Oriental Rugs

Antique Oriental Rugs

 Antique Oriental rugs have always been synonymous with exotic luxury, elegant design, and a comfortable, highly aestheticized environment. From the earliest times, humans have needed to embellish and ornament the circumstances in which they lived, and the medium of woven carpets soon emerged to meet such requirements. Carpet production is attested from ancient times. Flatwoven floor coverings are probably as old as textiles and architecture. The oldest knotted pile carpets can be attested by the sixth century B.C., but their production may well be considerably older. Some experts believe that pile carpets originated among tent-dwelling nomadic peoples to the east of Central Asia as a more decorative substitute for animal hides, providing comfort and insulation as well as decoration. Carpet making reached the Near East through contact with such nomadic peoples. Since relations between Central Asian nomads and the Near East were more or less constant, the production of pile carpets in the latter region was probably stimulated and influenced by nomadic traditions again and again.

Antique Oriental Rugs

This process first becomes clear in the medieval period, between the eleventh and the fourteenth centuries, when various Central and East Asian peoples like the Turks and Mongols came to power across the eastern Islamic world, bringing with them traditions of carpet making that were by now many centuries old. The earliest Near Eastern carpets of this kind are those of Seljuk Turkey and those made in Iran under the Mongol and Timurid dynasties. Carpets of this kind now began to have highly complex designs influenced by contemporary textiles, especially silks.

Antique Oriental Rugs

From this period on, the knotted pile carpet became an increasingly standard feature of Islamic art and high culture, and soon it captured the attention of wealthy Europeans as well. Already by the thirteenth century merchant travelers like Marco Polo remarked on the beauty of the Oriental carpets they encountered on their journeys, and soon such carpets began to be imported into Venice and thence to the rest of Europe. While actual early carpets of this kind are rarely preserved, European painting by the great masters from Giotto and Ghirlandaio to Holbeim, van Eyck, Lotto, and Vermeer constantly depict carpets from Turkey and Iran. Such paintings document the importance that the Oriental rug had attained by this time as a quintessential symbol of cosmopolitan taste and affluence. So valued were these carpets that there were various attempts to imitate or adapt them in Europe.

Antique Oriental Rugs

After the seventeenth century Europeans briefly lost interest in the Oriental carpet. This probably reflected developments in the Near and Middle East, where all the great ruling dynasties collapsed or went into regression, bringing about a corresponding roll-back in the quantity and quality of carpet production. During this hiatus European carpet production was stepped up, creating the Aubusson and Savonnerie types in a Neo-Classical western style. Carpet production in Spain, which had begun under Muslim rule in the Middle Ages, also moved in to meet the European demand for rugs.

Antique Oriental Rugs

In the second half of the nineteenth century, rug weaving in Iran went into a great period of revival under the highly retrospective Qajar dynasty, re-awakening the European interest for Oriental rugs and creating a new American market for them as well. This eventually led to a revival or expansion of carpet production in Turkey and also a revival of Indian carpet weaving under British rule. At this time Chinese rugs, whose production went back to ancient times, finally became known in quantity to European and American markets.

Antique Oriental Rugs

From that time on the western world became used to an endless variety of Oriental rugs and carpets whose production continues into the present time. The most notable recent developments are the revival of vegetable dyes and hand-spinning of wool, which had largely died away in the course of the twentieth century. Such new productions capture much of the quality and original flavor of antique Oriental rugs. But only a genuine antique can preserve the soul and spirit of  weaving  Oriental rugs, an art form that reaches back virtually unbroken to the earliest times. Antique Oriental rugs are not only objects of great beauty and rarity; they are a much-needed bridge to a bygone world of consummate skill and expressiveness that is vastly different from the mass-culture of modern western experience.

Antique Khotan Rugs

Buying Antique Rugs… We are currently in the midst of a major revival of traditional, hand-made rug weaving virtually throughout the rug-producing regions of the world. This movement began several decades ago in Turkey, initially at the instigation of European rug aficionados like Rainer Boehmer. Known by the acronym DOBAG, or Project DOBAG, the goal was not only to reproduce more authentically the range of designs current in Turkish weaving up through the nineteenth century, but to do so in handspun, vegetable-dyed wool. While it took a few years for weavers to recover the knack of using handspun fibers and combining the varying shades of color inherent to vegetable dyes, the results were impressive and they began to sweep the new rug market. Soon weavers were producing vegetable-dyed, handspun copies or close adaptations of various nineteenth century rugs types in Afghanistan, India, China, and Iran. By the late nineteen nineties, such production had become standard, largely supplanting the less authentic design trends and synthetic dyes that had come to dominate oriental rug weaving throughout the twentieth century. Consequently, it now seems to many potential rug buyers that they no longer need to go to the expense of buying an antique rug. Nowadays it is possible to acquire new rugs with the same sort of color, design, wool quality, and technical standards of the ones produced a hundred years ago or earlier in perfect condition for a fraction of the price. But is this really the case? Are new rugs of this sort really the equivalent of the ones they are copying or recreating?

