RUG NOTES, Vol. 8/2

From Oriental Rug Review, Vol. 8/2, December/January, 1988

Turkoman Rugs in Leningrad...Caucasian Rugs in Baku

We have just received notification that there will be major back-to-back conferences on oriental rugs in the Soviet Union. The first, from May 15-21, 1988, is The International Conference on Central Asian Carpets at the State Hermitage Museum, Leningrad. The second, from May 22-29, 1988, is The Second International Conference on Azerbaijan Carpets in Baku.

In Leningrad, featured will be early Central Asian carpets from the Hermitage Museum, Museum of Ethnography and Russian Museum, Leningrad, the Oriental Art Museum, Moscow, and the Fine Arts Museum, Ashkhabad; included will be the Bogolubov, Dudin, Palace, Stieglitz, and other major early collections. Additionally, the Pazyryk and other textiles from the Russian museums will be on exhibit.

Armenian Rugs Symposium in Geneva

A symposium on Armenian inscribed rugs will be held in Geneva on April 1-3. It is jointly sponsored by the Armenian Rugs Society and Mr. Hagop Avakian of Geneva. rhe symposium will feature speakers from the U.S. and several European countries. Participants must make their own international travel arrangements. Special hotel arrangements have been made for participants at the President Hotel, 47 Quai Wilson, CH 121 1 Geneve 21, Switzerland, telephone 022-31-10-00. It is suggested that participants plan to arrive on Thursday, March 31. For further program information, contact Mr. James M. Keshishian, Armenian Rugs Society, 6930 Wisconsin Avenue, Chevy Chase, MD 20815, or call 301-654-4044.

Armenian Rugs Society Symposium Scheduled for October

The next symposium of the Armenian Rugs Society will be held in Philadelphia from October 7-9, 1988. The meetings will be held at the Balch Institute for Ethnic Studies in the heart of historic Philadelphia. The theme of the symposium will be "The Armenians in Immigration to the United States." An exhibition of oriental rugs and historic photographs will be mounted in the Balch Institute galleries and will be on view from September through November. Symposium plans are not complete, but those wishing to receive information when it is ready should write to Aram Jerrehian, 257 East Lancaster Avenue, Wynnewood, PA 19096.

A Travel Adventure in Turkey

Holly Chase, an ORR contributor and a specialist in Islamic textiles, will be leading a caravan of travelers to Turkey in April and May. Each group is limited to 20 participants willing to explore Turkey's cultural diversity, complex history, folk traditions, spectacular landscapes, and hospitality to strangers. Tour dates are April 7-27 and May 5-25, 1988. For more information, contact Holly Chase, Box 3452, Groton Long Point, CT 06340, or call 203-536- 2540.

Flatweave Exhibition at Nahigian Brothers Gallery in Chicago Capped Off with Lecture from P.R.J. Ford

As the culmination of Nahigian Brothers recent exhibition, "Tent and Caravan: Flatwoven Tribal Treasures," noted oriental rug expert P.R.J. Ford lectured at the gallery on two consecutive evenings on the subject of the flatweaves of the Lurs and Kurds. Drawing upon more than 20 years of experience, peppered with numerous trips into the field for on-the-spot observations, Ford explained these wonderful textiles to audiences comprised of rug enthusiasts (on the first night) and architects and designers (on the second night).

At Nahigian's: Armen Minasian, Jim Ford,
Mr. Nahigian and Carnig Minasian

Ford had just returned from 10 days in Iran where he bought about 3,000 flatwoven pieces for Eastern Kayam OCM, London. His anecdotes about the current situation there were fascinating, especially when he talked about the relative independence from Islamic fundamentalism that is enjoyed by the Kurds.

Ford has recently authored Persian Flatweaves: Pictures from an Exhibition and Tibetes-Teppiche (in German) with authors Heinrich Harrer and Peter Mauch.

This exhibition was the fourth since Nahigian Brothers Gallery was acquired and renovated by Armen and Carnig Minasian, whose family has long owned Minasian Oriental Rugs in Evanston, Illinois, and Jorian Oriental Rugs in the Merchandise Mart in Chicago. The first three exhibitions were of Persian, Caucasian, and tribal rugs, respectively. The next exhibition is planned for the spring and will feature Persian masterpieces.

Boston's Own Auction House Opens

Michael Grogan is pleased to announce the establishmentof Grogan & Company, Boston's own full-service fine art auction and appraisal company. After a nine-year career at Sotheby's in New York, Mr. Grogan plans to combine his contacts and experience to service the New England art market.

"I am extremely excited and optimistic about the challenges before us," said Mr. Grogan recently. "We are forming an experienced and talented team, and we expect to hold our first auction in January. Boston is an exciting city, and I look forward to being a part of its rich cultural fiber," he concluded.

Michael and Nancy Grogan

Grogan & Company plans to hold regularly scheduled auctions specializing in the dispersal of estates property. Emphasis will be placed on servicing clients promptly and efficiently and on marketing property on a global basis. House sales (i.e., on-site auctions) will also be a major aspect of its operation.

Grogan & Company will be located in Boston at 890 Commonwealth Avenue in a spacious turn-of-the-century 10,000 square foot facility. Renovations are in progress and occupancy will occur in late November. For further information, Grogan & Company can be reached at interim offices at One Kendall Square, Suite 2200, Cambridge, MA 02139, telephone 617-266-4200.

Philadelphia Museum of Art Publishes Catalog of Oriental Rug Collection

The Philadelphia Museum of Art announces the publication in February of Oriental Carpets in the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Charles Grant Ellis is the author and 81 antique carpets from the collection are included. All rugs are illustrated in color and accompanied by a full technical and descriptive analysis. The softcover edition is available from the Museum Shop for $28.50. The hardcover edition is distributed in the U.S. by the University of Pennsylvania Press at $59.95 and in Europe by Herbert Press, Ltd., London.

To celebrate the publication, the PMA plans a variety of lectures, films, guided tours of the collection, and a concert during February.

Lectures

February 21: Layla S. Diba, "Later Persian Textile Arts in their Historic Context"
February 28: Walter B. Denny, "Designs and Meanings in Early Oriental Carpets"

Films

February 6: "The Isfahan of Shah Abbas" (1976) and "Persia and her Magic Carpet" (1940)
February l3: "Patterns of Beauty" (l976) and "Tales from a Book of Kings: The Houghton Shah-nameh" (1973) and "Woven Gardens" (1976)
February 20: `Art of the Persian Carpet" (1975) "People of the Wind" (1976)
February 27: The Thief of Baghdad" (1924)

Gallery Lectures

February 24, 26, 28: Katherine Hacker, "A l6th Century Garden Carpet from Northwestern Persia"
March 1, 3, 5: Marjorie K. Sieger, "An Early Spanish Armorial Carpet by Islamic Artisans"

Docent Gallery Talks

February 16, 18: Ann McPhail, "Turkish Carpets"
February 23: Ann McPhail, "Persian and Mughal Carpets"
February 25: Betsy Webster, "Carpets from the East"

Concert

February 14: A Concert of Turkish Classical Music For more precise information about times and places for these events, call The Museum of Art Information, 215-787-5431.