Baluch Exhibition
Hazara Gallery, Oakland, California
February 7-28, 1989
Review by Michael Craycraft
Mohammed Zavvar hosted an exhibition of Baluch weavings at his Hazara Gallery last February featuring rugs, kilims, trappings, soffres, ru korsis, and bags from Khurasan Baluch and Timuri tribes. The majority of rugs that were hung came from a collection assembled by Mohammed in the I960s and I970s when he worked for his father, Haji Gholam Hussain Zawar, a dealer of Baluch rugs in Mashhad.
Most of the weavings were exceptionally fine in weave and execution and in a perfect state of preservation. The exhibition was hung in a tasteful manner with each artifact accompanied by a 5x8 inch label embellished with attractive calligraphy stating the provenance, attribution, circa date, size, and price.
 | A Salar Khani Baluch, circa 1900, 2'10"x3'5", $2,000 |
Mohammed's knowledge of Baluch weavings was acquired from his father and from his own experience dealing these rugs in Mashhad. Attributions were formulated from information gained from the Baluch tribal agent in Mashhad, a childhood friend of the senior Zavvar. Baluch and Timuri tribesmen would bring this agent lists of articles they needed from the town; the agent would send his subordinates to shop around Mashhad for these requests, and then he would trade them for tribal products. These the agent would wholesale to the shopkeepers around town. He would inform the Zavvarsof the identity of the person who brought the rugs to him. Other attributions were gained on buying expeditions to the provinces. Mohammed's comments are remarkably consistent with recent scholarship.
The condition of the weavings was frequently perfect; indeed, some of the pieces appear never to have been used. Among these were an extremely fine multiple technique kilim with an inordinate amount of soumak work and a vegetal dyed camel collar. The collar had an almost identical mate, most certainly woven by the same weaver or a close immediate relative, which was in the same state of preservation. Most of the pile weavings were characterized bs silky, high gloss pile, fine weave, and near immaculate condition.
An interesting array of soffres and ru korsis were judiciously interspersed with the aforementioned brilliance, providing a balancing contrast.
Though this was Hazara's first exhibition, it was executed in a polished, professional manner. Mohammed speculates that his next show probably will be focused on ru korsis and soffres. The gallery deserves congratulations for its accomplishment and support for its next effort.
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