Egypt, went
to meet Csesar for the first time, she knew that he
would not allow her to enter his presence if recognized,
and therefore she cleverly had herself carried into his
palace wrapped in a rug of the finest texture. It may
well be imagined that the unexpected disclosure of the
charms of this subtle Egyptian shared largely in bring-
ing the great Roman general into her toils.
Besides biblical writers. Homer, v^schylus, Plautus,
Metellus, Scipio, Horace, Pliny, Lucan, Josephus,
Arrian, and Athenseus all speak of rugs. For people
interested in rugs the search for these allusions is a
most fascinating occupation.
History of Rug-Weaving 7
The Egyptians bestowed the greatest care and
patience upon the rugs they wove, as upon all else of
their handiwork. They spread them before the images
of their gods, and also on the ground for their sacred
cattle to lie upon. They loved Nature intensely, and,
like true lovers, they seemed to have reached her very
heart, and they symbolized her works in their artistic
designs. Even to this day many Oriental rugs have
symbolic signs borrowed from the works of Nature.
In design and color the rugs woven to-day in the
Orient are similar to the Assyrian and Babylonian tex-
tile fabrics of b. c. 1000-607 (Fall of Nineveh) and 538
(Fall of Babylon). At that early period these textiles
were used for awnings and floor coverings in the pal-
aces of the Assyrian kings Sargon, Sennacherib, Esar-
haddon and Sardanapalus. The designs on the stone
slab from the palace of Koyunjik, Nineveh, and on the
door-sill from the palace at Khorsabad, are probably
copied from rugs.
Beginning in Egypt and Chaldea, the manufacture
of rugs was carried into Assyria, and then into Asia
Minor. Ancient Egypto-Chaldean forms are occasion-
ally seen in modern rugs, but usually in a modified
form. For a long time the industry of rug-weaving
was supreme in the countries mentioned, but about
B. c. 480 the Greeks especially arrived at a high state of
8 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
perfection in this art. Later, it was corrupted by the
Byzantine (Lower Roman) influence. In the seventh
and eighth centuries the Saracens came into power in
the Sassanian Persian Empire and in the African and
Syrian provinces. These Saracens believed that all
labor tended to the glory of God, and on their western
campaigns they carried rug manufacture into Sicily,
Spain, France, and Italy ; and thus it was introduced
throughout Europe. It should he here noted that the
name Saracen was given by the later Romans and
Greeks to certain of the nomadic tribes on the Syrian
borders of the Roman Empire. After the introduction
of Mohammedanism they were called Arabs.
From earliest times it has been the custom in the
East to hang rugs on graves. About the vault of the
mosque at Hebron where the patriarchs Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob are said to be buried, rugs are hung
at the present day.
During times of gra.nd/eies in Europe, when house
decoration is done with lavishness, people, to make
their homes more attractive, drape with beautiful rugs
the balconies, the loggias, and the front walls of build-
ings. The richness and color of these rugs blend har-
moniously with flags and other emblems, producing an
effect of great magnificence and splendor.
History of Rug-Weaving 9
When we see the exquisite loom work that has
been wrought in the Orient, we sometimes wonder
how the weavers have achieved such success, for they
are destitute of what we call education, and they dwell
amid the humblest surroundings. But nature has
been their instructor, and the rare shadings and varied
designs of the rugs are never more wonderful than are
the many forms and hues of the Natural World. The
weavers have intuitively grasped what is correct in
color from the works of nature surrounding them, and
we reap the benefit in the rich specimens of their art
■which they export.
The number of Orientals engaged in the manufac-
ture of rugs in the United States is increasing. It is
now not an uncommon sight to see these weavers at
work before the loom in the show windows of the rug-
importing establishments of the larger cities. These
patient toilers of the East delight in subdued color-
ings and artistic designs; and without a doubt many a
story is woven in with the threads that go to form the
fabric, many a song of joy, many a dirge of woe and
despair.
The increasing use of polished hard wood and
yellow pine floors and mosaic work, even in buildings
of moderate cost, is displacing the use of cheap
flooring, which could be covered satisfactorily only with
lo Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
woven carpets or matting. This has enormously in-
creased the demand for rugs ; and the selection of
them aflfords a much wider range for the exercise of
personal taste and discrimination in securing an article
not only of greater artistic merit, but of greater
durability.
Details of Rug-Weaving ^^
The Loom and Its Work
The hand loom is Oriental; the power loom Occi-
dental. The former adds much to the fame of the
Orient. The exquisite fabrics it produces have made it
world-renowned, and although it is simple in structure,
its products show careful and finished labor. Hand
looms in all Oriental countries are similar, and are
to-day almost as imperfectly developed as when used
by the ancient Egyptians. To weave their mats, the
ancient Egyptians took the coarse fibre of the papyrus
and, with the help of pegs, stretched it between two
poles which were fastened in the ground. Two bars
were placed in between them, the threads of the warp
serving to keep them apart. The woof thread was
passed through and pressed down tightly a number of
times with a bent piece of wood.
The loom now generally used in the Orient is made
by fastening two poles perpendicularly in the ground
to a sufficient depth, leaving above ground as much of
each pole as equals in length the desired rug. This
framework supports two horizontal rollers, the warp
12 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
threads being wound around the upper, while the ends
are fastened to the lower ; at this the weaving is begun,
and on it the rug is rolled while in process of construc-
tion. To the warp threads of fine linen or cotton the
weavers tie the tufts of worsted that form the pile.
This worsted, which has been dyed previously, hangs
over their heads in balls. When a row of knots is
finished, it is pressed down to the underlying weft by
a long and heavy comb with metal teeth. Then the
tufts are clipped close with shears, to make the pile.
In the finer rugs there are seldom more than two, or at
the most three, threads between every two rows of
knots, but in the coarser kinds there are more threads.
In many districts every family possesses a loom, and
it is generally small enough to be carried from place
to place.
Sir George C. Birdwood has seen the web in the
horizontal loom in Western India kept stretched by
being wrapped, as worked, round the body of the
weaver. In some instances the spinners make thread
from the cotton wool by using the left hand as a distaff,
and the right one as a spindle. In other cotton rugs
which he has seen, the warp threads were placed hori-
zontally and the loom was without treadles and reed.
The weft threads were thrown across by the weaver
and brought together with a small hand comb. The
SOUMAK MAT.
Size, 4. II X 3. 1.
The fine weaving of this Soumak mat and its beauti-
ful coloring are especially admirable. The texture is
very firm, the threads being drawn tight. On a field
which is a choice shade of blue, rest geometrical forms,
each one of which has a ground of terra cotta, pale green,
or soft yellow, and is ornamented with rich blue, ivory,
or a light shade of terra cotta. All are outlined with
black. The hook design is noticed in different parts of
the rug, and especially in the border. The artistic effect
of this bit of weaving is most pleasing.
Reproduced by courtesy of Mr. Will J. Davis, Chicago.
Details of Rug-Weaving i3
same style of loom, arranged vertically, is that on
which some of the richly figured cotton rugs from the
Deccan are woven.
In some parts of Turkey there are German factories
that have adopted some of the native methods; but as
the majority of Turkish rugs are apt to be crooked,
frames that weave them straight are now imported
from Germany.
Mrs. Isabella Bird Bishop describes a tribe of peo-
ple living at Biratori, on the Island of Yezo, Japan, and
bearing the name of Ainos, whose women employ their
time in weaving mats. Their loom is certainly the most
primitive arrangement. A comb-like frame, through
which the threads pass, rests on the ankles of the
weaver. There is a heavy hook fastened in the ground
or floor, and to this the threads at the far end of the
web are sewed. A cord fastens the near end to the
waist of the weaver, who by spinal rigidity supplies the
necessary tension. As the work proceeds, she drags
herself along nearer and nearer the hook. This is slow
work, only about a foot being accomplished in a day.
But as in other countries, the women enjoy the neigh-
borly chats that their work allows ; and often two or
more will bring to the house of a neighbor their simple
apparatus, and hanging the hooks to the roof or to a
tree, will weave all day.
H Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
The power looms of modern civilization are chiefly
to be found in the United States and Great Britain,
Philadelphia being the principal American centre, and
Kidderminster, Wilton, Worcester, Rochdale, Halifax,
Dewsbury and Durham, the English centres. Brussels
and Scotland contain a number of such looms. In all
Western countries Schools of Art furnish most of the
designs, and have done much to improve taste. This
can also be said of good colorists in their branch of
this industry.
Details of Rug- Weaving ^5
The Weavers
Rug- Weaving in the Orient is an industry that, until
recent years, has been carried on almost exclusively by
women and girls. From childhood to womanhood
and on to old age, these weavers are at work. Girls
of six years of age help their mothers, until they be-
come experiened by long practice. Even ladies of rank
and wealth weave rugs of fine quality for their own
homes. In some districts, besides weaving for the
market, girls weave one or two rugs for their dowry;
this purpose furnishes them with enough excitement to
keep them interested in their work and ambitious to
excel. Now that there is a greater demand for rugs,
and not enough women to supply the demand, men and
boys have come into the business, but generally only
in places where there are large factories, and especially
in the cities. This is noticeably the case in India,
where boys from nine to fifteen years of age do much
of the weaving.
There are two classes of weavers, the sedentary and
the nomadic. The former weave in their houses during
i6 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
the winter, and in their courtyards during the summer.
The nomads spend the winter in mud villages, and in
the summer go to the mountains with their flocks and
live in tents made of goat's hair. The manner of life
of the sedentary weaver works havoc with her constitu-
tion even in her youth; and consequently one is not
surprised at her frail appearance. In summer she is
oppressed with heat as she sits before the frame, and in
winter she is almost frozen, for she has to work in the
open air in order to have sufficient light. Hers is not
an easy life. It would be pleasant to believe that in her
toil, which she carries on with wondrous patience and
in the humblest surroundings, the conscientious weaver
finds the same inward satisfaction that comes to the
true artist elsewhere.
The duties of the male portion of the family are to
tend the flocks, shear the sheep, separate the various
qualities of the wool into bundles, dye it, and make the
framework for the rug. With the extension of the in-
dustry, a class of workers has arisen whose sole task is
to manipulate and dye the wool for use. The reason
why men do not usually weave is that the occupation,
besides not being a paying one, requires an amount of
patience not within the powers of men accustomed to
work out of doors. Nor is it a remunerative occupation.
The reader, who is perhaps also a prospective rug-buyer,
SHIRAZ RUG.
Size, 4. 3 X 7.
The field of this rug is marked with narrow perpen-
dicular stripes of soft yellows, rose, deep bliles, and
ivory. These mellow tones of color are all thickly
studded with a fine floral design in contrasting shades.
The palm leaf design, minute but distinct, is in pale
green, with markings of blue and rose. The border
stripes of tan, dark rich blue, and rose, are floral in
effect. The rug is heavy, firm, and of fine weave.
Fringed ends finish this beautiful example of the Shiraz.
Reproduced by courtesy of Mr. Will J. Davis, Chicago.
P'^.fm
Details of Rug-Weaving ^7
may be interested in the following calculation of the
amount of labor bestowed upon a given piece of the
best type, the cost of the materials, and its value when
completed. A square foot of the best Persian rug is
worth about ten dollars, and it takes a single weaver
twenty-three days to complete this portion. This allows
the weaver about forty-four cents per day for her wool
and her labor; but as three-fourths of this amount goes
to pay for the wool, only eleven cents per day is left for
her labor. The wages of the producer of the inferior
article are somewhat better. A square foot of an in-
ferior rug is sold for about sixty cents, and the time
required for weaving it is but two days, thus allowing
the weaver thirty cents per day for her wool and labor.
She uses inferior wool, washes but little of it, and pays
only a nominal sum for a cheap dye. The framework
of her loom costs comparatively little, as the rug it
produces is from twenty to thirty times the size of the
superior rug. Thus it appears that, in the long run, the
inferior weaver is better paid than the one who fatigues
her brain with her efforts to produce a rug of the best
quality. On the other hand, the weaver of the superior
fabric has advantages which the other has not. As a
general rule, she weaves to order, and is paid for her
work in advance. This prepayment is of great im-
portance, considering the poverty of the weaver. The
i8 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
situation of the weaver of the inferior article differs in
that she has to buy her wool, dye it, finish her rug, and
then watch the market for buyers.
The weavers live on the simplest fare ; bread, cheese,
and a raw onion make an average meal. In some
districts the weavers have to work in underground huts,
for the air at the surface is so dry that the threads
would lose all their elasticity out of doors. In these
underground places the weavers produce enough moist-
ure by keeping at hand utensils full of water.
Although the business is conducted with the manu-
facturer on a strictly commercial basis, it is very diffi-
cult to induce the weavers to keep their appointments
and finish a rug at the time it is promised. In India,
for example, the weavers are very superstitious; and if
a boy weaver be taken ill, the entire force on that loom
will stop until he recover. If he die, the entire force
of native weavers may be changed. This of course
causes vexatious delay, not only of days, but often of
weeks and months.
Details of Rug- Weaving ^9
The Wool
Sheep's wool, camel's hair, mohair from the Angora
Goat, hair from the Yak and from the Thibetan Goat,
are all used as the materials from which rugs are
woven. In the spring the raw wool is generally taken
to the nearest market, where it is cleaned, washed, and
spun. The cleansing process is very necessary, as it
affects in an important degree the quality of the ma-
terial. The wool is usually washed in running water by
the men, and then sorted and cleansed a second time.
Persia, Turkey, and India all produce wool, the two
former countries in larger quantities than India, but
some of the very finest wool comes from that part of
India known as Kashmir. The celebrated Turfani wool
comes from Chinese Thibet. It is very choice, and
beautiful fabrics are woven from it.
The pashim is the soft downy wool growing next
the body of the goat. In color it is white, dark gray,
or drab; and of this many of the finest India rugs are
woven. Large-tailed sheep are common in Kabul,
Peshawar, and other districts ; these furnish wool
20 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
from which many a rug is woven. It is possible that
the very sheep watched over by the Shepherds of
Judaea the night of our Savior's birth were reared
partly for their wool, with a view to rug-weaving.
The camel is useful not only as a beast of burden;
its hair is woven into fabrics both fine and durable,
chief of which are rugs, beautiful, much desired, and
costly. The natural colors harmonize readily with the
furnishings in most rooms, and the soft texture of the
best ones is attractive.
The process of carding is accomplished by means of
a block with vertical pins in even rows close together.
The wool is drawn through these many times, and then
spun into yarn.
KAZAK RUG.
Size, 8.3 X 4. 1 o.
This is an unusually fine specimen of a Kazak. Its
softness, combined with its solidity, gives it force and
beauty. On the wonderful rose field a series of geo-
metrical figures, five in number, are placed. Odd fig-
ures, including stiff little animals, fill in the remaining
field. The wide border is composed of small diamonds,
with varied forms of the hook design. The strength of
the Cossacks is displayed in this hardy, forceful, and
richly colored rug.
Reproduced by courtesy of Mrs. Cyrus H. McCormick, Chicago.
■■''^1 SHJST?'"^
Details of Rug- Weaving 21
The Quality
The fineness of a rug depends largely upon the
quality of the wool and the number of knots to the
square foot. In one yard of the best made Persian
rugs there are between twenty thousand and thirty
thousand stitches made by hand. The wool must be of
fine quality, but not too soft. It should be closely
woven, and evenly cropped. A great deal depends
upon the manipulation of the wool in the rough, and
careful attention should be given to this particular.
The quality of the wool is affected by whatever cir-
cumstances affect the well-being of the sheep, and in a
marked degree by climate. Hence there is a decided
difference in the wools of various districts and sections
of a country. It is a well-known fact that the wool
produced in cold countries is soft and fine, while that
of the warmer climates is, on the other hand, harder,
firmer, and more lasting. Hard wool is easier for the
weaver to handle, and the tufts can be cropped with
more facility. It is partly owing to these facts that the
rugs of the cold districts are most in demand.
22 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
The fact that some rugs are so much better than
others is a natural result of the superior skill of the
makers. Weavers are like other workers, some doing
perfect work, some indifferent, and others very poor.
But the quality of the rugs offered for sale in this
country depends also upon the knowledge and the con-
science of the wholesale buyer at the place of manufac-
ture. When the buyer for an importing establishment
brings over quantities of rugs not all of which are
artistic, the question may be asked: "Why do you not
always select rugs that are beautiful?" He may reply
that it is his business to get those that will sell, and
that there is a great variety of taste in the customers
for whom he is catering; or he may say that he buys a
thousand rugs at a time, and does not see them individ-
ually. It is in the retail shop that the final purchaser
may pick and choose.
The most famous rugs of the Orient have been se-
lected with great care by men who have special knowl-
edge of the subject, and they are owned by museums
or connoisseurs. Some have been brought to this
country by distinguished soldiers and statesmen, to
whom they have been presented as tokens of respect,
by potentates. Others have been obtained through the
fortunes of war.
Details of Rug-Weaving 23
The Knotting
Except in the Soumak and the Khilim, which have
the flat stitch, there are only two kinds of knotting
used in Oriental rugs. These knots are called the
Persian or Sinna, and the Turkish or Ghiordes.
In the Persian manner of knotting there are more
knots to the square inch than in the Turkish, and the
result is a finer surface. Often the Persian knotting is
so fine that the surface of the fabric is like velvet. The
Persian knot is tied in such a manner that one end of
the pile yarn extends from every spacing that separates
the warp threads. It is made in such a way that a
noose is formed, which tightens as the yarn is pulled.
Occasionally it is turned in the opposite direction, and
executed from left to right. In this case two threads
of yarn are employed, this of course making the pile
twice as thick as in the other.
The Turkish or Ghiordes knot has the yarn twisted
about the warp threads in such a manner that the two
raised ends of the pile alternate with every two threads
of the warp.
24 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Experts have spent much time and invested much
capital in the endeavor to make the rug industry as
perfect as possible. Judging from the examples of
India rugs I have seen, — some with a seven by six
knot, others with a sixteen by sixteen knot, — I am con-
vinced that the beauty, durability, and artistic effects
produced by the efforts of the manufacturers will be
appreciated more and more. From the fact that the
best known firms in the rug business in New York,
Chicago, and other cities in the United States, and
several leading firms in England are sponsors for the
present rug industry in India, it may naturally be in-
ferred that it is prosecuted with skill and care.
The different stitches made are as follows : — Seven
by eight, or fifty-six hand-tied knots to the square inch;
eight by eight, or sixty-four knots to the square inch;
ten by ten, or one hundred knots to the square inch;
twelve by twelve, or one hundred and forty-four knots
to the square inch ; and sixteen by sixteen, or two
hundred and fifty-six knots to the square inch. These
finer stitches are made in the very best examples pro-
duced by the finest Persian weavers. A specimen
recently shown me was an exact reproduction of the
rug owned by Prince Alexis Lobanow-Rostowsky, in
which the stitch was the sixteen by sixteen. It was
made in one of the factories in Kashmir, now controlled
CAMEL'S HAIR MAT FROM HAMADAN.
Size, 4. 1 X 2. 8.
This mat is a fine example of the Hamadan weave,
which is so frequently met. The field of camel's hair
is in the natural color. The medallion in the centre is
woven mainly in red, as is also the border of the mat.
Both these, however, are ornamented with green, white,
maroon, orange, and a few black lines. There is a
fringe at each end of the rug, but at one end it is much
deeper than at the other.
Reproduced by courtesy of Messrs. A. A. yantine isf Co., Nev> fori.
Details of Rug-Weaving 25
by one of the leading rug importing establishments of
Chicago. This fabric of the loom received the Grand
Prix at the Paris Exhibition of igcx), and is now owned
by a Chicago lady.
26 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Designs
The designs of Eastern rugs are often the spon-
taneous outcome of the fancy of the weaver. Some-
times they are handed down from one generation
to another; in some cases young girls are taught the
design by an adult, who marks it in the sand; at other
times a drawing of the rug is made on paper, the in-
structor showing her pupils the arrangement of every
thread and the color to be used. When all this has
been done, the pupil must make the rug without look-
ing at the drawing.
■"Persian rugs excel those of other countries in
artistic design as well as in harmonious coloring. The
Persians seem to have a natural intuition in the use
and blending of different shades, and in the designs
that contain these colors they achieve the happiest
results. It is really wonderful what exquisite fabrics
these people, born and reared in ignorance and
poverty, produce.
The designs in Persian rugs are generally floral; and
in some districts, especially Pars, the women weavers
Details of Rug- Weaving 27
invent the designs, varying them every two or three
years. The Mohammedan religion does not allow any
direct representation of animal forms ; consequently
rugs woven under its influence take floral, geometric,
and vegetable forms. The Shiah sect of Moslems,
however, numbering about fifteen millions, — of which
eight millions are Persians, — do not regard represent-
ations of animals as unlawful. By the industry of this
sect, and that of infidels, and of all who disregard the
law of the Koran, animal forms are seen on some
Persian rugs.
Among the good antique Persian rugs there are in
all about thirty designs, all having different borders.
Each design is the peculiar work of a family or tribe,
and is produced continuously, from generation to
generation without noticeable change, except in com-
pliance with the demand of a buyer, or by a weaver
who carries out some special fancy. A large number
of buyers select the color, design, and size, leaving their
order with an importer or a manufacturer.
In the modern Oriental rug the designs are not to
be entirely depended upon. They are apt to vary at
the will of the weaver; and moreover. Occidental
designs are now sent to the Orient to be woven into
rugs by the native weavers of the Eastern country.
