Oriental rugs, antique and modern . s independent of their place of origin; yet itis known that the wool of the nap and the dyes used in some dis-tricts are superior to those in others, and that in consequence thebeauty of some rugs will improve with age far more than that ofothers. It is also known that because in certain districts the materialof warp and weft, as well as the workmanship, is of a superior quality,the rugs made there will wear better than others. The knowledge,then, of where a rug is made is important in determining the qualityand value, which otherwise only a critical examina


Oriental rugs, antique and modern . s independent of their place of origin; yet itis known that the wool of the nap and the dyes used in some dis-tricts are superior to those in others, and that in consequence thebeauty of some rugs will improve with age far more than that ofothers. It is also known that because in certain districts the materialof warp and weft, as well as the workmanship, is of a superior quality,the rugs made there will wear better than others. The knowledge,then, of where a rug is made is important in determining the qualityand value, which otherwise only a critical examination, that fewpeople are able to make, would show. Furthermore, the knowledge of where a rug is made, suggestingthe class of people who wove it, adds immeasurably to our , for instance, we look at an old piece of Kurdish weave withits nomadic designs and shaggy nap, on which a Moslem savageas an Apache often rested fully half a century ago, there is calledup a picture of the dark-visaged tribesman, fearless and untamed. Plate 23. Sehna Rug CLASSIFICATION OF MODERN RUGS 99 as were his ancestors who contested the march of Xenophon overtwo thousand years ago. We see him wandering with his flocksover the hills while he watches for a chance to fall upon an unsus-pecting stranger. We picture to ourselves the hut of brush uponthe mountain side where a slender barbaric girl bends to tie, withwonderful patience, the knots one by one. So if we would enjoyour Oriental rugs, we should know what people made them, andwhence and how they journeyed, before they reached our fireside. At the request of a purchaser the vendor is ever ready to classifya rug, but his statements are not always reliable. This is partlydue to the fact that even the great importing houses are often de-ceived. Throughout Asia Minor, Persia, Turkestan, even farthereast, great fairs are regularly held. Here gather the representativesof tribes from far distant quarters to enjoy for a few days or weeksthe gay l


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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, bookpublishernewyo, bookyear1922