Antique Tabriz Persian Rug

The answer depends on how closely one looks, or, to put it differently, how discriminating a buyer one is. For the vast majority of rug buyers, new rugs will suffice. In fact, many new rug buyers made be satisfied with machine-made rugs. Certainly, customers looking for quality modern design rugs will inevitably be drawn to new production pieces. But for those who enjoy traditional oriental carpets in Persian , or pieces of tribal and nomadic type, the pieces that are currently being produced will only meet their needs to a point. There is more to a rug than the specific configuration of its design, and while the use of handspun wool and vegetable dyes may recover traditional techniques, there is no substitute for the effects of time. What new rugs can never recreate, however well-made they may be, is the cultural milieu in which they were produced, the environment and experience that directly governed the weaver”s approach to pattern and design. And new rugs, so long as they are new, cannot have the delicate patination of the color and the polished surface that give antique rugs so much of the appearance for which they are prized. That only comes with time.

Antique Khotan Rugs

Let us expand a bit on these last two points. Cultural milieu or experience is extremely difficult to quantify and explain, but there can be no doubt that this is what imparted so much of the distinctive character that antique rugs still project to a discerning viewer. Rug weaving and design were an integral part of the culture of the people who made them up until the early twentieth century. Rug weaving was analogous to the traditional music of their culture or to their literature and mythology. It was part of their cultural or social structure, Today little of that culture remains intact as a living phenomenon, It has been supplanted by a new cultural outlook permeated by western conceptions arriving via film, TV, and the internet. The people making rugs today no longer think and observe the way their ancestors did. Consequently they can never produce traditional culture as a living, creative activity in the manner of their forebears. They can attempt to replicate it for commercial purposes, and they may even come remarkably close, but it can never really be the same. That is why a discriminating rug enthusiast cannot be satisfied by a new rug. There is a certain quality of life that affected the way old rugs were designed and made that cannot be recaptured today.

In the same way the passage of time affects rugs materially or physically. This is not always a good thing. Rugs wear down over the years. They can be affected by dryness and damp. They can become damaged and in need of repair. But over time antique rugs that have been properly cared for also acquire qualities that are admired and prized. Unlike many of the synthetic colors that came into use in the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, natural vegetable dyes are remarkably resistant to fading, but they do soften or mellow a bit, especially at the tips of the fibers of the pile. This “patina” effects the play of light on the surface, varying the appearance of the colors, making them more translucent, and imparting a quality of depth, especially in conjunction with the irregular textures of high-quality handspun wool. Even a certain amount of wear is desirable. The shorter the pile, the crisper the design appears to be. The slow wearing of the pile also polishes it, making it even more lustrous and velvety. Only time can confer this gracefulness of age, as one may put it.

Antique Bakshaish Rugs

All the special qualities that make antique rugs desirable create market demand, which, in turn, intersects with rarity and availability to establish market price. Antique rugs are more expensive than new rugs because their number is finite, and because it becomes increasingly difficult to supply demand as rugs are purchased and disappear into private collection. Those who can appreciate the qualities and distinctions outlined above have long known that they must be willing to pay for them competitively, hence the higher price of antique rugs. But there is a silver lining here, so to speak. Antique rugs hold their value and even appreciate over time. If properly maintained by their owners, they can easily be resold or traded in against a new purchase. They are an investment, like any other fine antique or a piece of real estate. New rugs offer no such opportunity. They may someday be prized as antiques; only time will tell. But the day after they are purchased, they are worth considerably less than they were before. In my opinion, the pleasure that an antique rug offers to an informed and appreciative viewer makes it well worth the price. But when one takes into account the investment potential of a fine antique rug, the reasons to acquire one increase dramatically. Even those who are indifferent to the aesthetic qualities of antique rugs can see the financial advantage in acquiring them. But for those who can appreciate their beauty, antique rugs make a far more desirable and useful investment than a stock portfolio.

Oriental Rugs

Oriental Rugs

The commonly accepted center of the rug universe is Persia, or modern-day Iran. Their styles represent the best features of almost every possible characteristic. From excellent construction to intricately beautiful designs. Dozens of styles have been born in this region. A few of the most notable are: Tabriz, Kerman, Sultanabad, Kashan, Kurdish, Lori, Bidjar, Baluch, Esfahan, Gabbeh, Hamedan, Bakshaish, Khorassan, Shahsavan, Afshar, Mahal, Senneh, Quashki, Farahan and Malayer to name a few.

Antique hand-made rugs from India are most notably known for their vibrant colors. The Indians produced some of the best natural color dyes from the wide selection of flora that was available to them. Many rug styles from India can also be recognized by the frequent use of animals and outdoor scenes. Some of the styles that emerged from here are called: Agra, Ottoman Embroidery, Millefleurs, Mughal, Indian Shall and Amritsar.  