The designs sent to India to be reproduced by the
28 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
different European and American firms having factories
there, are almost universally strictly Oriental in char-
acter, being copies from fine old Persian pieces, or re-
arrangements of Oriental forms. When the design
reaches India, it has to be re-drawn to the exact size of
the rug that is to be made. From this is copied what is
called a talim, which is the only direction the weavers
have. This talim, or guide, shows the weavers exactly
how many knots of a color are to be tied; and when
these different colors are put together, the design is
formed. These talims are carefully kept, and as they
are records of the designs, these can be reproduced at
any time.
Large rugs show best in large and bold designs, for
small and crowded designs would not be artistic.
Small designs are, however, preferable on small rugs;
and the finer the border of a rug of whatever size, the
more beautiful and costly the rug. A bold design on a
small rug would spoil it.
An average size for a large rug is six yards by four,
and for this a bold vigorous design would be suitable.
Hl^^j^^' '-
..*I4
\ ^V* ff^
^/i^i
.•^ij^*?-
«-.
ANTIQUE PERSIAN RUG.
Size, 15. 3 X 6. 7.
The tree design in its best and strongest elements is
typified in this wonderful and most interesting Persian
fabrication of olden time. The harmony of design and
color is most impressive, and the size of the rug en-
hances this effect. It was evidently woven by one
weaver, and years of patient labor and the greatest skill
must have been bestowed on it. The richness of color-
ing, the velvet-like texture, the repose of design, are
all unusual. The foundation is of a deep rich blue, and
the exquisite rose and sapphire blues and ivory tones
are in the softest and richest of permanent dyes. The
border is wide, the main stripe of the rose shade, and
the coloring all so blended that the continuity of the rug
is complete. It is doubtless a product of Kurdistan.
'I'l'-
Reproduced Sy courtesy of Mrs, Potter Palmer ^ Chicago.
Details of Rug- Weaving 29
The Dyes
When doing their best work, Oriental weavers
use the softest of permanent dyes. The result ob-
tained is a thing of beauty and utility. The aniline
dye is of course not to be compared to the vegetable,
although the best of it is not to be utterly condemned.
The poorest aniline dye eats into the rug, and the
color fades.
Madder ranks high among those plants which yield
a permanent dye. It belongs to the genus Rubia ; the
root employed is that of the Rubia tinctorum. This is
largely cultivated in certain districts of India, but the
best comes from near Smyrna, and from other parts of
Asiatic Turkey. The plant grows wild throughout a
large section of Central Asia and Russia. With both
the European and the Indian madders the roots of the
plants are the only parts that yield the dye. In the
roots three coloring matters are obtained : alizarin and
purpurin, which are both red, and xanthin, which is
yellow. Cochineal was introduced for dyeing purposes
in 1856. It is the product of an insect called Coccus
30 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
cacti, which lives on a species of cactus. Yellow is
often produced from Persian berries, turmeric, saffron,
and sumac.
Tyrian purple dye was greatly prized by the Phoeni-
cians. As stated above, it was obtained from a shell-
fish ; but the secret was known only to the maritime
Canaanites. The art of producing this dye has been
lost, although in recent years some aver that it has
been re-discovered.
The Kermes dye, of which we often hear, is only
another name for a red, not so brilliant as cochineal,
but more durable, and is the product of a species of
coccus.
Greens are obtained from various sources. The
Chinese green is a dye obtained from Rhamnus chlor-
ophorus and Rhamnus ictilis, a genus of shrubs. The fruit
of several buckthorns, or the Persian berries, as they
are generally called by dyers, gives also greens and
brilliant yellows. Most of the greens, however, are
produced by the combination of indigo with yellow.
Indigo, mentioned by Pliny as Indicum, yields the
deep blue dye so much prized by the Romans. Arrian
speaks of indigo, and says that it was exported from
Barbarike, on the Indus, into Egypt. This plant is
grown in India, China, North and South America,
Mexico, Central America, Africa, Japan, Madagascar,
Details of Rug- Weaving 3i
and Jamaica. When the Indian indigo plant, Indigo-
fera tinctoria, is in flower, it contains the largest
quantity of coloring matter.
32 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Oriental Colors
Among Orientals a good deal of significance has
attached, from the earliest days, to color. In Baby-
lon scarlet was the symbol of fire, blue of air, and
purple of water. Tyrian purple was an exquisite and
rare shade of crimson. Many allusions are made to it
by classical writers. The principal colors of the ancient
Egyptians were red, yellow, and blue. Black was the
symbol of error. White signified a holy life, purity,
innocence of soul. The priests of Zeus and of Osiris
were robed in white. Red was the symbol of zeal for
the faith. Yellow was supposed to bring evil and
sorrow. Blue was the symbol of truth. Black and
white were often used to outline other colors.
The Persians, unlike most other Orientals, are not
fond of bright colors. They are apt to avoid the light
shades of red and green as being too showy, and
further, as being liable to fade. Greens and yellows
in dark shades they treat with more favor. They con-
sider black and indigo as the symbols of sorrow; rose
is the symbol of Divine Wisdom; green represents
initiation into the knowledge of the Most High.
SARAKHS RUG.
Size, 6.9 X 1 1.4.
The texture of this rug is very fine. It is thick and
soft, and very compact and smooth. There is a force
both in color and design. On a deep blue field rests a
large medallion in rather strong colors, red, blue,
green, and ivory. Heavily ornamented corner areas in
the same shades give to the whole design a certain
symmetry, and a wide floral border with much ivory
gives an air of solidity.
Reproduced by courtesy of Messrs. Arnold, Constable faf Co., New York.
Details of Rug-Weaving 33
Among the Chinese, yellow is the symbol of royalty.
The Emperor of China and his sons may wear a yellow
robe ; their descendants wear yellow sashes and have
yellow bridles for their horses. Red is the symbol of
truth, virtue, and sincerity. It is the color of the
highest degree of official rank. White is the symbol
of mourning; black represents vice and depravity.
Of the Turkish colors, green is the most sacred ;
and for this reason a true follower of Mahomet will not
permit it to be used in his rugs, for fear it may be pro-
faned by being stepped upon. Twenty-five or thirty
years ago no Christian was allowed to wear even a
vestige of green anywhere upon him, while in Turkey;
but this law is not now so rigidly enforced. If the
Prophet or any of his family wear this color, no objec-
tion is raised, as he and they are considered holy, and
thus exempt from the penalty. White is the color per-
mitted to a student or teacher of the law.
II
RUG-WEAVING IN EGYPT, PERSIA
AND TURKEY
RUG-WEAVING IN EGYPT, PERSIA,
AND TURKEY
Rug-Weaving in Egypt
'TM-IE supply of skins having been found inadequate
■*■ to the gratification of their desire for comfort,
the ancient Egyptians gradually developed the art of
making mats from papyrus, a plant as important to them
as any of our trees, fibrous grasses, or hemp are to us.
While at work on the manufacture of these mats, the
weavers used to squat on the ground. They became
skillful, both in constructing the fabric and arranging
the colors; the latter were quite bright and effective,
being chiefly red, blue, yellow, and green, with black
and white to define.
Egyptians used rugs in the decoration of their
rooms, hanging them on walls, and they also suspended
them between the pillars. But as the glory of Egypt
departed, her skill in rug making also declined; and
the Egyptian rugs of the present day are of a coarse
quality, being made in private houses under the primi-
38 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
tive conditions that existed thousands of years ago.
The last manufactory in working order was at Boulak,
a suburb of Cairo, but it has. been closed for several
years. A great many rugs, however, are imported into
Egypt, the majority being from Persia, Turkey, and
India. Cairo is still one of the headquarters for the
sale of rugs of Eastern make to tourists.
..--SM*
SAMARKAND RUG.
Size, 1 1.6 X 5. 10.
This is a fine specimen of the Samarkand rug. As
usual in rugs of this class, the weaving is rather loose
and the texture thin. The coloring is extremely rich
and mellow. The field of red is in a warm tone, and
the medallions are in fine shades of yellow. One of
the border stripes is a Chinese design. As in all rugs
of this description, the Chinese element is plainly seen,
both in design and color, showing what proximity of
location will effect.
Reproduced by courtesy of Messrs. Arnold, Constable y Co., New Tori.
Egypt, Persia, and Turkey 39
Persian Rugs
In Persia the art of rug making has attained a
very high degree of excellence, having been practiced
there during many centuries; indeed, the exact period
when this industry was introduced into that country is
not known. Tradition has it that long before the days of
Alexander the Great, rugs were woven at Shuster, then
the capital ; and being a luxury, they were woven solely
for kings' palaces, and on the finest gold warp.
The Persians having been an industrious and civil-
ized people for many centuries, and a large proportion
of them having been accustomed to the nomadic and
pastoral life, it is a natural inference that love of gain
and the demand from the growing towns for articles of
beauty and luxury gave the wandering tribes the oppor-
tunity to utilize their wool by supplying the demand.
Encouraged as it was under the reign of Abbas Shah,
the industry prospered. Various kings of Persia culti-
vated certain branches of art and industry, but Abbas
Shah especially gave a decided impetus to rug weaving.
He had a particular fondness for the beautiful creations
40 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
of this industrial art, and the rugs made during his reign
bring fabulous prices. After his death a reaction
followed. Rugs fell into comparative disuse, and the
manufacture deteriorated until about 1850, when, thanks
to the demand in Europe, the industry revived. To-
day it is in a flourishing condition and the most impor-
tant source of Persia's income.
Persians, from the Shah to the peasant, sit upon
rugs when eating, with cushions placed behind them.
It is only the lowest beggar who has no rug. The rugs
used by the Persians themselves are rather small, the
larger ones being exported to foreign countries. Usu-
ally the rooms of Persian homes are small, and narrow
in proportion to their length; consequently only small
rugs are required. But even when the rooms are large,
the Persians prefer several small rugs to one large rug,
as a floor covering. They often first cover the hard-
beaten ground with a matting of split reeds, and then
lay over this so many small rugs that the matting can-
not be seen. This custom is becoming more and more
common in Persia. With their taste in design and
color, they produce beautiful effects.
The finest rugs are closely woven with a pile like
velvet, and with stitches on the back that resemble
needlework. A rug has scarcely reached its prime
until it has been down ten years; and it should last for
Egypt, Persia, and Turkey 4i
centuries, if carefully used. As a partial explanation
of this wonderful durability, it should be remembered
that in their own homes the Persians use their finest
rugs for hangings, and also that they take off their
shoes before entering the house.
In ancient days rug weaving in Persia was generally
restricted to Ispahan, Khorassan, and Shuster, but in
modern times the most noted districts are those of
Sultanabad, Pars, Hamadan, Feraghan, Bijar, Kurdistan,
Khorassan, and Kirman. But the industry is so widely
spread over Persia that there is not a class of women
who do not live by it, and very often really fine pieces
of work are produced in districts where the art receives
no encouragement. The districts mentioned above are
more noted for the quality of the rugs they produce
than for anything else. The rug of each district has a
peculiar character of its own, both as to the quality of
the wool and the design employed. The peculiarities
characterizing each district are so noticeable that an
expert can tell at a glance where a rug was made-
It is very difficult, if not impossible, to discover the
exact value of the export and import trade of Persia.
The source of this information is naturally the Customs
Administration, which in Persia exists but in name.
The duties of the ports and principal towns are farmed
out to various persons, whose interest it is to send the
42 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
inquirer away as ignorant upon the subject as he was
before the interview began. But it is possible, after a
great deal of labor in collecting statistics from the
dealers of a particular article, to form an estimate
probably not very far from the truth. By this method
we judge that the average yearly export value of rugs
in Aaragh (the Sultanabad district) is three hundred
thousand dollars; Hamadan one hundred thousand;
Bijar one hundred and ten thousand; Malair one hun-
dred thousand dollars; Kurdistan fifty thousand; Fars
seventy-five thousand; Kirman and Khorassan one
hundred thousand; and in the less known districts, col-
lectively, fifty thousand dollars. The total of these
figures classes the rug export in the very first order of
exports. It is plain that this amount does not represent
the full value of the manufacture, inasmuch as a great
quantity of the goods does not leave the country. This
quantity is perhaps small in comparison with that ex-
ported, but it is large enough to make the value nearly
a million dollars.
It may be of interest to mention here that the ex-
port duty on rugs on the average is two and a half
cents per square foot, and carriage to the sea ports ten
cents per square foot, while the import duty to the
United States is forty per cent ad valorem, and the
specific duty ten cents per square foot
♦»^-'t5''t,' ;■'':■■ ''^'?W!'^''WW*^f^.*"-^'- r "■;?;';, If,- •.;;-:•:'
OLD PERSIAN SILK RUG.
Size, 5.8x4.12.
This remarkable rug in some lights suggests the
heart of a forest. Some of its sections indicate Chinese
inspiration, and recall, too, the famous Hunting Rugs;
but it was undoubtedly woven in the neighborhood of
Meshhed, in the province of Khorassan. The thick
texture, the long pile, and the look of the animals afford
evidence in support of this conclusion. The field is in
an unusual shade of reddish bronze, with a strong
metallic lustre. In certain lights the surface looks like
a mass of gleaming gold. In the centre stands the Tree
of Life, its branches rich with foliage, among which
birds of bright plumage seem to flutter. At the base
of the tree, two wild animals are depicted, apparently
in search of prey. In the corner areas at the top of
the rug two serpents are attacking young birds in a
nest, which is guarded by an agitated parent bird. On
either side at the base of the rug is a cypress tree.
Across the top is an inscription in Arabic, which has
been variously translated.
Reproduced by courtesy of Mrs. Emmons Blaine, Chicago.
SINNA RUG.
Size, 4.6 X 6. 6.
This is a beautiful example of the very fine weave
and the even clipping that characterize the Sinna rugs.
Thickly studding the dark blue field are minute designs
in blue and rose hues, with which pale green, yellow,
and a sapphire blue blend most harmoniously. All
these small designs rest in the usual diaper design,
which may be traced throughout the rug. The border
is charming, with its ground-work of fine yellow, on
which are delicate tracings of light green, ivory, and
blue. The effect of light and shade upon this exquisite
piece of weaving brings out plainly the marvelous sheen
which is a feature of this rug. The innumerable small
figures which appear throughout the rug, with their
blending of soft hues, present a kaleidoscopic effect.
Reproduced by courtesy of Mrs. Emmons Blaine, Chicago.
■li.l/l
miiii^i&^ ,.^iJul^kM«aiii>t
i« iji'^rii-^yjiriiJlllLriiilr;,
Egypt, Persia, and Turkey 43
In Persia several firms have done a great deal in the
way of encouraging the industry of rug weaving in that
country. To supply the demand for Persian rugs in
Europe and America, these firms have erected build-
ings in Sultanabad, where they keep the weavers
under control and steadily employed. These firms,
having been long established, are conversant with the
Persians and their character; and to prevent any
deception they pay the weavers by the piece instead
of by the day.
The rugs produced by these firms are of the medium
quality. The wool is bought in the rough and man-
ipulated for use. Every day a quantity of it is given
out to the laborers, who must reproduce the design
placed before them, and each laborer is paid from two
to four dollars per square yard, according to the
quality of her work. In the service of these firms, the
weaver is obliged to put aside her individual taste and
follow closely the designs, which are prepared in
accordance with the prevailing fashions abroad. The
independent native weaver does not pay any attention
to the taste of the buyer. She places her work in the
local market, and the native merchant purchases it for
exportation.
44 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Characteristics of Certain Persian Rugs
Bakhshis rugs are made of poor material and are
not at all desirable, being badly woven and of poor
coloring.
The so-called Birjand rugs are woven almost ex-
clusively in the village of Daraksh, about fifty miles
north-east of Birjand. The weavers of these rugs came
originally from Herat. The rugs are generally satis-
factory, the weaving being fine, although in most cases
uneven.
The Plain of Feraghan exports annually a large
number of rugs rather loosely woven, but soft and
durable. The entire centre is often filled with rather
small irregular figures on a dark blue field. These
rugs are firm, and generally heavy and large ; the bor-
der, in old rose or some other color, with a design in
the form of rosettes and palmettes connected by a vine,
is always attractive. Yellow is often employed in a
modern Feraghan, both in the border and in the field.
Quite an important feature of Feraghan and other
places of high altitude is the rug-woven saddlebag.
When stuffed, such bags make comfortable sofa pillows,
Egypt, Persia, and Turkey 45
or they can be placed as seats on chairs. Throughout
Asia, saddlebags are used by riders on camels as cush-
ions, by other travelers for containing clothes and other
goods, and by children for their school books.
Gorevan rugs are of fine quality and well woven.
The hues are bright, and are generally on a field of
cream color; the centre represents a medallion, and the
border is elaborate. In one that I recently saw, the
cream-colored field in the border was heavily worked
in fine reds, and in the medallion the reds were com-
bined with rich blues.
Hamadan rugs are generally of camel's hair, with
the ground-work in the natural shade. A medallion in
red, yellow, blue, and sometimes green, decorates the
centre, and the rug is finished with a border of the
same. In other rugs from Hamadan the medallion is
dispensed with; most of them are floral in design, and
they have borders of camel's hair, and a ground-work
in the natural color.
Herat rugs of fine quality and very durable are now
woven in Persia by tribes originally from Afghanistan.
The principal designs are the Herati and the palm leaf,
arranged over the field in a systematic way. Some of
the modern Herats have medallion centres, in which
the wool is generally red or blue, and sometimes green
and yellow.
46 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Herez rugs are attractive, the chief color often being
a fine blue, upon which rests a pronounced medallion.
The corners are defined by serrated lines, and are in
shades of the red of autumn leaves. Often these corners
are decorated with ■ small designs. The main border
stripe is light in color — often cream— with good-sized
markings. Herez rugs are made in the province of
Aberbaijan.
Iran is the official name for Persia, and when a rug
is called by this name, the meaning is simply that it is
a Persian rug.
Karadagh rugs are made by nomads who are called
Aylauts, and who live in the mountainous region north
of Tabriz. The rugs made by these nomads are in
striking designs, and are floral in effect.
Kermanshah rugs are made in large sizes and with
elaborate designs. The antiques are very fine, but the
modern rugs generally sold as Kermanshah are only
exported from that place, which is a great caravan
centre. They are woven in Kirman.
Rugs from the province of Khorassan are recog-
nizable by their borders, which contain a long palm-
like or floral design. This is a characteristic of antique
Khorassans. A prominent color in these rugs is ma-
genta, which, though somewhat harsh at first, becomes
more agreeable to the eye when it is softened by time.
KHORASSAN RUG.
Size, lo X 26.
This is a perfect example of a Meshhed rug. The
capital city of Khorassan has furnished many character-
istic specimens of fine handicraft, but none more repre-
sentative or beautiful. Here, on a splendid rich blue
field is the elongated palm leaf, with its markings of
magenta, red, and blue. These palm leaf designs ex-
tend over the entire fug, which is of enormous size.
The border is in harmony with the field, and in col-
oring has the sartie deep, rich hues. The texture is firm
and the rug is very heavy and imposing, with an air of
solidity and strength. The illustration shows a section
of this rug, giving a clear idea of its detail.
Reproduced by courtesy of Mrs. Sydney Richmond Tabor, Lake Forest.
Egypt, Persia, and Turkey 47
Meshhed, the capital city of Khorassan, weaves rugs of
fine colors; the palm leaf when represented on this
rug is very large and impressive, often on a deep blue
field. Animals and birds are frequently seen on the
Meshhed rug.
The Kirman rug, made in the province of Irak-
Ajemi, frequently has a medallion in the centre, en-
twined with flowers. Sometimes the Tree of Life is
represented, its branches bearing different fruits, and
often there are symbolical little birds in the border.
Sometimes a vase of flowers is the principal ornament,
sometimes several small trees either with or without
foliage. The Kirman rug is generally one of the most
easily recognizable; and its substantial quality and
lightness of weight make it very useful as well as
highly decorative.
Kurdistan (the Persian portion) is a large region
inhabited by the nomadic tribes called Kurds; and the
sheep and goats belonging to these tribes furnish the
fine wool that is woven into Kurdish rugs. Dark blues
and reds form the ground-work, in the centre of which
is a lozenge or large diamond, ornamented with small
designs of the palm leaf. Frequently, by examining
the texture, one may discover a design in colored wool
at each end.
48 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Rugs woven in the province of Laristan are without
regularity of design. Few are exported.
Sarabands (Serebends) always have a distinct
feature in the small palm leaves which adorn them.
These leaves have the hook at the top turned from left
to right in one row, and right to left in the next. Usu-
ally these palm leaf designs appear on a field of old
rose or soft red. The border is likely to be floral and
with many long lines of varied width, the widest in an
ivory tone. The finest of these rugs is called the
Mir Saraband.
Sarakhs are rugs which frequently have inscriptions
and floral designs. The field is often of camel's hair,
or in deep rich reds and blues. The medallion, or
some other design, finds its place in the centre. The
corner pieces are elaborate. The rug itself is heavy.
Serapi rugs have the medallion in cream or ivory,
and this is surrounded by a floral design. These rugs,
which come in large sizes, frequently have inscriptions.
Shiraz, the capital city of Fars, has exported some
of the most interesting and exquisite rugs in existence.
In the sixteenth century Shiraz was at the height of its
prosperity, and all the neighboring country was noted
for its flocks of sheep, which produced the finest of
wool. Rugs were made at Shiraz for the reigning
Shahs, who had palaces there, and the workmanship
Egypt, Persia, and Turkey 49
displayed in them was most beautiful. The city was
visited by an earthquake in 1853, and since that catas-
trophe the manufacture of rugs has not regained its
former prosperity; yet great improvement has been
shown in recent years, and the same vegetable dyes
are still in use. The Shiraz is often called the Mecca
rug, as it is the one frequently selected by pilgrims to
that city. Deep rich blues are often seen in a Shiraz rug,
and frequently stripes extend throughout the centre, as
well as in the border, where diamond forms and crosses
are also frequently seen. The medallion and the palm
leaf are found in this rug also. Rugs of Shiraz design
are woven in the south-eastern part of Persia and in the
northern part of Arabia. These have a long fringe,
and a very wide piece of knitted warp at each end.
The Sinna rug, made in the province of Irak-
Ajemi, has an exquisite sheen and is much prized. Its
nap is closely cut, and with its pile like rich velvet,
and its fine coloring, it is most beautiful. Sometimes
peach-blow and rose shades are so portrayed that the
effect is fascinating. The central design is often a
diamond, or delicate tracings of the palm leaf; some-
times flowerets cover the entire rug. As a rule, Sinna
rugs look best when used as table covers or as hang-
ings, their fine texture and delicate colorings showing
in this way to better advantage than when they are
50 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
placed upon the floor. When the edges of these rugs
curl, as often happens, they should be intrusted to a
reliable mender, who can restore them.
Sultanabad is one of the most important rug pro-
ducing regions of Western Asia. Large quantities of
rugs from this district are exported to the United
States, and are then frequently called Savalans. The
variety of brilliant hues in these rugs is perhaps the
largest in Persia. Sixty miles from Sultanabad is
Burujird, where rugs are also made.
Tabriz, the capital city of the province of Azer-
baijan, exports many rugs of a floral type with me-
dallion designs. Here are woven very fine and beau-
tiful rugs, many of which are made from the combings
of sheep. The antique Tabriz rug is of fine coloring
and meritorious in every way. The modern Tabriz
is sometimes a little too bright, but time softens its
hues and tones them down, while many are in soft
tones from the beginning. Eleven rugs that I recently
examined, from a fresh importation, were of this fine
character. Many of these are woven in very large
sizes, owing to the demand for such. The modern
Tabriz frequently has representations of animals woven
in different parts of it, including the border.
Yezd, where the fire worshippers live, furnishes rugs
OLD GHIORDES PRAYER RUG. / ".
Size, 4. 6 X 6.9.
The rich magenta which is the field of this rug has
been mellowed by time. There is throughout the rug
a softness and harmony of tone that is very pleasing.
The niche is high, and the corner areas and the border
are in richly blended blues and yellows, with magenta.
The delicacy of the floral designs, and the warmth of
tone, give it a particular charm.
Reproduced by courtesy of Messrs. Marshall Field i^ Co., Chicago,
/ for
Egypt, Persia, and Turkey 5i
with a short pile, but these are used chiefly in mosques,
and seldom leave Persia.
A fine Persian rug is valuable, even at the seat of
manufacture. A small one, measuring three by four-
and-a-half feet, quite modern, but very fine and with
splendid colors, has been sold at Teheran for eight
hundred dollars.
52 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Turkish Rugs
The term Turkish Rugs includes all those rugs
that are manufactured within the Turkish Empire,
whether the manufacturers be Kurds or Circassians or
Christians; the last of these names comprises the
Armenians, the Greeks, and the Syrians. Turkish rugs
are not so finely woven as Persian; they have a longer
pile and looser texture. As they are usually very soft
and thick, the foot when walking upon these rugs feels
as if it were treading upon a bed of moss.
The principal rug-manufacturing district of Turkey
is Karajadagh. Much weaving is done also at Caesarea.
The rugs found at Adana are generally from the latter
region, while those sold at Urfa are either from the
Kurdish territory or from Persia. In Constantinople
are seen rugs from almost every part of Asia, but the
greatest number are from within the Turkish territory
of Transcaucasia.
Each rug-weaving district of Turkey seems to have
a distinct and individual class of rugs ; and this is not
surprising, for there are a number of different tribes,
Egypt, Persia, and Turkey 53
each of which impresses its individuality upon the work.
The surface configuration and the climate of a place have
much to do with the quality of the rugs manufactured
within it. Naturally in the rocky, mountainous regions
the flocks consist of goats instead of sheep. The sheep
would be injured among the steep, sharp crags, and
much of their wool would be lost, as it would adhere to
the rocks. The goats, however, being hardy, easily jump
from crag to crag, sustaining no injury to their hair.
The hair of the goat is woven into the mohair and
so-called Smyrna rugs, and also into what is known as
Paul's Tent Cloth. This last is woven quite differently
from other rugs ; it is the coarsest of all, and the women
weave it on the ground. To make it firm enough to
keep out every drop of rain requires laborious work
with the fingers, but when the cloth is woven with care,
it is a most excellent shelter from the storm. A large
Paul's Tent, such as a rich man owns, costs about four
hundred dollars. It shelters the women of the house-
hold, as well as the cattle; and one part is partitioned
off for a guest room.
In Turkey the floor is always covered with matting,
and the matting, in its turn, is so closely covered with
rugs as to be quite concealed. In large cities rugs are
used in the summer for divan and couch covers; in the
winter the same rugs serve as beds.
54 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Characteristics of Certain Turkish Rugs
Akhissar rugs have a thick pile, and are loosely
woven. Their colors are usually green and red. Rugs
of mohair are made at Akhissar.
Anatolian mats are common in Asia Minor, where
they are used by the natives for pillows. They are
soft to the cheek, and of fairly firm dyes. The designs
are varied and many.
Bergamo rugs have quite a long, silky pile, and are
of very good quality. The designs are either large
geometrical figures, or floral in character. Orange is
a usual color, while pale greens, reds, soft blues, and
browns are also common. The size of a Bergamo is
usually about three to six feet wide, by four to eight
feet long.
Ghiordes rugs have designs that are generally similar
to the Persian. Often there is a small plain centre of
green or light magenta, or a blue, with a deep border
of fine floral effect. These rugs are loosely woven.
Karaman has a considerable trade with Smyrna. Its
rugs are coarse, loosely woven, and not at all attractive.
KHILIM.
Size, 1 2. 2 X 5. 6.
This is an unusually fine specimen of the antique
Shirvan Khilim. Its hues are softened by time, and
the contrasting colors are so carefully blended that the
artistic effect is not lost. This Khilim has been care-
fully woven, and is firm and durable. The broad bands
of apple and green and other hues, interrupted by nar-
rower bands, give a certain character and strength of
appearance to this beautiful piece of Oriental work-
manship. Some of the bands are embroidered with
much skill.
Reproduced by courtesy of Mrs. Robert Dunlap, Chicago.
Egypt, Persia, and Turkey 55
Kir- Shehr rugs are made in the province of Angora.
Because of their durability and thickness they are both
useful and desirable. Their colorings are rather strong,
but fine; green is the most usual color, although red
and blue are frequent. The designs are mostly of
Arabic origin, and quite highly decorative.
Konieh rugs are of great weight and resemble
Ouchaks. They usually have a plain centre, and when
there are panels these are also of one shade. Being
firm and strong, they are very durable.
The modern loosely woven Kulah rugs are not
equal in any way to the antiques. The latter have
fine texture, and are in soft shades of blue, red, and
yellow. The modern Kulahs have a coarse aspect,
and the coloring is generally fugitive.
In Kurdistan (the Turkish portion) rugs are woven
by the women in odd moments, and one of the ways a
girl gains distinction among her associates is by the
skill she displays in rug-weaving. As the wool is taken
from the flocks that are kept near home, and is spun
and dyed there, and as the time consumed in the rug-
weaving is not counted, each rug is considered clear
gain. In fact, the Kurdish women do not make their
rugs entirely for the market, but for their own enter-
tainment and use.
56 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Kurdish rugs are very durable, and they are much
prized in Turkey ; but they do not sell readily in
America, because of the lack of that harmony of color
which our taste demands. Their coloring is often too
bright and varied to attract us. An Armenian clergy-
man said to the writer recently, "I find Americans
more devoted to harmony than to anything else. I
have in my house, " he continued, "one of the finest of
Kurdish rugs, but I could never sell it in this country,
should I wish. An American looks at it and says,
'What hideous colors, ' and I doubt if I could even give
it away, although it would be considered a superior
rug in Turkey. ' '
Kutahia sends out Anatolian rugs of goat's hair
and wool.
Ladik rugs come in small sizes, and are of coarse
quality with bright colorings. Antique Ladiks are
difficult to find, and are much better in every wav than
those of modern make.
The loosely woven Meles rugs are made at Milassa.
Reds, blues, yellows, and greens of fugitive character
are seen in the modern ones.
Mohair rugs are made of the soft silky hair of the
Angora goat ; but though beautiful, they are not durable.
Mosul rugs are strong and rich in colorings of blue,
yellow, green, and red. The designs are rather strik-
Egypt, Persia, and Turkey 57
ing, and with their silky softness, these rugs are
generally desirable. The best are made of camel's
hair, including the outer border, but occasionally they
are made partly of goat's hair. They are now made in
several Turkish provinces, and are often wrongly called
Persian rugs.
At Ouchak, with its large population, there are
steadily at work about two thousand looms, giving
employment to fully four thousand weavers, and as
many as one hundred and fifty dyers. Ouchak is the
principal city of Asiatic Turkey for the dyeing of the
wool of which the rugs are woven, and that industry is
carried on in many factories. Ouchak rugs have a thick
pile; and though green is forbidden by Mohammedan
law, the modern rugs frequently have green for their
dominant color. The reason for this innovation is that
the influence of their religious faith has waned, and con-
sequently the law regarding that color is not now
strictly enforced. The weavers of these rugs are mostly
Moslem women and girls. The wool is generally
bought in the interior from nomad tribes, and the weav-
ing is carried on in private houses in a manner similar
to that of other rugs, except that the yarn is spun more
loosely. Until recently, even the best Ouchak rugs
were apt to have inferior wool for their foundation, and
hemp was frequently employed. The wool was loosely
58 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
woven, and the dyes were fugitive. There are now,
however, certain provinces in Turkey, including Ouchak,
where the products are controlled by European and
American firms, and where excellent wool and natural
dyes are used. The rugs made under such control are
very durable and in every way satisfactory. In size
Ouchaks vary greatly, ranging from a few feet to fifty
by twenty-five feet
The Turkish rugs made at Sivas are always woven
of wool, and almost every hamlet carries on the industry
of weaving in the homes. There are no factories, the
young girls and women doing the work here, as in
other parts of Turkey. Sivas rugs are in most cases
small, measuring about eight by four feet; but lately
larger and more attractive rugs are being made. Even
the poorest families have fine rugs, for they regard
them as valuable property, to be sold only under the
pressure of great extremity. The weavers are so frugal
in their manner of living that their daily earning of
fourteen to nineteen cents is sufficient to supply their
wants. Their food consists usually of rice and crushed
wheat, with occasionally a small piece of mutton.
Smyrna is only a mart for the sale of comparatively
inferior rugs that are made in the interior from the
coarse hair of the Angora goat. These are woven in
irregular designs, and although not artistic are largely
ouc
ARABIAN RUG.
Size, 4. 10 X 7.5.
> Although distinctly Arabic in style, this rug was
probably woven in the vicinity of Shiraz. The squares
which form the design resemble an old-fashioned iog
quilt in the variety of their colors and the regularity '6f
their stripes. Some hues are green, then red comes
into play, while plum, brown, yellow, and blue are also
employed. The wide border of stripes shows the
Shiraz ornamentation in its beauty, and the Greek
crosses suggest the possibility of a Christian weaver.
There is a fine sheen on the surface. This rug is quite
heavy, and its very oddity makes it interesting to 1:he
collector.
Reproduced by courtesy of Messrs. Marshall Field £sf Co., Chicago.
i^M^t^i
'•**""'*»'»j<w<i^i^'»'"5r''T7^"7T«J'PJlBL ,
Egypt, Persia, and Turkey 59
sought as coverings for the bare floors, and to add
warmth. The weaving of these rugs is loosely done
by girls and women. Sometimes the loom is primi-
tively constructed from the trunks of trees. The designs
are very simple, and have either been handed down
from earlier generations or are supplied from the city.
Yuruk rugs are so called from a band of nomads
who dwell among the mountains of Anatolia. They
have large flocks of fine sheep, and weave rugs of firm,
even texture. The colors are very good, the field often
of dark brown, ornamented with large designs.
In different sections of Turkey, the webs that might
be used as rugs are made into saddlebags, sacks, and
khilims.
Ill
RUG-WEAVING IN INDIA
AFGHANISTAN, BELUCHISTAN
TURKOMAN, AND
CAUCASUS
RUG-WEAVING IN INDIA
AND CENTRAL ASIA
Indian Rugs
'TT^HE manufacture of rugs was introduced into India
-*■ by the Mohammedans at their first invasion in
the beginning of the eleventh century. Persian rugs,
however, were always preferred to those made in
India, and princes and nobles of the Delhi Court, when
it was in its greatest splendor, sought the fabrics
woven in Herat, or by the Sharrokhs on the Attrek, or
the nomad tribes of Western Kurdistan. These were
purchased only by the princes and their wealthy
followers. A few specimens of these rugs still remain
in India, and are now and then reproduced with more
or less accuracy.
In the sixteenth century, however, the Emperor
Akbar, or more properly Jalal-ud-Din Mahomed, sent
for Persian weavers to make the exquisite fabrics for
which Persia was then so famous. At first these
weavers continued to weave according to the designs
employed in their own land; but it is not surprising
^4 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
that as time went on, and the natives of India learned
the art of weaving from the Persians, Hindoo ideas
should have found expression, in Southern India
especially. Thus geometrical designs were substituted
for floral, although even now the designs of some
Indian rugs revive memories of Persian teachers in
the careful arrangement of flowers and leaves. The
designs of Indian rugs were frequently named after
the original owners, in which cases the weavers
generally lived and worked in the houses of their
employers. At the present time the manufacture of
many Indian rugs is carried on largely in jails, where
the old Persian designs are generally used.
In Indian rugs, as in those of other countries,
there are certain distinct characteristics that stamp
them as coming from particular districts, and in India
alone are to be detected the few Assyrian types still
in existence. Genuine old India rugs are works of
art, but they are rarely seen.
The religion of the Hindoo does not permit of his
tasting the flesh of sheep ; and as India is not a wool
producing country, except in the northern part, cotton
largely takes its place. For this reason, and because
the time consumed for weaving is less, Indian rugs are
generally less expensive than Persian.
Mr. Julian Ralph, in an interesting account of his
INDIAN PRAYER RUG.
Size, 5.10x3.4.
This rug is a modern product of India. The prayer
niche, with long lines leading to it, extends well toward
the top. The niche is decorated with a delicate, dark
blue, floral design in ivory, red, and fawn, and the lines
leading to it are ornamented in blue, red, and brown.
The field is a beautiful sage green, and the main border
is embellished with reds, browns, ivory, and occasion-
ally with light blue. The outer border is of the same
green as the field. At each end is a full fringe. This
rug is from Amritsar.
rtnit '"t^ ills
Reproduced by courtesy of Messrs. A. A. Fan tine ts" Co., New fori.'
India and Central Asia ^5
visit to the home of a prince in India, published
recently in one of our magazines, writes of the
splendid rugs shown him by his host: "They were
state rugs, and one was green with a border of gold
that must have weighed twenty pounds or more. The
other was red with a similar border, so stiff and cum-
brous that it did not seem made to walk upon. How-
ever, the prince sent for his stiff-soled heavy-heeled
ceremonial shoes which were quite as richly crusted with
gold, and walked about on the rugs, crushing the gold
embroidery in a ruthless way. ' ' When Mr. Ralph spoke
of the damage, he said, "It is of no consequence,
these borders have to be renewed very frequently. ' '
An Indian rug of great beauty was taken to Eng-
land from India by Lord Clive, who ordered the
architect of his magnificent palace — Claremont — then
in process of building, to design a room especially for
it. Such special care for the proper display of this
work of art may be exceptional, but it shows true
appreciative power on the part of Clive.
From the time of the decadence of the industry of
weaving fine shawls, which was so long a feature of
Kashmir, the wool of which they were woven was
gradually transferred to the rug industry, and the
weavers turned their attention from the shawls to the
rugs on which they displayed the same patience and skill.
66 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Characteristics of Certain Indian Rugs
Agra sends out very satisfactory rugs. These are
mostly of great weight and thickness. Many of the
best are woven in the jail. The finest specimen that I
have seen belongs to Mrs. Potter Palmer of Chicago,
and is a duplicate of one owned by Mrs. Frederick D.
Grant. The rug is of enormous size and weight, and
the tree design is arranged in shades of exquisite blue
upon a field of delicate fawn color. The border, in the
same coloring, gives the most perfect harmony to the
entire rug. Many more Agra rugs would be imported,
but there is now a United States law prohibiting the
importation of goods made in jail.
Allahabad rugs are similar to those of Agra, but
the former are as a rule preferable.
Amritsar supplies the market with some of the
finest of modern Indian rugs. Leading English and
American firms have factories located there, and for
that reason rugs brought into the Occident from Am-
ritsar are reliable. They are firm in texture, and have
fast colors. The manufacturers realize the importance
India and Central Asia ^7
of these attributes in a rug, and their own respon-
sibility in the matter.
The Dhurrie (Durrie) is a strong, well-made rug of
cotton, often in stripes of blue, brown, or grey, with
narrow yellow and red lines. Some Dhurries end in a
fringe, and are square. In India they are largely used
by the foreign population, and in the United States
they are especially appropriate for summer time. They
are made chiefly at Agra, Cawnpur, Delhi, Lucknow,
and in the vicinity of Bombay.
Ellore rugs belong to the inexpensive class, but the
designs and colors are pleasing. As they are made
chiefly of fibre mixed with wool, they are not durable.
Formerly Haidarabad sent out rugs famous for
their beauty, with designs in the forms of medallions,
filled with flat floral ornaments and woven with wool
pile on a cotton foundation. But the modern Hai-
darabad by no means compares with the antique.
Jaipur rugs are generally made in the schools of
art. They contain many Persian designs representing
animals and the cypress tree. The borders are floral,
and the field is generally ivory, red, or blue.
Lahore, the British capital of the Punjab, has rugs
woven in both wool and cotton, and the work is done
mostly in jails. The designs are Persian, and the
texture embraces from forty to one hundred knots to
the square inch.
^ Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Masulipatam rugs were once noted for their beauty,
but now many of them are poor in design and work-
manship.
Mirzapur rugs are sometimes wrongly sold for
Turkish, which they somewhat resemble. The antiques
are very durable, but this cannot be said of all the modern
ones, the vegetable fibre that is used in part in the con-
struction of them not being durable. Few are exported
to the United States.
Moodj is the name given to a coarse hardy mat,
suitable for the verandah. It is made of Buffalo grass,
which grows six to twelve feet high in India. This
is harvested, the fibre extracted by pounding, and
then it is twisted into rope or yarn. Afterwards it
is dyed.
Multan rugs have large geometrical figures in octa-
gons, medallions, and circles. These rugs are very
lasting. Their general coloring is of dark red and blue.
Sometimes a really beautiful modern Multan is dis-
covered. Occasionally an emerald green or a yellow
alternates with the usual reds and blues. The modern
ones are not largely imported into the United States.
The antique Multan is very fine, but scarce.
Mysore rugs are cheap and not interesting.
Patna rugs are usually in blue and white; in quality
they resemble the modern Multan.
India and Central Asia 69
Pushmina rugs have their name from the man-
ufacturers, who thus designate rugs that are woven of
pashim.
Rugs from Sindh are the cheapest and least durable
of all Indian rugs, and on this account not many are
imported into the United States.
Srinagar, the capital city of Kashmir, makes very
beautiful rugs from the finest wool. This is soft and
silky, and as natural dyes are employed, the Srinagar
rugs, as well as many other rugs from the northern por-
tion of India, are highly valued.
To show the beauty and delicacy of some of the old
rugs, I may mention that one was made at Warangul,
in the sixteenth century, which contained 3, 500, 000
knots on its entire surface, or 400 knots to the square
inch, and the designs were so complicated, that a
change of needle was required for every knot.
Leading importers now give names to designate the
different qualities of India rugs, and therefore the name
borne by a rug does not necessarily indicate the district
in which it was woven.
70 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Afghanistan Rugs
Afghanistan rugs are generally large and nearly
square. They are coarser than the Turkoman rugs, but
resemble them in color and design. The Afghans, how-
ever, are more striking, the octagon designs being
larger and bolder. At Kabul, the capital city at
Afghanistan, and in other cities, rugs are found which
are made by the nomad tribes on the frontier. The
same tribes weave also the cotton and silk rugs said
to be woven at Bhawulpore, India. The Great Rug in
the Palace of Chehel Sitoon (forty pillars) at Ispahan,
Persia, is said to be the largest ever woven, and to
measure about sixty feet long by thirty feet wide. This
rug was made in the sixteenth century, and is of Herat
design and manufacture. Owing to political disturb-
ances, weavers from Herat have settled in the province
of Khorassan, Persia, and prefer to call that their home.