A s we can see, the rug styles that Persia has produced alone can fill a book. From symmetrical designs to abstract, vivid to subdued, geometric to floral, pictoral to decorative these rugs are truly an art form produced by skilled artisans. Some of the many   styles I have seen are:  Alcaraz ,  Art Nouveau , Art Deco , Vintage Rugs ,  Aubusson ,  Axminster ,  Azerbaijan,   Bakshaish ,  Bessarabian , Bezalel , Chinese ,  Heriz , Serapi ,  Kh otan , Mongolian ,   Moroccan ,  Oushak , Peking , Polonaise ,  Sarouk , Savonnerie , Senneh , Serapi , Caucasian Rugs ,  Sivas , Spanish , Sultanabad ,  Tabriz ,  Tibetan  And   Turkish Rugs .

 

I had a client call me the other day with a question about Mashad rugs. He seemed upset that he could hardly find any antique Mashsad’s (or Meshads) on our site. So it made think that perhaps I should write something to address this issue. Similar to antique Serapi and Heriz rugs (which were made in the same place) Mashad and Khorassan’s are at times interchangeable. Mashad is the city and Khorassan is the entire district. So while all Mashad’s are Khorassan’s – not all Khorassans are Mashads! The trade as a whole tends to prefer referencing the older and more “classy” Mashads as Khorassan and while structurally they vary a bit the end user should not care about the name but rather the overall look and price. So rest assured, if you are looking for a Mashad or Khorassan you are in essence looking for the same overall type of rug. I will single out and clarify other similar discrepancies in my next posts. I am here to help people learn about antique carpets so don’t be shy… keep on emailing or calling me with questions (any question) and I will do my best to address every single one of them.

Omri Schwartz
NAZMIYAL
COLLECTION
31 East 32nd Street
New York, NY 10016
T 212 545 8029
F 212 213 5995

The tradition of hunting is deeply immersed within Persian epic history. Years before the first hunting scene carpet was ever woven, hunting stories were passed down orally for over 1300 years. Because this practice was so deeply embedded in Persian culture, it is no surprise that weavers portrayed hunting scenes in their work as early as the 16th century. These hunting designs show no specific city they do not directly refer to any particular person or historical event. In the rare case when a specific individual is depicted, he is distinguished by his manner of dress or an inscription within the rug. Because hunting was considered such a distinguished act, these carpets represent a part of princely life. Furthermore, many hunting scene rugs were originally commissioned for nobility and royalty.

This specific Tabriz, woven in Azerbaijan circa 1880, has an extremely artistic design that elevates this piece from an ordinary rug to an exquisite work of art. Upon close examination, one can see that so much time and effort went into executing such a marvelous motif. This hunting scene features an asymmetrical design that spans the whole field with a great sense of movement. Usually, the objects in pictorial rugs seem very stationary, as if the subjects were posing motionless. However, this master weaver has achieved something that is rarely seen – he was able to capture not only the characters, but also the passion that drives them. Every scene flows into the next so fluidly, it is hard to tell where one ends and the other begins. Framing the majestic field, the animal design carries into the border, bringing an overall continuity to the rug.

Tabriz, the central city of Eastern Azarbaijan, is one of the oldest cities in Iran to which Moghadassi, the tenth century AD geographer refers as “a very beautiful, prosperous and developed city.” The story of Tabriz is one of repeated destruction, survival, restoration and revival. In 791 A.D., it was rebuilt after a devastating earthquake. It rose again after earthquakes in 858, 1041, 1721 and 1780 A.D. It survived the invasion of the moguls, the Ottomans the Afghans and two Russian occupations, one in 1827, and the other under Stalin’s regime in 1941.

Some of the most artistic expressions of the sixteenth-century Persian craft were produced in Tabriz. However, from the time of the Afghan invasions in 1722 until the late 19th century, the karkhounes (workshops) ceased to exist and the craft returned to the level of the village weaver making no more than sufficient for his own needs.

At the end of the 19th century, three inspired Persian master-weavers, Haji Jalili, Sheik Safi and Kurban Dai were the flames of the revival sparked by an ever-increasing demand from western markets.

Tabriz carpets very diversified in weave and design, including the corner medallion design, palmette flowers, weeping willow, cypress tree, geometrical patterns, prayer-niche and hunting scene designs. Pictorial Tabriz rugs are also very well known. Some Tabriz carpets are decorated with imaginary motifs as well as Persian poetry.

References:

The Splendor of Persian Carpets by E. Gans-Ruedin
The Carpet Museum of Iran
Metropolitan Museum of Art, Islamic Art Department

For much of the twentieth century the interest in Oriental rugs and carpets has come increasingly to focus on the concept of the antique rug as the standard of excellence, and there are certainly good reasons for this. The influence of western dye and machine spinning technologies, along with the enormous new demand for oriental rugs that developed from the late nineteenth century onward, all contributed to a rapid decrease in quality in terms of the materials, the weave, and the designs. By the nineteen thirties it was easy to tell the difference between rugs made up to about World War One, and those made after.  Read the full article, About New Oriental Rugs & Carpets.

Written by Joan Guryan
Sunday, 07 January 2007