Some rugs have a strong odor, which is especially
noticeable in those of Afghanistan. The reason for
the presence of the odor is that the animal's hair has
not been properly washed. Nothing but frequent
AFGHANISTAN RUG.
Size, 9. 5 X 7.6.
This rug has a remarkably soft yet firm texture.
The rough beauty and the fine coloring are very at-
tractive. The field is a rich shade of red verging
toward the hue of a blood orange, and again gleaming
with far deeper hues. The large octagons are defined
by a very narrow dark brown line. Two sides of these
octagons are in a deep, sapphire blue, while the remain-
ing two sides are of an orange cast. The octagon sec-
tions are all ornamented, the small red diamonds at the
edges being separated by dark green lines. The
lattice-work design in the squares of the border of the
rug are decorated with green and ivory, the latter in
the hook design. The centres of all the octagons are
of the orange shade, and one only is crossed through
the centre, the markings being knots of green. Large
diamond forms, barred with sapphire blue and rich
green, are between the octagons on the field. Oc-
casionally a small geometrical figure in either blue or
green, with pale yellow or ivory, is seen. The rug was
woven in that northern region of Afghanistan known
as Afghan -Turkestan.
Reproduced by courtesy of Mr. George tlubbard Holt, Chicago.
'•mtk
India and Central Asia 7i
airing seems to be effective in carrying it away,
although certain atmospheric changes are likely to
affect it A damp, wet day brings out the odor
strongly. Fortunately this disturbing element is not
in all Afghan rugs.
72 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Beluchistan Rugs
There is a similarity in the designs of Beluchistan
rugs to those of the Afghans and the Turkomans. The
design is generally geometrical in part, and rather
bold in effect, although not so striking as that of the
Afghan. The coloring is mostly in dark shades of blue
and red, often with lines of orange and white mixed
with the reds and blues. There is a good deal of lustre
in the rug, which is accounted for partly by the great
abundance of horse hair, goat's hair, and camel's hair
that is woven into it. The Beluch is a durable rug,
and when in soft good colors is very pleasing.
Some of the finest specimens are occasionally sold
as blue Bokharas, and people who imagine that they
have purchased one of the latter are likely to find them-
selves the possessors of a good Beluch; for there is no
such thing as a blue Bokhara.
India and Central Asia 73
Turkoman Rugs
Turkoman rugs are woven by nomad tribes living
in Central Asia. The tribes are known as the Goklan,
Sarik, Tekke, and Yomud, and all weave exquisite fab-
rics ; they take the greatest care in every way to have
their work perfectly done. In order to give fixity to the
color the dyer steeps the wool in a mordant of alum
and water ; the dye is almost invariably brought from
Bokhara. At Ashkabad the Turkomans dye the wool
themselves when it is intended to be yellow, but when
any other shade is desired they send it to the city to be
dyed. Often shades of green and brown are used as a
foundation, and a beautiful rose shade is sometimes
employed, on a creamy ground.
One rug made by the Turkomans is of camel's hair
and when the hair is intended for this purpose the
animal is most tenderly cared for. Every day, the camel
is carefully washed, and all the loose hairs are saved to
make the foundation of the rug. Sometimes rugs of this
description have embroidered designs worked in them,
and even the irregular designs in Turkoman rugs are
74 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
supposed to bring good luck. The Turkoman rugs
supply the market at Bokhara and Meshhed. The floors
of native houses are usually covered with such rugs,
each of which generally measures about six or seven
feet long by four or five wide. They frequently have
a fringe at each end.
The Tekke Turkoman rugs are woven by the women
of that tribe; they are known in this country as Bok-
hara rugs. The design has little variety, and generally
the rugs are among the easiest to distinguish. The
design is usually octagon, in white or ivory tones upon
a field of red or old rose. Sometimes orange and
green are worked in, and frequently a rich blue.
Brown and black, with white, are also used in the lines
of division or in the border. Sometimes the designs
of these rugs are more complex. The more markings
they have, the better, and the white should be of the
ivory tone, not the dead white, which conveys too
strongly an appearance of newness. There is a man
in the United States who has a secret process for dyeing
Tekke Turkoman rugs a certain shade of brown, and
people who have had their rugs changed to this color
seem as a rule satisfied with the result. But what can
improve the original color, especially when in the rich
old red shades?
The Tekke Turkomans use their rugs as portieres,
TEKKfi TURKOMAN OR BOKHARA MAT.
Size, 6 X 3. 1.
The field of this mat is of a deep rose hue, with a'^'-
soft lustrous sheen. The texture is like velvet, andf^n
every stitch shows that the mat has been woven withi^-
the greatest care. The octagons are divided into four
sections by distinct lines. The colors are orange,
turquoise blue, and a deep blue with markings of yellow
and ivory. Between the octagons are eight-pointed
stars. The border is minute in detail, and the mat
itself is a genuine treasure.
Reproduced by courtesy of Mr. Ralph Oliver Smith, Chicago.
India and Central Asia 75
for divan coverings, and for floor coverings. Rich in
coloring and very durable, these rugs are much prized.
In the Yomud Turkoman rug the design most fre-
quently seen is the diamond, surrounded by the hook.
The weaving is very satisfactory, and the coloring in
soft reds is particularly good. In some odd and rare
pieces among the Yomud Turkomans, blue figures con-
spicuously, as does green also. The border in these
rugs is sometimes in stripes, sometimes in a sort of
crudely drawn vine.
76 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Other Turkoman Rugs
The Genghis rugs are woven by a tribe of Turko-
mans who live the life of nomads. They are named
after Genghis Khan, the great Mogul conqueror who
invaded Central Asia in the year 1218.
The Genghis rugs (often called Guendje) are woven
of strong goat's hair or of wool, and have quite a long
pile. The designs are in geometrical forms, and the
color most abundantly used is white.
Kashgar rugs are made in East Turkestan. They
are quite coarse, with designs of a Chinese character
in strong coloring. Yellows and a sort of lead-white
are much used in these rugs; again blues and ivory
white are seen, while reds, pinks, greens, and a deep
orange are common. The Chinese fret, the dragon,
and fishes are among the designs employed. The Tree
of Life is of frequent occurrence, but is a crude
representation.
Khiva rugs are woven by Turkomans inhabiting
Central Asia. The firmness, durability, and bold
grandeur of these rugs render them very pleasing.
India and Central Asia 17
Well-toned shades of red, blue, tan, ivory, and an oc-
casional green are the usual colors. Sometimes a
Khiva has a long panel centre, with a prayer niche. In
many fine specimens the lustre is an added attraction.
Samarkand rugs are a product of Central Asia.
They show distinctly Chinese characteristics. Some-
times the field is covered with round medallions, from
one to five in number, holding odd figures. The
Chinese fret is common in the design, and sometimes a
large crude flower arrangement is noticed. Reds,
blues, a soft fawn, white, and much yellow, especially
in the border, are the usual colors. Soft and heavy,
these rugs have a distinctive character, and are attract-
ive. Their texture, however, is quite thin, and they
are not very durable.
Yarkand rugs are very similar to Kashgar rugs,
having the same general characteristics.
78 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Caucasian Rugs
Caucasus is a general government belonging to
Russia, and including Transcaucasia. The designs of
the many rugs woven in this section of country are all
parts of a system, and each design bears certain marks
whereby its class may be identified.
Daghestan rugs are made in fine wools, and the
mosaic designs are generally beautifully and skillfully
done. The figures are nearly always geometrical, and
in the form of diamonds, long octagons, lozenges,
hooks, and small crosses. The colors of the best
Daghestans are so well selected, that although there is
no shading there is seldom anything aggressive or
startling in the effect. Blues, reds, yellows, ivory,
and other hues are chiefly used. The rug has a short,
close pile, and although the texture is rather thin, the
rug is very durable.
Derbent rugs, though woven at Derbent, the chief
city of the province of Daghestan, differ somewhat
from the Daghestans proper, being much softer and
thicker. They are also more loosely woven, and have
DAGHESTAN RUG.
Size, 7x3.5.
This rug has a fine texture and is straighter than
most Daghestans. It is an antique, but its colors are
as fast and clear as when it was first woven. It has
been cleaned again and again, but nothing seems to dim
its hues. The field of light blue is thickly studded with
large and small geometrical figures in reds, ' yellows,
and white. Some of the forms are in the lozenge
design, with colors in red and yellow, the reds contain-
ing fine shadings of blue. Again square forms are
seen, many holding the same colors, ornamented with
contrasting but harmonious hues. In the centre are
two geometrical figures of considerable size, one in
yellow, and one in red. Each of these has yellow and
white in its centre. On either side are still larger
forms in yellow and blue. The border is geometrical,
the hook design in a bracket being in evidence, and
outside of this is a narrower stripe in red, white, black,
and yellow. The many markings add greatly to the
beauty of this interesting Daghestan.
Reproduced by courtesy of Mr. Frank E. Burley, Chicago.
■IYfl„'^''^-ll(^
India and Central Asia 79
a longer pile. The designs are geometrical, several
star devices often occupying the field ; and here again
we see the hook, which is a feature of the entire Dag-
hestan province. There is a good lustre in the Derbent
rugs, and the coloring is often quiet and inconspicuous
in dark blue, red, yellow, and ivory. Sometimes a
soft pink is noticed.
Kabistan (Cabistan) rugs are woven at Kuba. They
resemble the Daghestans to such an extent that they
are often sold under that name. They have, however,
more variety of design, although, as in the Daghestans,
the diamond is generally a prominent feature, and often
three large and many small diamonds are seen. The
palm leaf is of common occurrence, and occasionally
dififerent colored stripes occur throughout the entire
field. Soft reds, greens, a delicate fawn, and browns
are the usual colors. The borders may be in stripes,
or with crude animal or bird devices.
Karabagh rugs have characteristics of the other
Caucasian rugs, but are more crude in coloring. Red
is the chief color used. The rugs are coarse and quite
crude in effect.
Kazak rugs are woven by a nomad tribe dwelling
among the Caucasus mountains. There is a certain
strength and vigor about the Kazak rugs that seems to
be in harmony with the tribe that weaves them. The
8o Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
word Kazak is a corruption of Cossack; and the dura-
bility of these rugs, as well as a certain boldness of ef-
fect in their designs and colors, corresponds with the
hardihood of the people who. weave them. The rugs
are thick and soft; their colors are blues, soft reds, and
greens. Often the field is a deep rose or a green,
sometimes with one or more geometrical figures, or
with the palm leaf design in rather large size through-
out When the palm leaf is used, it is generally-
decorated with a smaller leaf of a different hue. Many
varieties of small designs are also seen, including
circles, diamonds, squares, and the tau cross, which is
almost always present. Some of the antique Kazaks
are very fine.
Shirvan rugs are attractive from their quiet, agree-
able tints, and fine, even texture. They are made in
large quantities, and readily sold. The best are of
white wool, but the inferior ones may hold cotton or
goat's hair. Often blues and whites are the colors em-
ployed, with markings of red or yellow. Sometimes
there are stripes in the border, one wide stripe followed
by a series of narrow ones. The hook is a frequent
design, and may be found in the field, incasing some
geometrical figure. Sometimes a conventionalized
floral design is observed in the border.
India and Central Asia 8i
Soutnak rugs ought really to be called Shemakha,
for that is the name of the town in the government of
Baku from which they are exported. But the contrac-
tion of the word into Soumak is now universal. Er-
roneously too, these rugs are known as ' ' Kashmir, ' '
for the sole reason that they are woven with a flat stitch
and the loose ends are left hanging at the back, just as
they are in the old Kashmir shawls. The designs bear
a resemblance to those of the Daghestans, and the
hook is omnipresent. The best are durable, and some-
times a rarely beautiful Soumak is discovered, dis-
tinguished from the ordinary specimens by its soft hues
and fine texture. One that I have in mind is of a rich
blue field, with geometrical figures in terra cotta shades,
and a rare bit of green in the way of ornamentation;
the field of another is rose, and the geometrical forms
are in deep blues, old blues, and ivory.
Tehechen (Chichi or Tzitzi) rugs are made by the
Chichi nomads living among the mountains of Dag-
hestan. The rugs have a strong resemblance to the
Shirvans, and are often sold under that name. They
are of about the same color and quality, but are wider.
In the border there are frequently geometrical designs
arranged between two or more stripes, and the tau
cross is sometimes seen.
IV
POLISH AND MISCELLANEOUS
ORIENTAL RUGS
POLISH AND MISCELLANEOUS
ORIENTAL RUGS
Polish Rugs
'TT^HERE are few of the so-called Polish rugs in
"*■ existence, and these are priceless and cannot be
bought. They are mostly seven feet long by four wide.
The name takes its origin from the fact that a Pole (by
name Mersherski), after traveling in Persia and India,
established a rug factory in Warsaw.
Polish rugs are of silk with gold and silver thread
interwoven. Their texture is looser than that of the
usual Oriental rug, and for this reason they cannot
stand hard wear; but they are exceedingly handsome
with their gold lustre and silky sheen. In these rugs a
number of warp threads are crossed by the metal threads
and overspread, so that the lines or ribs are brought
out more prominently. This in part accounts for the
softness and looseness of the texture.
86 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Silk Rugs
Long before other countries learned the art of cul-
tivating silk worms, China was at work weaving fabrics
of silk. Chinese historians claim that the origin of reel-
ing silk and putting it to use was discovered by a woman
— Se-Ling-She, wife of Hwang-te, third Emperor of
China — and for that reason she has always been re-
garded by them as the "goddess of silk worms." The
date of this discovery is about b. c. 2640. For about
two thousand years the Chinese kept secret their
methods of reeling and weaving silk, but finally Japan,
Persia, and India learned the art, Persia having for
many centuries transported raw silk between China and
the West Very slowly grew the process of silk weav-
ing. Greece, Spain, and Sicily by degrees attained the
knowledge. In a. d. 550 it was introduced into Con-
stantinople, and in 1148 silk manufacture was carried
into Italy, and the cultivation of mulberry trees was
enforced by law. The industry soon spread into the
south of France, where it rapidly advanced.
At the present day enormous quantities of silk are
Miscellaneous Oriental Rugs 87
produced in various parts of the world. The principal
countries are China, Japan, India, Southern Europe,
and some parts of Persia and Asia Minor. During the
Middle Ages and down to the seventeenth century, the
province of Ghilan in Persia produced very fine silk and
in large quantities. In all the countries and districts
just mentioned, magnificent silk rugs have been woven
for many centuries.
The silk rug when at its best is unsurpassed in
beauty; it is distinguished by its richness, exquisite
coloring, and rare sheen. But silk rugs require the
most luxurious surroundings: nothing looks so out of
place as one of these costly fabrics of the loom in a
poor setting. They are more suitable for decorative
purposes and museums than for service ; they should be
used as hangings, not for floor coverings. An exquisite
silk rug interwoven with pearls is hung before the
famous Peacock Throne of the Shah at Teheran, Persia.
The most magnificent silk rugs have been woven in
China, and these are interesting from every point of
view, especially as regards history, color, and texture.
The silk rugs of Khotan are remarkable for their beauty
and fineness; on important occasions of state and cere-
mony the Chinese place them upon the table.
In making silk rugs, the greatest care is necessary
in the shading. Sometimes the shading of woolen rugs
is made more effective by the addition of silk.
88 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
As the demand for silk rugs is comparatively small
they are seldom woven on speculation. When made
to order in Persia, they cost from ten dollars to fifteen
dollars per square foot; thus the usual price of a silk
rug of Persian make is from two hundred dollars up to
thousands of dollars. Those made in Turkey can be
bought much cheaper.
The Turkoman Silk rugs are generally twice the
size of the usual sheep's wool or camel's hair rugs.
They are very fine, and often two hundred dollars is
paid for a rug of this kind eight feet square.
Rugs made of raw silk are exported from Samar-
kand, and silk rugs of old Persian designs are copied and
woven at Caesarea. Some weavers of the modern silk
rug, however, do not have recourse to established
designs ; they give play to their imagination, as do the
weavers of wool rugs. Other weavers copy chiefly
designs from chintz, and still others from designs in-
troduced from Europe.
Mrs. Bishop tells us that silk produced at Resht is
brought to Kashan to be spun and dyed. Then it is
sent to Sultanabad to be woven into rugs. It is next
returned to Resht to have the pile cut by the sharp in-
struments used for cutting the velvet pile. After the
rugs are finished, they are sent to Teheran to be sold.
Miscellaneous Oriental Rugs 89
Chinese Rugs
The Chinese rugs of antiquity are remarkable, and
-worthy of the closest inspection. Their texture, de-
signs, and symbolism show the greatest patience and
thought. Antique wool rugs woven in China are very
scarce, and because of this, and for their historical
interest as well as their uniqueness and attractiveness,
they bring large prices. In fact they are almost un-
procurable. A large and very fine specimen of this
kind of rug is in the home of the late Governor Ames
of Boston. It measures nineteen by twenty-one feet.
The colors are yellow and white, and these are arranged
in odd designs over the entire rug. A member of the
family owning it writes: "This rug is said to have
originally been in the Emperor's Palace in China.
As every Emperor is obliged to have the palace newly
furnished when he succeeds to the throne, owing to
some superstition connected with the retaining of any
of the former emperor's possessions, everything is re-
moved and destroyed. Fortunately this rug escaped
destruction. ' ' A fine example of an antique Chinese rug
is represented in one of the illustrations of this book.
90 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
The modern Chinese rugs are vastly different from
those of antiquity. There is, however, much of interest
attached to them. They are sought because of their
antique designs, their harmonious coloring, and their
durability. The monstrous and fantastic forms that dis-
tinguished the antique are not so frequently met with
in the modern production. The predominating colors
in a modern Chinese rug are yellow, blue, white, and
fawn, and these are arranged very effectively. The
designs are quaint and odd.
In the northern part of China rugs are decorated
with colored threads in crude imitation of figures; they
are woven in sections, and then sewed together.
Camel's hair of a coarse quality is used extensively by
the Chinese for their rugs, and the laboring class use
felts in their houses. These are cheap and durable and
are placed on the tiled floors so common in the colder
parts of China. The skin of the doe, deer, and fox are
much used in China as rugs. These skins are sewed
together in sections, according to various designs, and
resemble mosaic work.
There are more circular rugs found in China than
in any other country, and some are exported. But they
are seldom called for in this country, and clerks in the
large establishments which import them express surprise
when inquiries are made for them.
ANTIQUE CHINESE WOOL RUG.
Size, 7. 10 X 5.2.
The modern Chinese wool rugs are not at all like this
antique specimen, which was woven in Shantung about
the year 1750. The material is of wool, the pile is
very thick and soft, and the texture, though loosely
woven, is lasting. A large circular form in the centre
of the field is richly decorated in a fine blue, yellow,
and white floral design. Ivory is also seen in the
markings, but no other colors are used except light
yellow and a deep blue. The field is of a rare apricot
hue, very unusual and beautiful. The border holds a
Chinese fret design, the symbol of long life. This is
in a rich deep blue, and the outmost part of it is in
a dark shade of blue. The separate sprays of flowers
on this rug represent the tea flower, which the Chinese
use for decorative purposes, and the larger sprays hold
the imperial flower.
Reproduced by courtesy of Messrs. A. A. Fan tine £sf Co., Neto York.
Miscellaneous Oriental Rugs 9^
Japanese Rugs
The Japanese have been skilled weavers for many
centuries, and the growth of textile industries among
these people has been greatly increased by the intro-
duction of fine cotton yarns of uniform quality. The
modern Japanese rugs are made of cotton or jute, and
are used extensively in the United States in summer
homes. In the towns which produce these, little children
may be seen busily engaged in weaving, their small
fingers being very deft at this work.
The chief colors employed by the Japanese in their
rug-weaving are blue, white, and sometimes a beauti-
ful pink. In weaving, designing, and coloring, as in
everything else the natives do, their exactness of finish
and thoroughness in detail are noticeable. The Persian
designs which were once reproduced in Japan, are now
supplanted by designs purely Japanese.
92 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Rugs of the Holy Land
No rugs of importance are woven in Palestine. In
several villages there is made a coarse cloth, water-
proof because of its firm texture. It is used for cloaks
or abas, and these are worn by all the men of the land.
In Bethlehem is made the coarse cloth which is used as
tent covering. This is produced from the sombre hair
of the Palestine goat. In Damascus a few rugs are
woven, but not of any great value or beauty.
Miscellaneous Oriental Rugs 93
Prayer Rugs
The prayer rug is so distinctly sui generis that it
requires a little explanation. It is to be found wherever
dwell the followers of Mahomet, and the design
usually includes a representation of a mosque, or place
of public worship, showing the mihrab, which is the
niche in the wall of the mosque, so located that when
the worshipper prostrates himself before it he will be
prostrating himself toward Mecca. *
The Mohammedan, if he build a mosque, locates it
so that its axis extends in the direction of Mecca; in
such buildings the mihrab is not necessary, as the nat-
ural position of the worshipper places him so that his
face is toward the sacred city. Where Christian build-
ings, such as the great Basilica of St. Sophia at Con-
stantinople have been appropriated for Moslem worship,
the niche or mihrab may be located well toward one
corner of the building.
* Some Prayer rugs have a representadon of the hands of Mahomet, and
on them the suppliant places his own as he throws himself prostrate. In the
comers of some of these rugs pulpits are represented, and occasionally trees.
94 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
The prayer rug was evidently invented for the pur-
pose of providing the worshippers with one absolutely
clean place on which to offer prayers. It is not lawful
for a Moslem to pray on any place not perfectly clean,
and unless each one has his own special rug he is not
certain that the spot has not been polluted. With
regard to the purity of the place of prayer Moham-
medans are especially careful when making their pil-
grimages, the rugs which they take with them having
been preserved from pollution by being rolled up until
the journey is begun, or until the hour of prayer arrives.
It does not matter to these followers of Mahomet
how unclean a rug that is on the floor may be, because
over it they place the prayer rug when their devotions
begin.
About two hundred years ago small embroidered
rugs were largely made in Persia, chiefly at Ispahan.
These were prayer rugs, and on each of them, near one
end, was a small embroidered mark to show where the bit
of sacred earth from Mecca was to be placed. In obe-
dience to a law in the Koran that the head must be
bowed to the ground in prayer, this was touched by the
forehead when the prostrations were made, and so the
letter of the law was carried out The custom still pre-
vails. The Persian women who make the finest prayer
rugs seldom weave any other kind of rug.
" ...4-
OLD KIRMAN PRAYER RUG.
Size, 6x4. 1.
This beautiful and rare rug has an ivory field thickly
studded with small floral designs woven most carefully.
The knots are very closely tied, and the texture is soft
and fine as velvet. A cypress tree occupies the centre
of the field, and above its base on either side appears
the head of a bird. Below there are two peacocks, in
gorgeous plumage. The upper parts of the bodies of
the peacocks seem actually to glisten like cloth-of-gold;
silk threads appear in the tail feathers. At the top of
the rug rests a bird of brilliant plumage, and on either
side a bird evidently in the act of flying. The border
of this fine rug is in stripes, the widest of a golden hue,
with turquoise blue, light green, and soft reds in deli-
cate tracery. The corner areas are deep and very
minutely woven, corresponding perfectly with the field.
Toward the centre of the corner areas and extending
upward, is the mihrab, proclaiming for what purpose
i-i'ivr'i •'■ ■ VI-:. :;> pniver, tlm w
this rug was woven.
Reproduced by (curtesy ef Miss Buckingham, Chicago.
Miscellaneous Oriental Rugs 95
As a class the modern Anatolian prayer rugs are
quite inferior, being woven irregularly, and without
regard to details or finishing; yet there are among
them some fine specimens of Anatolian weaving. The
best are woven at Ghiordes. The antique Ghiordes
rugs are really fine in colors, generally with much pale
green, red, or blue. The design most frequently seen
is the Tree of Life. One special kind is distinguished
by a yellow vine on a dark blue field.
96 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Hunting Rugs
The hunting rugs of Persia are the most remark-
able and interesting rugs in existence. They had their
origin in the Chinese pictures of hunting scenes, from
which they were copied. They were undoubtedly
made as early as the sixteenth century, for the Shah.
Exquisite in their weaving, marvelous in coloring, and
of rare sheen, they are worthy of the closest attention.
Nor is this their only merit; they serve as records of
ancient customs, depicting the method of the chase, and
portraying the mounted hunters in pursuit of the
elephant, lion, phoenix, deer, and other creatures
(fabulous and real). There are perhaps twelve of these
precious rugs in existence. One belongs to the Im-
perial House of Austria, another to Baron Adolphe
Rothschild, a third is in the Berlin Museum, and a fourth
may be seen at the Boston Museum.
Miscellaneous Oriental Rugs 97
The Felt Rug
A large and heavy rug is made in the Orient of
felt. This is used extensively by the natives, but is too
heavy to export. Even the shepherds of the Kotan-
Daria and of the Keriya-Daria use it in their primitive
and isolated abodes. Sometimes an old felt rug is
propped up by poles and becomes a tent, in which dwell
the shepherds of Central Asia.
This felt rug is made of the hair of the camel, goat,
or sheep, or by a mixture of all these kinds. It is
matted together by heavy and constant pounding,
moistened with water, turned and beaten again and
again until it becomes compact and solid. Sometimes
the felts are decorated with colored threads and often
the name of the weaver is woven in. Among the best
felts are those made at Astrabad and Yezd.
In color felts are grey, brown, or white. The last
named are woven at Khotan. No dye is used ; the hue
is that of the hair of the animal, or the composite hue
resulting from the mixture of the hair of different
animals.
98 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
The felts have no seams, and are from one to four
inches thick. Although this material is of far more
ancient date than the days of St. Clement, a legend
connects his name with the discovery of felt. The
tradition is that while on a pilgrimage the Saint, having
put a wad of carded wool into his shoes to protect his
feet from blisters, found at the end of his journey that
the pressure and moisture had converted the wool into
felL
Miscellaneous Oriental Rugs 99
Khilim Rugs
( Written Also Ghileem, Kelim, Kilim )
The largest number of Khilims are woven in Turkish
Kurdistan, although many are made in the adjoining
territory, and at Sinna and Shirvan. They are also
woven by the nomads of Anatolia and Merv, and Turkey
in Europe now produces many Khilims, especially in
the vicinity of Servia.
Khilims are made in different sizes, and are alike
on both sides. Perhaps the Khilims most familiar to us
are those which are long and narrow. But there are
also smaller sizes, the smallest of all being called mats.
All are without nap, and are woven with the fiat stitch
by the means of shuttles.
Karminian is another name given to this decorative
piece of tapestry. The Karminian is woven in the tents
of the nomad Yuruks and other Turkoman tribes.
Occasionally this weave and the Kurdish resemble the
prayer rug in having a niche at one end.
A bit of romantic sentiment is woven into the Kis
Khilims, as those made by the Turks in Anatolia are
often called. It is asserted that the word means "Bride's
loo Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
rug, ' ' and that the name is derived from the fact that
these rugs are woven by young girls, each of whom
endeavors to finish her rug in time to win a husband.
A lock of hair is often found in the Kis Khilim, said to
have been woven in by the girl who made it
In Oriental countries the Khilim is often used as a
curtain to divide the dwelling portion of the tent from
that in which the cattle are sheltered from the storm.
It is also used by the natives on their journeys, and for
general wear on the floors.
In the United States this fabric is exceedingly popu-
lar as a hanging, or for the cover of a divan it is
equally effective, whether used in the home or in the
studio.
DERBENT RUG.
Size, 7.2 X4.6.
j^f ,As a representative Derbent rug, this is an excel-
lent example. It has the soft thick texture and long
pile characterizing this product of the Caucasus. The
entire dark blue field is covered with well-proportioned
lozenge-shaped forms, distinctly outlined with serrated
lines. Every centre has a cross of a contrasting color,
from the form containing it. The main border stripe is
geometrical, with a variety of the hook design.
Several floral devices are arranged in the maroon
stripes on either side the wide one. There is a good
deal of lustre to the rug, and the coloring is particularly
charming in fine blues, soft rose, fawn, copper brown,
subdued yellows, ivory, and rich green.
Reproduced by courtesy of the author.
pi^1}^»/ Vt-F uv f f i^ v^jf^
V
RUG-WEAVING IN THE OCCIDENT
GREAT BRITAIN, AND THE
UNITED STATES
RUG-WEAVING IN THE OCCIDENT
GREAT BRITAIN, AND THE
UNITED STATES
TN the preparation of this section of the work, there
■*■ has been no attempt or desire to slight in any way
the weaving industry of the West. It has not seemed
advisable, however, to go into many details on the sub-
ject, for it is one easily learned from many sources by
any one who desires. There is not the mystery about
Occidental weaving that there is about Oriental, the
latter perhaps appealing to our innate desire of acquir-
ing knowledge difficult of access. A short account of
rug-weaving in the Occident will, therefore, be quite
as satisfactory to the general reader as a more lengthy
description.
I04 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Greece, etc.
Greek rugs are almost as ancient as Greece herself.
From time immemorial they have constituted a most
important part of the dowry of young girls from the
provinces. They are, however, not often seen outside
of their own country, for the weavers cannot be pre-
vailed upon to sell them.
Greek rugs are of two kinds — the heavy ones which
serve for floor coverings in the winter, and the thinner,
which are used all the year round. Both are made of
home-produced wool, often with hemp weft, and are
worked by women and girls only, in wooden looms of
a primitive order.
The Arab conquerors of Spain, or the Moors as they
are often called, are believed to have taught the Vene-
tians the art of rug-weaving. The rugs now known as
Moorish are made by the decendants of this race, who
live outside of the Spanish border. Their leading color
is yellow, and in style and quality they resemble the
so-called Smyrna rug.
The antique Moorish rugs are found in the Cathe-
drals of Toledo and Seville. These are relics of the
thirteenth century.
OLD ANATOLIAN PRAYER RUG.
Size, 6 X 3. 8.
A deep, soft pile, firmness of texture, and superb
coloring, characterize this rug. The lower section of
the field is of cherry-red ; the upper portion is a lighter
shade of red, but blending perfectly, and forming by
its shape at the top the niche which is characteristic of
the prayer rug. This extends into the wonderful moss
green of the upper section. The two tones (which ap-
pear exaggerated in the black and white plate) suggest
the thought of a passing shadow upon a mossy bed.
The red and green of the field are separated by heavy
serrated lines of ivory, which unite at the top, leading
up to and inclosing a small red lozenge, terminating
beyond this in the hook design. It is in the centre of
the lozenge that the Moslem places the stone or bit of
earth when at prayer. Other hook designs and various
geometrical forms are arranged upon the field. The
wide stripe of the border is of a fine yellow, rich and
lustrous, decorated in blue, green, and maroon devices
The outer border is in brown, and it is interesting to
observe the series of nomad tents represented, each
one worked in white wool, the entrances to the tents,
however, being in reds, blues, or yellows. Alternat-
ing with each little dwelling are figures worked in
red, blue, or green. This interesting rug is a product
of Csesarea.
Reproduced by courtesy of Mr, George Hubbard Holt, Chicago.
Rug-Weaving in the Occident ^°5
France, etc.
The art of rug-weaving was first introduced into the
West by the Moors when they conquered Spain. With
the advance of civilization it proceeded to the land of
the Gauls, where during the reign of Henry the Fourth it
was brought from Persia. An inventor named Dupont
was placed in charge of a workroom by the king, in the
Palais du Louvre about the year 1605. In the year
1 62 1 an apprentice of Dupont's named Lourdes, was
instructed to establish the industry of weaving in a
district near Paris, where was the Hospice de la Savon-
nerte, an institution for poor children. The factory
was called la Savonnerie because the building had been
previously used for the manufacture of soap. Since
1825 la Savonnerie has been consolidated with the
Gobelins manufactory. In 1664, Colbert, minister to
Louis the Fourteenth, founded the establishment at
Beauvais which is owned by the French Government,
as is also that of the Gobelins, which Colbert bought of
the Gobelin family. But it is to the Saracens that
France ultimately owes the origin of her famous
lo^ Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
tapestries, and it is to the Saracens, through France,
that Western and Northern Europe trace their ob-
ligation.
The industry has attained large proportions in
France. At Aubusson alone over two thousand work-
men are employed in rug-weaving. A fine specimen
of the work done there is a rug of Oriental design made
for a collector in New York. The piece-work system
is now generally used throughout the weaving districts
of France. The manufacturers themselves usually place
the rugs on the market. France buys the greater quan-
tity, although many are exported.
Austria - Hungary, Germany, Holland, and Italy
have also had some experience in rug-weaving, and
even little Switzerland at one time attempted its intro-
duction, but with unsatisfactory results. Belgium,
however, was more successful, for Brussels still pro-
duces a large number of rugs.
Rug-Weaving in the Occident io7
Great Britain
In England the introduction of tapestries as hang-
ings for walls was made by Eleanora, sister of Alfonso
the Tenth of Castile, when she became the wife of
Edward the First In her journeyings these fabrics of
the loom were carried as part of the royal baggage, and
must have given some sense of cheer, particularly when
they clothed the bare walls of the dreary castle of
Caernarvon.
Edward the Third (1327-1377) invited Flemish weav-
ers to settle in England. At that time England produced
wool in large quantities, although very few fabrics were
woven there, nine-tenths of the wool being sent to
Ghent or Bruges to be manufactured; for the Flemish
were the first people in the northern part of Europe
who advanced in the arts and in manufactures.
Throughout Northern and Western Europe rugs were
seldom used, except for wall hangings and table covers,
until the time of the Reformation in Germany.
Great Britain is now quite active in the manufacture
of rugs with certain designs, a decided impetus to the
io8 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
improvement of this industry being given by Mr.
William Morris, the English poet and artistic decora-
tor, who was born near London in 1834.
The Morris Rug. With strong, firm texture, fine
vegetable dyes, and with purely artistic designs, the
Morris rug bears testimony to-day to the honesty, per-
severance, and skill of the man for whom it is named.
He himself testifies: "I am an artist or workman with
a strong inclination to exercise what capacities I may
have — a determination to do nothing shabby if I can
help it ' ' Decorative art in many branches is the richer
to-day for the influence of Mr. Morris, but it is his
rug-making that now claims attention. Mr. Bernhard
Quaritch informs me in a letter dated August 31, 1899,
that Mr. Morris learned the art of making rugs from a vol-
ume of the work entitled ' ' Descriptions des Arts et Met-
iers. " Mr. Morris had his own loom, and not only wove
rugs, but dyed the wool for them himself, and instructed
pupils, to whom his inspiration was a power. Long and
laboriously he worked to achieve the best results, using
vegetable dyes only, and he was finally successful. No
dyer of the Orient could have been more pleased than
was he when his efforts resulted in soft, glowing tints.
In design Mr. Morris excelled. He educated the
popular taste by bringing forth the beauties of the
simpler forms of the floral and vegetable world; he
FERAGHAN RUG.
Size, 24.8 X 15.
This is a most unusual antique Feraghan. It is rare
to find an antique of such enormous size, and the
marvelous sheen and good preservation of the rug
render it a choice specimen. The texture is like velvet
in its softness, the Persian knotting is firm, and the
shadings of green, rose, blue, yellow, purple, violet,
and red all blend in perfect harmony. The pile is even,
and the border with its exquisite hues is a study in color
blending. The green of the widest border-stripe is
particularly reposeful in effect.
Reproduced by courtesy of Messrs. Marshall Field iff Co., Chicago.
Rug-Weaving in the Occident ^09
delighted especially in displaying the acanthus in varied
conventional forms. Every rug he designed bears
witness to his enthusiasm for harmony. Too aesthetic,
some critics declare him to have been; but no one can
deny the importance of his creations, for England
needed to be awakened to a knowledge of her own
inability to appreciate artistic decoration of the home,
especially by means of the productions of the loom. It
was this very fact, and his inability to procure artistic
furniture such as would satisfy his aesthetic taste, that
started Mr. Morris to create those fabrics which he
desired.
"o Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
The United States
The United States is largely occupied in rug-
weaving, and the centre of the Eastern section of this
manufacture is Philadelphia. But in various sections
of the country there are rug factories, both large and
small.
The Abenakee rug is made at Pequaket, New
Hampshire. It is the result of a desire on the part
of Mrs. Helen R. Albee to give profitable employment
to the women of the rural community where she lives.
Her success is now assured, and the reward for much
labor and thought has come in a lively demand for
the rug.
The Abenakee rugs are not woven. They are an
evolved form of the much despised New England
hooked rug, which was made by drawing strips of old
rag through burlap. The thick, soft, velvety Abenakee
rugs of the present day are far removed in color,
design, and texture from their humble ancestors. These
rugs are all wool, hand-dyed in warm tones of terra-
cotta, old rose, old pink, tans, dull yellows, rich old
Rug-Weaving in the Occident "^
blues, olive and sage greens, and old ivory. They are
made to order usually, to match in their ground color
some special color in the room where they are to be
placed, and the borders are made in harmonious tones.
The range of design is wide, from Oriental to Oc-
cidental — from Japanese to North American Indian.
But all suggestions, so soon as received, are modified
and removed as far as possible from direct imitation of
any foreign rugs. Mrs. Albee has aimed, not to re-
produce Oriental effects, but to have the designs
original and distinctive. Fortunately, for years previous
to the establishment to this industry, she had studied
the principles of design and its application to various
textiles, and the knowledge which she thus acquired
has proved most valuable.
The designs are bold and effective, but fineness of
detail is precluded by the strips of material, each of
which is a quarter of an inch wide. The color is
arranged in broad masses.
The New England Hooked or Rag rug has for its
foundation a strip of burlap or sacking. Through this,
strips of cloth are hooked, which form loops, and this
surface may be sheared or not, as the maker desires.
There is such an absence of attractiveness in the old-
time rag rug, that several women of taste and experience
in art methods have sought the improvement of this
112 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
industry. The results have been excellent, so that,
ugly as the original rug is, it is esteemed as being the
progenitor of the more artistic Abenakee, Sabatos, and
Onteora rugs.
The Sabatos rug is a product of the little mountain-
ous village of Center Lovell, Maine. The untiring efforts
of Mrs. Douglas Volk of New York have succeeded in
developing the rug and starting this industry, and she
has now about a dozen women engaged in the work,
this number including the spinners, dyers, and weavers.
The Sabatos rug is durable, harmonious in color
and design, and is distinctly a home product The
wool of which it is made is sheared from the flocks
of sheep in the vicinity. The shearing takes place
annually in June; the wool is then carded, spun, and
dyed. The threads of hand-spun wool are worked
through a hand-woven webbing, and securely knotted
or tied with a specially devised knot. The designs thus
far are mainly adaptations from the native American
Indian motives, which are simple and characteristic,
furnishing a chance for broad color effects.
A special point is made of the dyes employed, those
of vegetable origin ruling, and only those dyes which
from experience have been found to be practically fast
are used, — such for instance as genuine old Indigo
blue, madder root, and butternut.
Rug- Weaving in the Occident "3
The Onteora rug receives its name from a little
village nestling among the Catskill Mountains. It
owes its existence to Mrs. Candace Wheeler, the well-
known artistic decorator and writer, of New York.
Still in its experimental state, the Onteora rug is prom-
isingly successful. The idea Mrs. Wheeler and her
assistants are carrying out is that of making an ordinary
rag rug upon an old-fashioned Colonial loom, and
weaving into it artistic designs. For this purpose
"piece ends" of colored denims are bought from
Southern mills. These are for the filling, and can be
arranged and varied in color very effectively. The
designs are in blocks, stripes, and arrows. This industry
is not yet upon a sufficiently large scale to warrant the
establishment of warp dyeing, but later Mrs. Wheeler
expects to accomplish this result, which she believes
is necessary to the best effects.
Berea College, Kentucky, is endeavoring to encour-
age the weaving of rag rugs of a superior order. So
far, the industry is in a primitive state, the natives pre-
ferring to weave cotton and wool coverlets, for floor
rugs they consider troublesome. The weaving is carried
on in the homes throughout the mountains of that
region known as "Appalachian America;" and is really
a survival of the New England Industry.
iH Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Navajo Rugs. The Navajo Indian Reservation
covers about eleven thousand square miles, about six
hundred and fifty of which are in the north-west corner
of New Mexico, and the remainder in the north-east
portion of Arizona. The region is well adapted for the
raising of sheep, and every family possesses flocks,
which are driven from place to place for pasture. The
Navajos, however, never go to any great distance for
this, but keep generally within a radius of fifty or sixty
miles from home. This tribe weaves a rug that is
useful, unique, durable, and when at its best, impervious
to rain.
It is believed that the Spaniards, when they arrived
in that section of North America inhabited by the Pueblo
tribe of Indians, communicated to them the industry of
weaving these rugs, and that the Pueblos taught it to
the Navajos. Thus it appears that the weaving of the
Navajo rug was a result of the Moors' invasion of
Europe. The sheep, which are raised by thousands,
were also introduced by the Spaniards. The wool is
not washed until after the shearing. About twenty-five
years ago the Navajos began to use the shears of the
white man; previously they procured the wool by cut-
ting it off the body of the animal with a knife, and
pulling it from the legs.
The native dyes are red, yellow, and black, and the
NAVAJO MAT.
Size, 3. 9 X 4. 9.
, -The field of this Navajo mat is in a natural shade of
greyish white. Six large diamond forms in black, with ;
reddish edges and white centres, rest on the field. The^js
centres contain a tiny red line, and there are smaller
diamonds — seven in number — four having red centres
and the remainder black, and at one end are two small
figures. The border is in stripes of red, black, and an
addition of white. The mat is a fine sample of the
American Indian weaving, and its simplicity places it inhi'.
striking and pleasing contrast to many of the modern .,'
productions of the Navajos.
Reproduced by courtesy of Mr. Frank E. Bur ley, Chicago.
Rug-Weaving in the Occident "5
Tiatural colors of the wool are black, grey, and white.
The dyes of the white man are now much used.
Formerly there was a beautiful blue, which has given
way to the indigo. A scarlet cloth called Bayeta was
once much used in the weaving of these rugs, but
Germantown yarn and other inventions of the white
man have largely superseded the old-time materials
and methods.
The spindle is of the crudest form, and sometimes
the wool is simply picked out from the mass, and rolled
into the yarn or thread on the hand.
The looms are fashioned after the most primitive
ones of the Orient, and the weaver sits on the ground
and weaves upward. Women do most of the weaving,
but occasionally a dusky faced man may be seen at the
loom. It takes about a month to weave a rug six feet
ten inches by five feet seven inches.
The designs in the Navajo rugs are many, and
mostly in angles and straight lines. The weaver
makes up her own designs as she goes along, occasion-
ally only tracing it in the sand.
There is a symbolism attached to many forms in
these rugs. The square with four knit corners repre-
sents the four quarters of heaven and the four winds.
A tau cross is a symbol of protection and safety, and a
prayer to the great spirit. A spiral form represents
ii6 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
the purified soul, and a double spiral is a symbol of the
soul's struggle. A wave mark represents the sea, over
which the people came from a far country. Black is
the symbol of water, regarded as the mother or spirit.
Red is the symbol of fire, and is regarded as the
father.
The native costume of the women of the Navajo
tribe consists of two small rugs in dark blue or black,
with a bright stripe at each end. They are of the same
size, and sewed together at the sides, except where a
place is left open for the arms. Formerly the Indians
reserved their hand-made rugs for their own use, but
now that there is so great a demand for the work of
their hands, they sell those rugs, and content them-
selves with blankets of factory make.
Old Navajo rugs, like Oriental ones, are growing
scarcer every year, and naturally are becoming more
valuable and desirable. The fine textures, perfect
workmanship, and glowing colors are seen at their best
in productions of the past
VI
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION
Inscriptions on Rugs
TTTE are occasionally indebted to an Oriental
^ " scholar for a translation of an inscription on a
rug; often these inscriptions show the religious belief
of the maker.
One fine rug in a museum in Austria has the fol-
lowing inscription: "Allah! No God exists besides
Him, the Living, the Eternal. Nothing causes Him
to slumber or to sleep. To Him belongs everything
in heaven and on earth. Who can intercede with Him
without His permission ? He knows what is before
and what is behind, and only so much of His wisdom
can be grasped as He permits. His throne fills heaven
and earth, and the support of both to Him is easy.
He is the High One, the Exalted!"
A rug of Persian weave owned by Baron Nathaniel
Rothschild has, worked in the oval cartouches, an in-
scription translated by Professor F. Bayer as follows:
"o Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
1. "Honored mayst thou be in the world,
Among the clever and wise.
2. May no sorrow be allotted thee by an unfavor-
ing heaven,
And may no care torment thy heart.
3. May earth be all to thee that thou wouldst
have it, and destiny prove thy friend.
May high heaven be thy protector.
4. May thy rising star enlighten the world.
And the falling stars of thine enemies be ex-
tinguished.
5. May every act of thine prosper,
And may every year and every day be to thee
Spring-time. ' '
In the Industrial Museum at Berlin there is a rug
with this inscription : "There is no Deity but God,
and Mahomet is His Prophet."
On a Persian silk rug is a line from the Koran :
"All perisheth but His face."
Another rug has : "God is greatest ! He is great !"
Often a marking in a corner of a rug is simply the
name of the maker, and the date.
Miscellaneous Information "i
A wonderful rug in the South Kensington Museum
has this inscription:
"I have no other than thy threshold,
My head has no other protection than this
porchway !
The work of the slave of this HOLY PLACE,
MaKand of Kasban,
In the year 946. ' '
This date corresponds to a. d. 1568. The rug is
beautiful in color and design, and has about three
hundred and eighty-nine hand-tied knots to the square
inch.
Oriental Symbols
All Oriental rugs have designs, and every design
is symbolical. To the connoisseur, as well as to the
owners of rugs, it is vastly interesting to understand
the meaning attached to these symbols by the Orien-
tals. Everyone is familiar with the tree design in
some of its various forms, and with the stiff little
birds and the many odd and strange looking animals
which frequently are seen on an Eastern fabric of the
loom. Yet each unique figure has a meaning, and it is
a fascinating, as well as an apparently endless task, to
find the hidden significance of these symbols. If one
122 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
go no further, he should at least become familiar with
the designs on his own rugs, and know, if possible,
what they typify.
The rug itself symbolizes Eternity and Space, and
the filling or plan is the symbol of the World — beau-
tiful, but fleeting and limited.
Chinese Symbols
Bat ..---.- Happiness.
Buddhist Sceptre - - - Success in literary labors.
Chi-lin (a kind of doe) - Nobleness, gentleness.
Cock and hen on an art-
ificial rock-work - - Pleasures of country life.
Crane Immortality.
Crow ------- Evil.
Deer ------- Official emolument.
Dragon ------ The imperial emblem, sig-
nifying increase and im-
perial grandeur.
Dragon with five claws on
each of its four feet - Exclusive Emblem of the
Emperor.
Dragon and Phoenix - - Newly wedded pair.
Duck - - Conjugal affection.
' />ij*
Turkish Loom and Weavers
Miscellaneous Information ^23
Goose Domestic felicity.
Gourd ------ Happiness.
Lion ------- Victory.
Magpie Good luck.
Old man leaning on a staff Long life.
Owl - - Dread.
Peach ------- Old age.
Phoenix ------ Emblem of the Empress.
Stork Long life.
Tortoise Long life.
Tree of Life with seven
branches on a short
stem - Seven days of Creation.
Young stags - - - - Long life.
Egyptian Symbols
Asps ------- Intelligence.
Bat with a ring in its claws Duration.
Bee ------- Immortality.
Beetle Earthly life and the devel-
opment of man in the
future state.
Blossom ------ Life.
Boat ------- Serene spirit gliding upon
the waters.
124 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Bull ------- Source of life.
Butterfly ------ Soul.
Cartouche ----- Eternity.
Crescent ----- Celestial virgin.
Crocodile ----- Beneficent Deity.
Dove ------- Love, mourning of a widow.
Eagle ------ Creation, preservation, de-
struction, power.
Egg Life.
Eye of Osiris - - - - Eye of the eternal judge
over all.
Feather of an ostrich - - Truth, justice. (The ostrich
itself does not appear in
Egyptian art)
Feathers of rare birds - Sovereignty.
Frog ------- Renewed birth.
Hawk ------ Power.
Ibis ------- Usefulness, the heart
Lizard ------ Divine wisdom.
Lotus ------ The Sun, creation, resur-
rection.
Nile Key Life.
Palm tree ----- Immortality, longevity.
Papyrus ------ Food for mind and body,
Pine cone ----- Fire.
Pomegranate - - . - Life.
Miscellaneous Information 125
Rosette ------ A lotus motive.
Sail of a vessel - - - Breath; the belief that the
soul is inactive and worth-
less until revived by the
breath of the mind.
Scarabseus ----- Immortality, resurrection,
emblem of a ruling prov-
idence.
Solar disk with serpents Royalty.
Sphinx Beneficent Being.
Staff in the hands of the
gods ------ Purity.
Sun - - Deity, life.
Viper- ------ Power.
Wheel Deity.
Zigzag ------ Water.
Indian Symbols
Ass ------- Humility, austerity.
Banian or Burr tree - - Deity (because of its out-
stretched branches and
overshadowing benefi-
cence).
Butterfly ------ Beneficence of Summer.
126 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Filfot cross of Buddhism Auspiciousness.
Knot and flower design Divine bounty and power.
Serpent ------ Desire.
Japanese Symbols
Pine trees ----- Long Life.
Storks ------ Long Life.
Tortoises ----- Long Life.
Persian Symbols
Descending Eagle - - Bad Luck.
Eagle Light, height. '
Flying Eagle - - - - Good luck.
Hounds ------ Fame, ever increasing
honor.
Leopards - - - - Fame, ever increasing
honor.
Lion - - Power.
Peacock ------ Fire, light
Phoenix ------ Immortality.
Standing Eagle - - - Good luck.
Sun Light.
Sword ------ Force.
Miscellaneous Information ^27
Tree of health - - - - Immortality.
Tree of life ----- Knowledge, truth.
The Coat of Arms of Persia is the Lion holding a
sword in his paw, and with the Sun at his back.
Turkish Symbols
Crescent ----- Increasing power.
The Turkish Coat of Arms is the Crescent and the
Star. These heavenly bodies are supposed to signify
growth.
Miscellaneous Symbols
Anemone ----- Good fortune.
Bat - Maternity.
Bird ------- Spirit.
Boar ------- Winter.
Butterfly Ethereal soul.
Circle ------ Eternity, perpetual con-
tinuity.
Cypress tree - - - - Tree of life, immortality,
perfect and renewed life.
Dog ------- Destruction, vigilance.
Elephant Patient endurance, self-
restraint.
^28 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Evergreens ----- Immortality.
Fir cone An existence terminated but
united — the union of the
tribes agai,n'st the do-
minion of Rome.
Fly ----..- Destroying attribute.
Hare - Fertility.
Heart ----__ Man morally.
Hippopotamus - - - - Destroying power.
Hog - - Deep meditation.
Jug ---__-_ Knowledge.
Lily - - Purity.
Olive - Consecration to immortality.
Owl Wisdom,
Ox Patience, gentleness.
Peacock ------ Resurrection (because of
the annual renewing of its
plumage, and from a be-
lief in the incorruptibility
of its flesh).
Phoenix ------ Good luck, herald of pros-
perity, birth of great men.
Pig .---■_- Universal kindness.
Ram ------- Spiritual leadership.
Reed ------- Sign of royalty.
Rhinoceros ----- Religious recluse.
Vats in which Wool is Washed and Dyed — Turkey
^
Miscellaneous Information 129
Scorpion ----- Invincible knowledge.
Serpent ------ Life, immortality.
Spear ------ Destructive power.
Spider ------ Slave of Passion.
Squirrel ------ Averter of evil.
Turtle - - - - - Constancy.
Wheel - ----- Universe.
Wings ------ Spontaneous motion.
Wolf ------- Destroying power.
Meaning of Some of the Place-Names
Associated with Rugs
Akhissar White Citadel.
Bagdad ------ Abode of Peace.
Baku Place of Winds.
Beluchistan ----- Land of the Beluches.
Bhagulpore ----- Tiger City.
Bokhara ------ Treasury of Sciences — The
Noble.
Deccan ------ The South Land.
Derbent ------ Fortified Gate.
Fars ------- Land of the Farsi, or
Persians.
Fu-Chau ----- Happy City.
I30 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Gilan ------ The Marshes.
Gulistan ------ The Rose Garden.
Haidarabad - - - - Gate of Salvation.
Herat ----- _ The Pearl of Khorassan —
The Gate of India.
Islamabad ----- Abode of Islam.
Ispahan ------ Place of Horses.
Jerusalem ----- Heir of Peace.
Kandahar ----- Key of India.
Karabagh ----- Country of the Sun.
Karadagh Black Mountains.
Kelat ------ Castle.
Kwatah ------ Citadel.
Mecca ------ The Heart of Islam — ^The
Holy City.
Mirzapore City of the Emir.
Ning-po - Peaceful Wave.
Peshawar ----- Advanced Fortress.
Samarkand The Head of Islam.
Shang-hai ----- Approaching the Sea.
Srinagar ----- City of the Sun.
Tabriz ------ Pinnacle of Islam.
Teheran _ _ _ _ _ The Pure.
Yezd -__--_ City of Light — City of
Worship.
Miscellaneous Information U'
Geographical Data
Owing to the variety of ways in which the names of
Oriental localities are spelled when transliterated, it is
extremely difficult to establish a standard of spelling.
Many curious examples of this occur both on maps and
in dictionaries. It is certainly confusing to open an
atlas that is supposed to be an authority, and find that
the name one seeks differs in spelling from that used in
the atlas first consulted. Then by looking into dic-
tionaries it is found that each of these has a different
way of spelling the word sought Then turning to a
guide book of the country there will probably be found
not only another combination of the letters, but also a
conflict between the descriptive matter in the book and
the map accompanying it. If books of travel are con-
sulted, the embarrassment is still further increased.
After having accepted a mode of spelling geographi-
cal names for use in this volume, I propose in the pages
that follow to assist the reader to locate the places men-
tioned, by assigning them to their respective countries,
so that at a glance he may identify them. This classifi-
cation will also be a key to the map that follows.
132 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Occasionally the name of a place has been inserted
which is not rug-producing, but only a mart for the
selling of rugs. This has seemed advisable as the
names are intimately associated with the rug industry.
LOCALITIES ARRANGED GEOGRAPHICALLT
AFGHANISTAN
Balkh.
Istalif.
Charikar.
Jelalabad.
Ghazni (Gazne).
Kabul (Cabul, Cabool)
Gulistan.
Kandahar.
Herat.
Zerni.
BELUCHISTAN
Bagh (Bhag).
Mastung.
Belar.
Ormarah.
Gundava.
Quetta.
Jhalawan (District).
Sarawan (District).
Kelat
Sonmeani.
Khozdar.
Rustam Khan.
CHINESE EMPIRE
Canton.
Hang-chau.
Fu-chau.
Kiang-su.
' iSij^i^^eSSit»f:'0<-m. -li^iSBf^iiwfev?;;*;, wy»»' -. - »- ■«>•>
Indian Loom and Weavers
^jD
Miscellaneous Information
133
Ning-po.
Tient-sing.
Shang-hai.
Tsing-chau,
Shan-tung.
Tsing-ning,
Su-chau.
Tsi-nan.
PROVINCE OF EAST TURKESTAN
Karashar.
Yangi-hissar.
Kashgar.
Yarkand.
Kucha.
INDIA
Agra.
Bombay.
Ahmedabad.
Calcutta.
Allahabad.
Cawnpur.
Alleppi.
Chanda.
Ambala (Umballa).
Deccan (Dekkan-peninsula)
Amritsar.
Delhi.
Bahadapur (District).
Ellore.
Bangalore.
Goa.
Bardwan.
Gorakhpur (Gorukpore).
Benares.
Haidarabad (Hyderabad).
Bellary.
Jabalpur (Jubbulpore-Jub-
Beypur.
bulpur).
Bhagalpur (BogHpoor).
Jaipur (Jeypore).
Bijapur.
Jalandhar (Jullinder).
134 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Jammu (Jamu).
Jodhpur.
Kashmir (State, British
India).
Khyrpur.
Kohat.
Kotah.
Kushmore.
Lahore.
Lucknow.
Malabar (District).
Masulipatam.
Merut.
Mirzapur.
Multan.
Murshidabad.
Mysore.
Nagpur.
North Arcot (District).
Patna.
Peshawar.
Poona (Pooneh).
Rampur.
Rangpur.
Serampur.
Shikarpur.
Srinagar (Serinuggar).
Surat.
Tanjore.
Warangal. .
JAPAN
Aaitsi-ken.
Kioto
Sakai.
Tokio.
PERSIA
Aaragh (province, written Astrabad.
Irak on maps). Azerbaijan (Province).
Ardebal (District). Biblkabad.
Ardebil. Bijar.
Miscellaneous Information
135
Birjand.
Bujnurd.
Burujird.
Bushire.
Enzeli.
Pars (Province Farsis-
tan).
Feraghan.
Ghilan (Gilan).
Hamadan,
Irak-Ajemi (Province).
Ispahan (Market only).
Kain (Ghain, Ghayn).
Kashan.
Karadagh (District).
Kermanshah (Kerman-
shahan).
Khonsar.
Khora-mabad.
Khorassan (Khorasan,
Province).
Khuzistan (Ancient
Susiana, Province).
Kirman.
Kuchan.
Kurkistan (the Persian
portion).
Lar.
Laristan (Province).
Luristan (Province).
Makran (Mekran, District).
Mazandaran.
Mehran.
Meshhed.
Niriz.
Nishapur.
Oustri-Nan.
Resht.
Robat.
Sarakhs.
Shiraz.
Shirwan.
Shuster.
Sinna.
Sirab.
Sultanabad.
Tabriz (Tabriez).
Teheran (Market only).
Yezd.
Zarand.
'36 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
russian empire
Astrakhan.
Erivan.
Baku.
Kars.
Batum.
Kazan.
Daghestan (Government).
Shushu.
Derbent.
' Daghestan.
' Karabagh.
Caucasia - <
Derbent.
Transcaucasia <
Shemakha
_ Kuba.
Shirvan.
CENTRAL ASIA
Bokhara.
Khiva.
Ferghana (Province).
Kokand (Khokand).
Hissar.
Samarkand.
TURKEY IN ASU
Regions
Arabia.
Kurdistan.
Armenia.
Mesopotamia.
Asia Minor or Anatolia.
Syria.
Districts
AND Towns
Adana.
Aidin.
Adiaman (Adiyemen).
Akhissar.
Afium-Kara-
lissar.
Akshehr.
Miscellaneous Information
137
Aleppo.
Altun.
Anatolia (District).
Asium.
Bagdad (Baghdad), ship-
ping port.
Behesne.
Beirut.
Bergama (Bergamo, Per-
gamo).
Brusa (Broussa).
Demirdji.
Diarbekir.
El-Hosn.
Erzerum.
Fakeh.
Gemerik.
Ghiordes (Cordis, Qourdes,
Gurdiz, ancient Gordus).
Haidamoor.
Hakkam.
Hayzoor.
Herez.
Hissar.
Horns.
Jerusalem.
Kaisarieh (Caesarea).
Karahissar.
Karaman.
Kerkuk.
Khorsabad.
Kir-Shehr.
Konieh.
Kulah (Koula, Coula).
Kutahia (Kutai, Kutayah).
Ladik.
Marash (Maresh).
Mecca.
Medina.
Milassa (Melasso, Mylasso).
Mosul (Moussul).
Mujur.
Ouchak (Ushak, Oushak).
Safieta.
Sharjah (Sharkah, Sharjah).
Shirvan.
Savas.
Smyrna (Mart only).
Sohar.
Trebizond.
Urfa (Oorfa).
Zileh (Zilleh, Zeli).
138 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
AFRICA
Cairo (Mart).
Misratah.
Kairwan (the only place Tajura.
where the g
e n u i n e Tripoli.
Tunisian rugs
are now
made).
Aubusson.
FRANCE
Towrcoing,
Beauvais.
Tournay.
Roubaix.
GREECE
Agrinion.
Rachova.
Owephissa.
LOCALITIES ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY
Aaragh, Persia. Agra, India.
Adana, Turkey in Asia. Agrinion, Greece.
Adiaman, Turkey in Asia. Ahmedabad, India.
Afium-Kara-hissar, Turkey Aidin, Turkey in Asia,
in Asia. Aitsi-Ken, Japan.
Miscellaneous Information
139
Akhissar, Turkey in Asia.
Akshehr, Turkey in Asia.
Allahabad, India.
Alleppi, India.
Aleppo, Turkey in Asia.
Altun, Turkey in Asia.
Amabala, India.
Amirtsar, India.
Anatolia, Turkey in Asia.
Ardebal, Persia.
Ardebil, Persia.
Asium, Turkey in Asia.
Astrabad, Persia.
Astrakan, Russia in Asia.
Aubusson, France.
Azerbaijan, Persia.
B
Bagdad, Turkey in Asia.
Bagh, Beluchistan.
Bahadapur, India.
Baku, Russia in Asia.
Balkh, Afghanistan.
Bangalore, India.
Bard wan, India.
Batum, Russia in Asia.
Beauvais, France.
Behesne, Turkey in Asia.
Beirut, Turkey in Asia.
Belar, Beluchistan.
Bellary, India.
Benares, India.
Bergama, Turkey in Asia-
Beypur, India.
Bijapur, India.
Bijar, Persia.
Bhagalpur, India.
Bibikabad, Persia.
Birjand, Persia.
Bokhara, Central Asia.
Bombay, India.
Brusa, Turkey in Asia.
Bujnurd, Persia.
Burujird, Persia.
Bushire, Persia.
^¥> Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Cairo, Egypt. Cawnpur, India.
Calcutta, India. Chanda, India.
Canton, Chinese Empire. Charikar, Afghanistan.
D
Daghestan, Russia in Asia. Demirdji, Turkey in Asia.
Deccan, India. Derbent, Russia in Asia.
Delhi, India. Diabekir, Turkey in Asia.
E
El-Hosn, Turkey in Asia. Erivan, Russia in Asia.
Ellore, India. Erzerum, Turkey in Asia.
Enzeli, Persia.
F
Fakeh, Turkey in Asia. Feraghan, Persia.
Pars, Persia. Fu-chan, Chinese Empire.
Gemerik, Turkey in Asia. Goa, India.
Ghazni, Afghanistan. Gorakhpur, India.
Ghilan, Persia. Gulistan, Afghanistan.
Ghiordes, Turkey in Asia. Gundava, Beluchistan,
HO Rt
c
........ id ji, Tu"-'-'
Rug Designers in India
G
"•y in A
Miscellaneous Information
141
H
Haidamoor, Turkey in Asia. Hayzoor, Turkey in Asia.
Haidarabad, India. Herat, Afghanistan.
Hakkam, Turkey in Asia. Herez, Turkey in Asia.
Hamadam, Persia. Hissan, Central Asia.
Hang-chau, Chinese Em- Hissar, Turkey in Asia,
pire. Horns, Turkey in Asia.
Irak-Ajemi, Persia.
Ispahan, Persia.
Istalif, Afghanistan.
Jabalpur, India.
Jaipur, India.
Jalandhar, India.
Jammu, India.
Jelalabad, Afghanistan.
Jerusalem, Turkey in Asia.
Jhalawan, Beluchistan.
Joohpur, India.
K
Kabul, Afghanistan. Kandahar, Afghanistan.
Kain, Persia. Karabagh, Russia in Asia.
Kairwan, Africa. Karahissar, Turkey in Asia.
Kaisarieh, Turkey in Asia. Karaman, Turkey in Asia.
'42 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Karashar, East Turkestan.
Kars, Russia in Asia.
Kashan, Persia.
Kashgan, East Turkestan.
Kashmir, India,
Kazan, Russia in Asia.
Kelat, Beluchistan.
Kerkuk, Turkey in Asia.
Kermanshah, Persia.
Khiva, Central Asia.
Khonsar, Persia.
Khora-mabad, Persia.
Khorassan, Persia.
Khorsabad, Turkey in Asia.
Khozdar, Beluchistan.
Khuzistan, Persia.
Khyrpur, India.
Kiang-su, Chinese Empire.
Kioto, Japan.
Kirman, Persia.
Kir-Shehr, Turkey in Asia.
Kohat, India.
Kokand, Central Asia.
Konieh, Turkey in Asia.
Kotah, India.
Kuba, Russia in Asia.
Kucha, East Turkestan.
Kulah, Turkey in Asia,
Kurdistan, Persia.
Kushmore, India.
Kutahia, Turkey in Asia.
Ladik, Turkey in Asia.
Lahore, India.
Lar, Persia.
Laristan, Persia.
Lucknow, India.
Luristan, Persia.
M
Makran, Persia.
Malabar, India.
Marash, Turkey in Asia.
Mastung, Beluchistan.
Miscellaneous Information H3
Masulipatan, India. Mirzapur, India.
Mazandaran, Persia. Misratah, Africa.
Mecca, Turkey in Asia. Mosul, Turkey in Asia.
Medina, Turkey in Asia. Mujur, Turkey in Asia.
Mehran, Persia. Multan, India.
Merut, India. Murshidabad, India.
Meshhed, Persia. Mysore, India.
Milassa, Turkey in Asia.
N
Nagpur, India. Nishapur, Persia.
Ning-po, Chinese Empire. North Arcot, India.
Niriz, Persia.
o
Ormarah, Beluchistan. Oustri-nan, Persia.
Ouchak, Turkey in Asia. Owephissa, Greece.
Patna, India. Poona, India.
Peshawar, India.
Quetta, Beluchistan.
^44 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Rachova, Greece.
Rampur, India.
Rangpur, India.
R
Resht, Persia.
Robat, Persia.
Rustam Khan, Beluchistan.
Saiita, Turkey in Asia.
Sakai, Japan.
Samarkand, Central Asia.
Sarakhs, Persia.
Sarawan, Beluchistan.
Savas, Turkey in Asia.
Serampur, India.
Shan-hai, Chinese Empire.
Shan-tung, Chinese Empire.
Sharjah, Turkey in Asia.
Shemakha, Russia in Asia.
Shikarpur, India.
Shiraz, Persia.
Shirvan, Turkey in Asia.
s
Shirvan, Russia in Asia.
Shirwan, Persia.
Shusha, Russia in Asia.
Shuster, Persia.
Sinna, Persia.
Sirab, Persia.
Smyrna, Turkey in Asia.
Sohar, Turkey in Asia.
Sonmeani, Beluchistan.
Srinagar, India.
Su-chau, Chinese Empire.
Sultanabad, Persia.
Surat, India.
Tabriz, Persia.
Tajura, Africa.
Tanjore, India.
Teheran, Persia.
$i^- i^ttt^". j&iMiij.f-' .Sfc.- ^ : '^»*Jf.
g*
Drying the Wool after it has been Dyed
Miscellaneous Information H5
Tient-sing, Chinese Em- Tripoli, Africa.
pire. Tsi-nan, Chinese Empire.
Tokio, Japan. Tsing-chau, Chinese Em-
Tourcoing, France. pire.
Tourney, France. Tsing-ning, Chinese Em-
Trebizond, Turkey in Asia. pire.
u w
Urfa, Turkey in Asia. Warangal, India.
Yarkand, East Turkestan. Yezd, Persia.
Zarand, Persia. Zileh, Turkey in Asia.
Zerni, Afghanistan.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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Ashenhurst, Thomas R. ; Design in Textile Fabrics.
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Babelon, Ernest; Manual of Oriental Antiquities.
Ball, J. Dyer; Things Chinese.
Birdwood, Sir George C. ; The Industrial Arts of India.
Bishop, Mrs. Isabella L. Bird; Journeys in Persia and
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"Bishop, Mrs. Isabella L. Bird ; Unbeaten Tracks in Japan.
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Bonnick's Egyptian Belief and Modern Thought.
Brummer, Martin; Egypt, Three Essays on the His-
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Budge, E. A. Wallis; The Mummy Badge.
Century Atlas, The.
Century Dictionary, The.
Clarke, C. Purdon; Oriental Carpets.
Constable's Hand Atlas of India.
'Coxon, Herbert; Oriental Carpets.
148 Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Curson, Hon. George N. ; Persia and the Persian
Question.
Davis and Cobern; Ancient Egypt
Denny, M. B. ; The Folk Lore of China.
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Evans, E. P. ; Animal Symbolism in Ecclesiastical
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Fusenbeth, F. C. , D. D. ; Emblems of Saints.
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Inconographic Encyclopaedia of the Arts and Sciences.
Inman, Thomas, M. D. ; Ancient Faiths.
James, A. G. F. Eliot; Indian Industries.
Jones, Owen; The Grammar of Ornament
E;
Rugs Being Transported
Bibliography i49
Journal of the Society of Arts.
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Layard, Austen Henry; Discoveries in the Ruins of
Nineveh.
Layard, Austen Henry, Nineveh and Babylon.
Layard, Austen Henry; Nineveh and Its Remains.
Lenormant, Francois and Chevalier, Charles; Man-
uel of the Ancient History of the East.
Lessing, Julius; Oriental Carpets.
Lubke, Wilhelm; History of Ancient Art
Malcom, Sir John ; History of Persia.
Marvin, Charles; Merv, the Queen of the World.
Maspero, Gaston C. Charles; Manual of Egyptian
Archseology.
Maspero, Gaston C. Charles; Dawn of Civilization.
Meyer's Handbook of Ornament.
Muntz, Eugene; A Short History of Tapestry.
O'Dagree, H. Eugene; Les Symbols Antiques.
O'Donvoan, Edmund; The Merv Oasis.
Perrot, Georges and Chipiez, Charles; History of Art
in Ancient Egypt.
Perrot, Georges and Chipiez, Charles; History of Art
in Chaldaea and Assyria.
^5o Rugs: Oriental and Occidental
Petrie, William Matthews Flinders; Decorative Art.
Petrie, William Matthews Flinders; Ten Years' Digging
in Egypt.
Phillips, G. ; British Manufactured Industries.
Racinet, M. A.; L'Ornement Polychrome.
Reber, Franz von; History of Ancient Art.
Reclus, Elisie; The Earth and Its Inhabitants.
Redgrave's Manual of Design.
Renouf, P. LePage; Religion of Ancient Egypt.
Riegl, Dr. Alois; Altorientalische Teppiche.
Robinson, Vincent; Eastern Carpets.
Ryan, Charles; Egyptian Art.
Sayce, Archibald Henry, L. L. D. ; Babylonians and
Assyrians.
Sculpture, Manual of; Paris.
Sharpe, Samuel; Mythology and Egyptian Christianity.
Shelley, G. E. ; Birds of Egypt.
Smith's Greek and Roman Antiquities.
Smith, Major R. Murdock, R. E. ; Persian Art
Smith's Religion of the Semites.
Southesk's Origin of Pictish Symbolism.
Spon's Encyclopaedia of the Industrial Arts, Manufac-
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Charles G. W. Lock.
Strickland, Agnes; Lives of the Queens of England.
Stuart, H. Villiers; Egypt after the War.
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Sykes, Ella C. ; Through Persia on a Side Saddle.
Thompson's Paper on Beast and Bird in Ancient Sym-
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Twining 's Symbol of Early Christian Art
Vanbery, Arminius; History of Bokhara.
Van Dyke, John Charles; History of Painting.
Watson, Dr. Forbes; The Textile Manufactures and
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Weale, John ; Quarterly Papers on Architecture.
Westroff, H odder M., and Wake, Charles, Staniland;
Ancient Symbol Worship.
Westwood's Illumination.
Wheeler, Samuel Green ; Persia and the Persians.
Wilkinson, Sir J. Gardner; The Ancient Egyptians.
Williams, S. Wells; The Middle Kingdom.
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Life and Customs.
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Wyatt, M. Digby; Industrial Arts of the Nineteenth
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of Art
INDEX
Abbas Shah, encourages rug-weaving,
39;
Abenakee Rug, character of, iio.
Aberbaijan, Herez rugs made in, 46.
Adana,rugs from, woven at Csesarea, 52.
^schylus, mentions rugs, 6.
Afghanistan, tribes from, originally wove
Herat rugs, 45; plate and descrip-
tion of rug from, 70; characteristics
of rugs from, 70; rugs similar to
Beluchistans, 72.
Agra rugs, characteristic of, 66; fine
specimens of, 66; Dhurries made
at Agra, 67.
Akbar, Emperor, sent for Persian weav-
ers, 63.
Akhissar, quality of rugs woven at, 54.
Albee, Mrs. Helen R., rugs made by,
1 10.
Alexander the Great, mention of, 39.
Alizarin, color from Rubia, 29.
Allahabad rugs, quality of, 66.
America, does not appreciate Kurdish
designs, 55.
American rug importers are sponsors
for Oriental rug -weaving, 24; firms
send designs to India, 2 7 ; encourage
industry in Persia, 43; established in
Ouchak, 56; at Amritsar, 66.
Ames, Governor, description of Chinese
rug owned by, 89.
Amritsar rugs, quality of, 66.
Anatolian rugs, quality of, 54; rugs
from Kutahia, 56 ; nomads weave
Yuruks, 59 ; prayer rugs inferior
quality of, 95 ; nomads weave
Khilims, 99; plate and description
of prayer rug from, 104.
Angora Goat, wool of, 19.
Aniline dye not desirable, 29.
Animals, not permitted in designs by
Mohammedanism, 2 7 ; used in
Meshhed, 47; in modern Tabriz,
50; Jaipur, 67; Kashgar, 76;
Kabistan, 79; in hunting rugs, 96.
Arabian rug, plate and description of,
58.
Arabic designs used in Kir-Shehr rugs,
55-
Arabs introduced rug-weaving into
Europe, 104.
Armenian quoted, 56.
Armenians weave Turkish rugs, 52.
Arrian mentions rugs, 6; speaks of
Indigo, 30.
Art Schools in Western Countries
fiirnish designs, 14.
Ashkabad, Turkomans dye rugs at, 73.
154
Index
Assyria, rug-weaving introduced, 7.
Assyrian color and design followed to-
day, 7; in India, 64.
Astrabad, felt rugs woven at, 97.
Athenaeus mentions rugs, 6.
Attrek, home of the Sharokhs, 63.
Aubusson, important factory at, 106.
Austria, Imperial house of, owns fine
hunting rug, 96 ; fine rugs made
in, 106.
Average size of large rug, 28.
Aylants make Karadagh rugs, 46.
Azerbaijan, rugs from, 50.
B
Babylon, date of fall of, 7; symbolism
in color at, 32.
Babylonian, color and design followed
to-day in Orient, 7.
Bakhshis rugs, characteristics of, 44.
Barbarike exported indigo, 30.
Bayer, F., quoted, 120,
Beginning of rug manufacture, 7, 36.
Beluchistan rugs, characteristics of, 72;
similarity to Afghans, 72; design is
geometrical, 72; coloring dark, 72;
durability of, 72; sometimes sold as
Bokharas, 72.
Beni Hassan, testimony of, 4.
Berea College, Kentucky; rugs made
at, 113.
Bergamo rugs, quality of, 54.
Berlin Museum has unique hunting
rug, 96.
Best known American rug importers
sponsors for Oriental rug-weaving,
24.
Bethlehem, coarse cloth woven at, 92.
Bhawulpore, silk rugs woven at, 70.
Biblical writers mention rugs, 6.
Bibliography, 147.
Biiar, rugs woven in, 41.
Biratori, people of, weave mats, 13.
Birch, Dr. Samuel, quoted, 5.
Bride's Rug, meaning of, 100.
Birds in Meshhed designs, 46; in Kir-
mans, 47.
Bird wood. Sir George C, quoted, 12.
Birjand rugs, characteristics of, 44.
Burnjird rugs, woven at, 50.
Bishop, Isabella Bird, quoted, 13.
Bishop, Mrs., quoted, 88.
Black, symbolic use of by Egyptians,
32; used to outline other colors,
32; symbol of vice, 33.
Blue, symbol of truth, 3 2 ; and indigo
symbol of sorrow, 32.
Bokharas, Beluchs sometimes sold for,
72; furnishes dye for Turkoman
rugs, 73.
Bombay, dhurries woven at, 67.
Boston Museum has unique hunting
rug, 96.
Boulak, last factory for rugs in Egypt,
38.
Brussels, power loom used in, 14;
produces fine rugs, 106.
Buyer's defense, 22.
Byzantine influence in Greece, 8.
Index
155
Caesar receives Cleopatra, 6.
Caesarea, much rug weaving done at,
52; silk rugs woven at, 88.
Cairo important mart for rugs, 38.
Camel, use of hair from, 20; in
Turkoman rugs, 73.
Caucasian rugs, characteristics of, 78.
Carpets, identical with rugs, 3.
Cawnpore, dhurries made at, 67.
Chaldea, rug- weaving begun in, 7.
Characteristics of Persian rugs, 44; of
Turkish rugs, 54; of Turkoman
rugs, 76; of Caucasian rugs, 78.
Chehel Sitoon, description of great rug
at, 70.
Chichi, same as Tehechen, 81.
Chinese rugs, modern different from
antique, 89; designs in hunting
rugs, 96.
Chinese rugs have antique designs, 90.
Chinese fret, dragon and fishes in
Kashgar rugs, 76; Samarkands, 77;
symbolism, 1 24.
Chinese green, where obtained, 30.
Chinese, yellow royal color of, 33;
character of Kashgar rugs, 76; in
Samarkands, 7 7 ; first wove silk rugs,
86; characteristics of rugs, 89; plate
and description of antique wool rug,
90.
Chinese Thibet, wool produced in, 1 9.
Christians weave Turkish rugs, 52.
Circassians weave Turkish rugs, 52.
Circular rugs found in China, 90.
Classical writers refer to Tyrian pur-
ple; 32.
Cleopatra and Cxsar, 6.
Clive, Lord, care for an India rug, 65.
Coccus Cacti produces cochineal dye,
30.
Cochineal used for dyeing, 29.
Colbert fosters the rug industry in
France, 105.
Colonial Loom used for Onteora rug,
113-
Color, rug manufacture incentive for
blending of, 3 ; used in Orient to-day
follows ancient examples, 7; Orien-
tals delight in subdued, 9; Persian
rugs excel in, 26; aniline dye fades,
2 9 ; three, from Rubia, 2 9 ; significance
attached to, 32; in Ancient Tabriz
rug superior, 50; Akhissar rugs are
green and red, 54.
Constantinople, mart for Turkish rugs,
52; art of silk rug-weaving intro-
duced into, 86; St. Sophia at, 93.
Cost of a Persian rug, 17.
Cotton used in India rug-weaving, 64;
in Japan, 91.
Countries raising Indigo plant, 30.
Cypress tree in Jaipur designs, 67.
D
Daghestan rugs, characteristics of, 78;
plate and description of, 78; Soumaks
resemble, 8 1 .
Damascus, few rugs woven at, 92.
Daraksh, Birjand rugs made at, 44.
156
Index
Design, Assyrian and Babylonian ex-
amples followed to-day, 7; at Nine-
veh in palaces, 7 ; in Western Coun-
tries fomished by Art Schools, 14;
in Eastern rugs often spontaneous,
26; Persian rugs excel in artistic, 26;
generally floral, 26; number of, in
antique Persian rugs, 27; recorded
on a talim, 28; bold, show best on
a large rug, 28; localities in Persia
have characteristic, 41 ; differ in each
Turkish district, 52; in Anatolian
rugs varied, 54; in Bergamo's geo-
metrical or floral Arabic origin, 54;
in Kir-Shehr rugs, 55; animal, not
permitted by Mahomet, 27; families
and tribes have individual, 27; de-
signs now sent from Occident to
Orient, 27; rosettes and palmettes
in Feraghans, 44; floral, 45, 46,
48, 49, 50, 54, 67, 77; palm, 45,
47, 48, 49, 80; Arabic designs in
Kir-Shehr rugs, 55; Smyrna rugs
have irregular, 59; in India rugs
remind one of Persia, 64; Lahore
rugs have Persian, 67; in Abenikee
rugs of unique character, ill; har-
mony of in Sabatos rug, 112; in
Navajo rugs, 115; animals, 47, 50,
67« 76, 79; Tree of Life, 47, 76;
medallion design, 45, 46, 47, 48,
66, 77; geometrical figures, 54, 70,
74, 76, 78, 79, 80, 81.
Derbent rugs, characteristics of, 78;
plate and description of, 100.
Definition of rug, 3.
" Descriptions des Arts et Metiers,"
Morris indebtedness to, 108.
Deccan, rugs woven in, 13.
Delhi, Dhurries woven at, 67.
Dewsbury, power loom used in, 14.
Dhurrie rugs, quality of, 67.
Difficulty of transliteration of Oriental
proper names, 133.
Districts, in Persia have individual de-
signs, 5 1 ; in Turkey have individual
designs, 52.
Dupont introduced rug-weaving into
France, 104.
Durability of Beluchs, 72; of Khivas,
76; of Soumaks, 80; of Sabatos,
1 12.
Durham, power loom used at, 1 4.
Duty on rugs, how assessed in the
United States, 42.
Dye, Phoenician purple, 6; kinds used,
29; vegetable, used in Sabatos rugs,
112.
Edward IIL invited Flemish weavers
to England, 107.
EUore, quality of rugs from, 67.
Egypto-Chaldean forms in modem
rugs, 7.
Egypt, rock cut tombs of, 4; ancient
rug of, 5; rug- weaving begun in, 7,
37; decline of the art, 37; imports
many rugs, 38; symbolism of, 125.
Egyptians, care of, in weaving, 7;
lovers of nature, 7; used hand
loom similar to those in use now.
Index
157
1 1 ; principal colors used by, 3 2 ;
learn to make mats, 37; use rugs
for decoration, 37; now make only
coarse rugs, 37.
Eleanora introduced rugs into England,
107.
England, rug-weaving introduced into,
107.
Esarhaddon, use of rugs by, 7.
European firms send designs to India,
28; located at Amritsar, 66.
Export trade of Persia, doubtful value
of, 41.
Fars, women weavers in, invent de-
signs, 26; rugs woven in, 41.
Felt rugs, characteristics of, 97.
Feraghan, rugs woven in, 41; char-
acteristics of rugs woven in, 44;
plate and description of, 108.
Firms with factories in India, 24.
Flemish weavers brought to England,
107.
Floral designs in Persia, 26; in
Hamadans, 45 ; Karadaghs, 46;
Khorassans, 46; Sarabands, 48;
Sarakhs, 48; Shiraz, 49; Sinna, 49;
Tabriz, 50; Bergamo, 54; Ghior-
des, 54; Jaipur, 67; Samarkands,
77-
France, rug-weaving introduced into,
8, 105; silk- weaving introduced
into, 86; indebtedness to Colbert,
105; to the Saracens, 105.
Fresco at Thebes, 4.
Genghis rugs, characteristics of, 76.
Genghis, Khan invaded Central Asia,
76.
Geometrical figures used in Bergamos,
54; in Afghans, 70; Tekk6 Turko-
man, 74; Genghis, 76; Daghes-
tans, 78; Derbent, 78; Kazak, 79;
Shirvan, 80; Soumak, 81; Tehee-
hen, 81.
Geographical data, 131.
German, factories in Turkey, 1 3 ; fine
rugs made by, 106.
Ghilan produced fine quality of silk,87.
Ghileem same as Khilim, 99.
Ghiordes, knot, 23; plate and descrip-
tion of old prayer rug, 50; rugs
characteristics of, 54; best piayer rugs
firom Ghiordes, 9;.
Goats flourish in mountainous districts,
53; hair of, woven into mohair,
Smyrna rugs, 5 3 ; Paul's Tent Cloth,
5 3 ; Genghis rugs woven from hair
of, 76.
Gobelin's factory consolidated with la
Savonnerie, 105.
Gorevan rugs, characteristics of, 45.
Grand Prix awarded to fine Persian
rug, 25.
158
Index
Grant, Mrs. F. D., mention of, 66.
Great Britain power loom used in, 14;
produces many rugs, 107.
Greece, rug weaving industry as an-
cient as the nation, 104; rugs sel-
dom exported, 104.
Greeks reach perfection in rug-weav-
ing, 7; corrupted by Byzantine in-
fluence, 8; weave Turiash rugs, 52;
learn silk rug- weaving, 86.
Greens, sources of, 30; favorite with
Persians, 32; symbol of knowledge
of Most High, 33; sacred color in
Turkey, 36; in Ouchak, 57.
Guendje, another name for Genghis,
76.
H
Haidarabad, quality of, rugs, 67.
Halifax, power loom used at, 14.
Ramadan, plate and description of
Camel Hair Mat from, 24; rugs
woven in, 41 ; characteristics of, 45.
Hand loom, oriental in its origin, 1 1 ;
description of, 11.
Hay, Mr., owner of Egyptian rug, 5.
Hebron, rugs in mosque at, 8.
Henry IV. , rug- weaving introduced in-
to France during the reign of, 105.
Herat, weavers from settle in Khor-
rassan, 70.
Herat, weavers from, wove Birjand
rugs, 44; characterisdcs of rugs
woven at, 45; popularity of rugs
from, 63.
Herez rugs, characteristics of, 46.
Hindoo ideas found expression in
India, 64.
History and details of rug- weaving, 3.
Holland, fine rugs made in, 106.
Homer mentions rugs, 6.
Horace mentions rugs, 6.
Holy Land, character of rugs from, 92.
Hunting rugs, characteristics of, 96.
I
India, description ot loom used in
western, 1 2 ; boys and men weave
in, 15; knotting in, 24; firms having
factories in, 24; designs sent to by
American firms, 27; produces mad-
der dye, 29; Indigofera tinctoria
produces large amount of color, 3 1 ;
exports rugs to Egypt, 38; date of
beginning to manufacture rugs in,
63; rugs not so popular as Persian,
63; designs in, named after owners.
64; Assyrian types in rugs from.
64; Persian rugs more expensive
than rugs from, 64; plate and des-
cription of rug from, 64; Lord
Clive's care for a rug from, 65;
characteristics of rugs, 66 j Sindhs
least durable of rugs from, 69; silk
rug- weaving introduced into, 86;
symbolism of, 127.
Indigo, much valued, 30; and black
symbol of sorrow, 32.
Industrial Museum at Berlin, inscrip-
tion on rug at, 121.
Index
159
Inscriptions frequently used in Serapi
rugs, 48; on rugs, 1 19.
Invention of Spinning, legend of, 4..
Irak-Ajemi, Kirinan rugs made in, 47;
Sinna rugs made in, 48.
Iran, official name of Persia, 46.
Ispahan, rugs woven at, 41; prayer
rugs from, 94.
Italy, rug- weaving introduced into, 8;
silk rug- weaving introduced into, 86.
J
Jaipur, quality of rugs, 67.
Jalal-ud-Din, Mahomed, sent for Per-
sian weavers, 63.
Japan, people at Biratori weave mats,
1 3 ; silk rug-weaving introduced into,
86; character of rugs from, 91; Per-
sian designs used in, 91; symbolism
of, iz8.
Jewish legend invention of spinning, 4.
Jails, Indian rugs manufactured in, 64;
Agra rugs woven in, 66.
Josephus mentions rugs, 6.
K
Kabistan rugs, characteristics of, 79.
Kabul, 19; rugs found at, 70.
Karabagh rugs, characteristics of, 46,
78.
Karajadagh, principal rug-weaving dis-
trict of Turkey, 52.
Karaman, characteristics of rugs, 54.
Karminian, woven by nomads, 99;
character of, 99.
Kashgar rugs, characteristics of, 76;
Yarkand rugs similar to, 77.
Kashmir, produces finest wool, 19;
mention of famous rug from, 24;
development of rug industry, 65;
Soumaks are erroneously called, 8 1 .
Kazak rugs, plate and description of,
20; characteristics of, 79.
Kelim, same as Khilim, 99.
Kenya-Dania, shepherds of, use felt
rugs, 97-
Kermanshah rugs, characteristics of, 46.
Kermes dye is a red, 30.
Khilim, flat stitch in, 23; plate and des-
cription of, 54; characteristics of,
rugs, 99; popularity of, 100.
Khiva rugs, characteristics of, 76.
Khorassan, rugs woven at, 41 ; charac-
teristics of rugs of, 46; plate and
description of, 46; Meshhed rugs,
47 ; weavers from Herat settle in, 70.
Khorsabad, rug design in palace of, 7.
Khotan, silk rugs exquisite quality of,
87; felt rugs woven at, 97.
ELidderminster power loom used at, 1 4.
Kilim, same as Khilim, 99.
Kis Khilims, sentiment in, 99.
Kirman, rugs woven at, 41; Kerman-
shah rugs woven in, 47; character-
istics of, 47; plate and description
of, 94.
i6o
Index
Kir-Shehr nigs, characteristics of, 55.
Knotting, 23; Indian, 24; in a Waran-
gal rug, 69.
Konieh rugs, characteristics of, 55.
Koran forbids animal forms in designs,
27; law of prayer in, 94.
Kotan-Daria, shepherds of, use felt
rugs, 97.
Koyinjik, design in palace at, 7.
Kulah rugs, characteristics of, 55.
Kuba, Kabistan rugs woven at, 79.
Kurdish weave of Karminian resemble
prayer rugs, 99.
Kurdistan, rugs woven in, 41 ; charac-
teristics of rugs from, 47, 54.
Kurds weave Turkish rugs, 52.
Kutahia exports Anatolian rugs, 56.
Ladik, characteristics of, rugs, 56.
Lahore, characteristics of, rugs, 67.
Localides arranged alphabetically, 138.
Localities arranged geographically, 132.
Laristan, rugs woven in, 47.
La Savonnerie, factory at, 105; con-
solidated with Gobelins, 105.
Lobanou-Rostowsky Alexis, mention
of, 24.
Loom, exquisite work of, in Orient, 9;
and its work, 1 1 ; description of,
1 1 ; primitive character of Smyrna,
59; Navajo's imitate Orient, 115.
Lourdes, estabhshed a factory in France,
105.
Lucan mentions rugs, 6.
Lucknow, Dhurrie rugs woven at, 67.
M
Madder dye ranks high, 29.
Mahomet, followers of, use prayer
rugs, 93.
Map, 136.
Marbles of Nineveh, 5.
Marquand, Mr., fine French rug
owned by, 106.
Masulipatan, quality ot rugs from, 67.
Mats, Egyptians make, out of papy-
rus, 36.
Meaning of place-names associated with
rugs, 131.
Mecca rug, Shiraz rug often so-called,
49.
Medallion, design in Gorevans, 45;
Hamadans, 45; Herats, 45;Herez,
45; Kirmans, 46; Sarakhs, 47;
Serapi, 47; Shiraz, 48; Haidara-
bad, 67; Samarkands, 77.
Meles rugs, characteristics of, 56.
Mersherski first made Pohsh rugs, 85.
Merv, nomads of, weave Khilims, 99.
Meshhed rugs woven at, 46; Turko-
mans supply the markets at, 73.
Mesopotamia, witness of, 4.
Metellus mentions rugs, 6.
Mysore, quality of, rugs, 68.
Milassa manufactures Meles rugs, 56.
Index
i6i
Mir Saraband, fineness of quality of
48.
Mirzapur, quality of rugs from, 68.
Miscellaneous information, 117.
Miscellaneous symbolism, 127.
Mohammedan religion forbids repre-
sentation of animal forms, 27;
Shiah sect does not obey, 27; green
sacred color of, 33; introduce rug-
weaving into India, 63; mosque
plan of, 93.
Mohair rugs, made of goats' hair, 53,
57; woven at Akhissar, 54.
Moodj, quality of rugs, 68.
Moorish rugs, resemble Smymas, 104;
Navajos follow, 1 1 4.
Morris, William, weave of rugs, 108;
dyes used by, 108.
Moslem women weave Ouchak rugs,
57-
Mosul, characteristics of rugs from, 56.
Multan, characteristics of rugs, 68.
Murex, Phoenician purple, 6.
Museum in Austria, inscription on rug
in, 120.
N
Naamah, legend of, 4.
Names given to rugs often misleading,
69.
Navajo rugs, character of, 114;
plate and description of, 114; scarcity
of, 1 16.
New England hooked or rag rug,
character of, 1 1 1 .
Nineveh, marbles of, 5; date of fall
of, 7-
Nomad weavers, 15; habits of, 16;
wool for Ouchaks bought from, 57;
of Anatolia weave Yuruks, 59;
Afghans, 70; Turkoman rugs, 73;
Kazaks, 79; Chichi nomads weave
Tehechens, 80; weave Khilims, 99.
o
Occidental, power loom is, 1 1 ; designs
sent to the Orient, 27; rug- weaving
particulars of, 103.
Onteora rug, character of, 113.
Orient follows ancient examples in
color and design, 7; women are the
rug-weavers in, 15; Occidental de-
signs sent to, 27; Sharokh's weave
rugs popular in, 63; use of Khilims
in, 100.
Oriental, hand-loom is, 11; description
of, II; in modern design not to
depend on, 27; antique designs now
rearranged, 29; colors, 32; rugs
firmer than Polish, 88; Symbolism,
121.
Orientals engaged in rug-weaving in
the United States, 9; delight in sub-
dued colors, 9; best vyith soft dyes,
29.
Osiris, priests robed in white, 32.
Ouchaks resemble Konieh rugs, 55;
characteristics of, 57.
l62
Index
Palestine produces no rugs of import-
ance, 92.
Palm used in Hamadans, 45; in
Khorassans, 46; in Kurdistans, 47;
in Sarabands, 48; Shiraz, 49; Sinna,
50; Kazak, 80.
Palmer, Mrs. Potter, mention of, 66.
Patna rugs, quality of, 67.
Paul's Tent Cloth, woven of goats
hair, 53; how made, 53.
Papyrus used by Egyptians to make
mats, 36.
Pashim wool, quality of, 19.
Peacock throne, fine silk rug before, 87.
Persia, Shiah sect in, 27; exports rugs
to Egypt, 58; excellency in rug-
weaving, 39; origin of art unknown,
39; civilization in, 39; Abbas Shah
encourages rug -weaving in, 39;
■decadence of the art, 40; revival of
it, 40; important source of income
in, 40; localities to which rug- weav-
ing was restricted, 41 ; extension of
industry in, 41 ; women of all classes
weave, 41; export trade, value of,
41; tribes from, wove Herat rugs,
45; Iran official name of, 46; Em-
peror Akbar sent for weavers to, 63 ;
rugs from, more expensive than
India, 64; art of silk rug-weaving
introduced into, 84; designs from,
•copied atCaesarea, 88; designs from,
copied in Japan, 9 1 ; small embroid-
ered rugs from, 94; Hunting rugs
from, remarkable, 96; France intro-
duces the art from, 105; symbolism
•of, 126.
Persian, knot, 23; design in Jaipur
and Lahore, rugs, 67.
Persian rug, place of Tree of Life in,
■ 5 ; cost of, 17; number of stitches
in, 2 1; excel in color and design,
26; design generally floral, 26; in
Pars women invent designs, 26;
number of designs in, 27; plate and
description of antique, 28; character
of the finest, 39; demand for, in
America, 43 ; value of, 51; charac-
teristics of, 44; finer woven than
Turkish, 52; more popular than In-
dia, 62; plate and description of silk
rug from, 86; cost of silk, 88.
Persians dislike bright colors, 32; use
of rugs by, 40; prefer small rugs, 40;
use finest rugs for hangings, 4 1 .
Peshawar, 19.
Philadelphia power loom used at, 14;
growth of industry in, I lo.
Phoenician Art, relation to Egyptian
and Babylonian, 6; dye made in, 6,
30-
Place-names associated with rugs,
meaning of, 1 29.
Plautus mentions rugs, 6.
Pliny mentions rugs, 6; mentions In-
digo, 30.
Polish rugs, characteristics of, 85.
Power loom. Occidental origin, 1 1 ;
used chiefly in United States and
Great Britain, 14.
Prayer rugs, characteristics of, 93.
Priests of Zena robed in white, 32.
Principal colors of Ancient Egyptians,
32-
Index
163
Punjab, Lahore, capital of, 67.
Purpurin, color from Rubia, 29.
Pushmina rugs, quality of, 69.
Quality in rugs, 21.
Q
I Quaritch, Bernhard, quoted, 108.
R
Ralph, Julian, quoted, 63.
Red, produced from Rubia, 29; sym-
bol for zeal, 32; truth, 33.
Resht, silk rug-weaving at, 88.
Rhamnus chlorophorus produces yel-
low, 30.
Rhamnus utilis produces yellow, 30.
Rochdale, power loom used in, 1 4.
Romans valued indigo for blue, 30.
Rose, symbol of divine wisdom, 32.
Rothschild, Baron Adolph, owns
unique hunting rug, 96.
Rothschild, Baron Nathaniel, inscrip-
tion on rug owned by, 1 20.
Rubia tinctorum makes madder dye,
29.
Rugs, utility of, 3; origin of need for,
3; weaving of, began, 3; definition
of, 3; identical with carpets, 4;
ancient Egyptian example, 5; used
as awnings and coverings by As-
syrian kings, 7; Greek perfection in
weaving, 7; used as decorations
since the earliest times, 8; use of in
modern fetes, 8; increasing demand
for, 9 ; woven in Deccan, 1 3 ; wool
used in, 19; from the Orient care-
fiilly selected, 22; designs shown
best in large, 28; average size of
large, 28; with aniline dyes fade,
29; used for decoration in Egypt,
37; Egypt now makes only coarse
rugs, 37; fine quality of, in Persia
in ancient times, 39; important
source of income in Persia, 40;
universality of use of, in Persia, 40;
Persians reach their prime, 40;
used for decoration in Persia, 41;
quality of, produced by foreign firms
in Persia, 43; sources of Turkish
rugs, 52; how used in Turkey, 53;
characteristics of Turkish rugs, 54;
woven in Kashmir, 65; character-
istics of India, 66; at palace of
Chetel Sitoon, 70; character of
Tekke Turkoman, 74; antiquity of
Greek rugs, 103.
Rug- weaving, Saracens learn, 8; in-
troduced into Europe, 8; by Ori-
entals in United States, 9 ; in Egypt,
Persia, and Turkey, 35; excellency
attained in Persia, 39; encouraged
by Abbas Shah, 39; originally re-
stricted in Persia, 41; extension of
districts in modern Persia, 41 ; in
the Occident, 102.
Russia, Rubia grows wild in, 29.
164
Index
Sabastos rug, character of, 1:2.
Saddlebags, woven in Feraghan, 44.
Saffron produces yellow, 30.
Samarkand rugs, plate and description
of, 38; characteristics of, 77; silk
rugs from, 88.
Sand, rug designs drawn in, 26.
Saraband rugs, qualily of, 48.
Saracens manufacture rugs, 8.
Saracens introduced tapestry weaving
into France, 105.
Sarakhs, plate and description of, 32;
characteristics of rugs, 48.
Sardanapalus and the marbles of Nine-
veh, 6; use of rugs by, 7.
Sargon, use of rugs by, 7.
Savalans, name given to Sultanabad
rugs, 50.
Scipio mentions rugs, 6.
Scotland, power loom used in, 14.
Se-Ling-She discovered art of weaving
silk rugs, 86.
Sennacherib, use of rugs by, 7.
Serapi rugs, characteristics of, 48.
Servia, Khilims woven in, 99.
Seville, fine Moorish rugs at, 104.
Sedentary weavers, 1 5 .
Sharokhs weave rugs popular in the
Orient, 63.
Shawls, art of weaving in Kashmir de-
clines, 65.
Sheep thrive in mountainous districts,
53-
Shemakha, correct name for Soumaks,
81.
Shiah sect in Persia, 27.
Shiraz rugs, plate and description of,
16; quality of, 48; often called
Mecca rug, 49.
Shirvan rugs, characteristics of, 80;
Tehechens resemble, 80; Khilims
woven at, 99.
Shuster, rugs woven in, fi-om earliest
times, 39, 41.
Sicily, rug- weaving introduced into, 8;
silk rug-weaving introduced into, 86.
Silk, used in Polish rugs, 8 5 ; raising of,
a vast industry, 86.
Silk rugs, woven by nomads, 70;
characteristics of, 86; from Khotan,
very superior, 87 j small demand for,
88; cost of, 88.
Sindh rugs, quality of, 68.
Sinna, knot, 23; plate and description
of, 42; characteristics of rugs, 49;
Khilims woven at, 99.
Sivas, characteristics of, 58.
Skins, preceded rugs, 3, 37.
Smyrna, produces best madder dye,
29; rugs woven of goat's hair, 53;
trade in Karaman rugs at, 54; mart
for sale of inferior rugs, 5 8 ; Moorish
rugs resemble those from, 104.
Soumak, plate and description of, 12;
flat stitch used in, 23; characteristics
of, 8 1 J should be called Shemakha,
81.
Spain, Saracens introduce rug-weaving
into, 8; silk rug- weaving introduced
into, 86; rug- weaving brought to
America from, 114.
Spinning, references to, 4; Jewish
legend of, 4.
Index
165
Srinagar, characteristics of rugs from,
69.
St. Clement, legend of, 98.
St. Sophia, Basilica of, 93.
Stitches in a Persian rug, 2 1 ; different
stitches used, 24.
Sultanabad, rugs woven in, 41 ; Ameri-
can firms have factories at, 42;
quality of rugs woven at, 50; silk
rugs from, 87.
Sumac produces yellow, 30.
Switzerland produces fine rugs, 106.
Symbol, black of error, 32; white.
purity, 32; red, faith, 32; yellow,
brought evil, 32; blue, truth, 32;
black and indigo, sorrow, 32; rose,
divine wisdom, 3 2 ; green, knowledge
of most High, 32; yellow, royalty,
33; red, virtue, 33; white, mourn-
ing, 33; black, vice, 33; green,
holiness, 3 3 ; in Navajo rugs, 115;
catalogue of meanings of, 122.
Symbolism in color, 32; in Kirman
rug. 47-
Syrians weave Turkish rugs, 52.
Tabriz, plate and description of. III;
Karadagh rugs made near, 46 ; qual-
ity of rugs woven at, 50.
Talim, definition of, and use of, 28.
Tehechen rugs, characteristics of, 81.
Teheran, fine Persian rug at, 51; fine
example of silk rug at, 87; exported
from, 88.
Tekk6 Turkoman, characteristics of,
74; utility of, 74; plate and descrip-
tion of, 74.
Thebes, fresco at, 5.
Thibet, Chinese, wool produced in, 1 9.
Toledo, fine Moorish rugs at, 104.
Tombs in Egypt, testimony of, 4.
Transcaucasia, Constantinople mart for
rugs from, 52.
Tree of Life, place of, in Persian rug,
6; in Kirman rug, 47; in Kashgar
rugs, 76, in prayer rugs, 95.
Turfani wool, 19.
Turkey, German factories in, 1 3 ; green
sacred color in, 33; exports rugs to
Egypt, 38; principal rug-manu&c-
turing district in, 52; each district
has a different design, 52; floors of
houses in, covered with rugs, 53;
Mosul rugs made in, 56; cost of silk
rugs from, 88; Khilims woven in,
99; symbolism of, 129.
Turkish rugs, Canstantinople great
mart for, 52.
Turkish knot, 23; rugs are manufac-
tured by various peoples, 52; not
so finely woven as Persian, 5 1 .
Turkish Kurdistan, Khilims woven in,
99.
Turkoman, rugs made in, similar to
Beluchistans, 72; characteristics of,
73, 76; made by nomad tribes, 73;
make camel's hair rugs, 73; irregu-
lar designs in, 73; silk rugs from,
size of, 88; Karminian, woven in,99.
Turmeric produces yellow, 30.
Tyrian purple, value of, 30, 32.
Tzitzi, same as Tehechen, 80.
i66
Index
U
United States, rug-weaving by Orient-
als in, 9; power loom used in, 14;
Agras popular in, 66; Dhurries
popular in, 67; Tekke Turkoman
rugs restored in, 74; popularity of
Japanese rugs in, 91; Khilims popu-
lar in, 100; rug-weaving in, iio.
Urfa rugs woven at, from Persia or
Kurdish territory, 51.
Vegetable dyes, best, 29.
Vine, palmettes and rosettes in Fera-
ghans, 43.
Volk, Mrs. Douglas, and the Sabatos
rug, 112.
w
Warangal rug, quality of, 68.
Weavers, 1 5 ; classes of, 15; method
of life, 18; skill in Egypt, 37; in
Persia dictated to by foreigners, 43;
brought from Persia to India, 63.
Weaving, began, 3; done in India by
boys and men, 15.
Western India, description of loom
used in, 12.
Wheeler, Mrs. Candace, mention of,
113.
White, signified purity, 32; used to
outline other colors, 32; mourning,
33; color worn by student, 33.
Wilkinson, Sir J. Gardner, quoted, 5.
Wilton, power loom used at, 14.
Women, weavers in Japan, 1 3 ; almost
exclusive weavers in the Orient, 1 5 ;
in Pars, invent designs, 26; without
class distinction weave in Persia, 41 ;
of Kurdistan weave for their own
entertainment, 55; weave in houses
in Ouchak, 57; exclusively weave
Sivas, 58; for quality of, 58; weave
Tekk6 Turkoman rugs, 74; Persians
weave finest prayer rugs, 94; weave
Greek rugs, 1 24.
Wool, its kinds and qualities, 19;
fashion, quality of, 19; affected by
climate, 21; not used in India, 63,
mixed with silk effective, 87; used
in Greek rugs, 104; in Abendkec
rugs, IIO.
Worcester, power loom used at, 1 4.
X
Xanthin from Rubia, 29.
Index
167
Yarkand rugs similar to Kashgars, 76.
Yellow, produced from Rubia, 29;
from Persian berries, 30; thought to
bring evil, 32; favorite color with
Persians, 32; symbol of royalty,
33; important color in Feraghan
rugs, 44.
Yezd, characteristics of rug from, 5 1 ;
felt rugs woven at, 97.
Yomud Turkoman rug, characteristics
of, 75.
Yuruk, characteristics of, rug, 59;
Khilims woven at, 99.
Zeus, priests of, robed in white, 32.
ft
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