Needless to say, we have known of this collection for several years and have wanted to bring it to the attention of a larger audience, for the Shusha rugs are only a small portion of the total holdings. We were delighted when the Museum responded positively to our request to publish a more detailed and informative article on the Glencairn Museum and its rugs.
The names Pitcairn and Swedenborg are not widely known in the United States. Emanuel Swedenborg was an 18th century Swedish theologian upon whose writings The Church of the New Jerusalem was founded. Raymond Pitcairn was the son of John Pitcairn, founder of Pittsburgh Plate Glass, Company (PPG), a Scottish immigrant who at the turn of the: century provided much of the financial support for the establishment of a spiritual center for the Swedenborgian faith approximately 15 miles north of Philadelphia.
In 1897, a group of families of the Swedenborgian faith Settled in Bryn Athyn, where they could establish an educational system for their families. In 1908, John Pitcairn provided a major gift towards the building of a spiritual center for the group. The bishop of the movement, William Pendleton, was faced with the decision of the type of structure which should be constructed to conform to the new liturgy he was devising for the faith in the United States; he decided that a Gothic plan would be most compatible.
Originally, the sect turned to a Philadelphia architectural firm for a design. After rejecting the first plan, Raymond Pitcairn was selected to supervise the construction of the cathedral and a Boston firm was employed. A young lawyer, he soon abandoned law to devote himself fully to the construction and study of Gothic and Romanesque architecture. Construction was begun in 1913 and continued until the Cathedral, Council Hall, and Choir Hall were essentially completed in 1929.
In the course of this construction, the Cathedral emerged as one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the U.S.A. However, the style adopted for the Council and Choir Halls was Romanesque, which Raymond preferred. To execute the authentic designs in stone, metalwork and glass, Raymond had acquired during the construction a collection of stone, glass, and metal antiquities which had served as learning models for the craftsmen who built the structures.
When this work was completed, instead of closing down the craftsmen's workshop which had been formed for the construction of the Cathedral, he began the construction of a Romanesque home at the top of the hill overlooking the site of the Cathedral. This building was intended not only as a residence but also as a place to house the artifacts collection, the most significant of which were some stained glass windows that had been acquired to inspire and serve as examples for the glassmakers employed in making the Cathedral windows.
| The family home of John Pitcairn was named Cairnwood. For continuity, Raymond named his home Glencairn. Begun in 1929, it was completed in 1939, when the family moved into it. Sitting at the top of a ridge overlooking the valley of the Pennypack Creek, it commands a clear view all the way to the center of Philadelphia. It looks not so much like an exceptionally large house as a medieval castle. Built of a gray granite, it has a solidity and spirit of permanence beyond anything one is accustomed to encountering in this country. Raymond Pitcairn lavished on this building all of the knowledge he had acquired during the construction of the Cathedral and its allied structures. For this reason, it is in almost every detail superior to the others. The main portion of the building contains nine stories capped by a tower which reaches 149 feet. From this tower one has a |
Raymond Pitcairn lavished on this building all of the knowledge he had acquired during the construction of the Cathedral and its allied structures. For this reason, it is in almost every detail superior to the others. The main portion of the building contains nine stories capped by a tower which reaches 149 feet. From this tower one has a clear view of the surrounding countryside for miles. Although the scale of the building is beyond that of even a large mansion, it is on a par with medieval churches. The stone and metal work are authentic in feeling. It is the woodwork which shows a slightly different aesthetic, bordering on the art nouveau in its curved and sensual line and highly lacquered finish. The same feeling is expressed in some of the metal door handles as well.
We dwell on the nature of the building because in every aspect it is a work of art. One should not visit the Glencairn Museum simply to enjoy its rug collection but also to view the craftsmanship which was lavished on its construction.
There are five floors of the museum and rugs are to be seen on each. The first floor is maintained as it was when th Pitcairns lived there. It contains the Great Hall, the Upper Hall, which was the sitting room and dining area, as well a the kitchens and other service rooms.
The administrative offices are on the second floor. The third floor houses galleries for objects from the Far East, the American Indian collection, Greek and Roman items, medieval art, the library, and the master bedroom, which has been maintained with its original furnishings.
The fourth floor houses the Egyptian gallery with objects from the Predynastic to Ptolemaic periods and a Near East room. The fifth floor consists of the Pitcairn Room, with family memorabilia, and the Chapel, which should not be missed.
The major rugs are on view on the first floor in the Great Hall. This room is roughly 49'x59' with a ceiling which soars to a height of 84 feet and is surrounded by a balcony on the second floor. Some of the medieval glass and six reproductions of windows from Chartres Cathedral compose this room's fenestration. Some of the medieval antiquities are built into the structure of the Great Hall. In the center of the room is a Gerus Bijar measuring 29'x14'7". It has a blue field, and the vines and large lanceolate leaf forms are elegantly rendered. It probably dates from the third quarter of the l9th century. Beyond this rug is a Mahal which is 21'2"x 15'2" with an all-over pattern of palmettes and vines in salmon and beige. Although not a Ziegler, it is from the end of the 19th century.
To the right and left of these two rugs are alcoves with sitting areas and fireplaces. To the right of the Bijar is a 5'x8' Kazak, a 6'10"x 19'6" Kurdish rug with a mina khani pattern, and a 5'x6' Shirvan. To the left is an area with a Shusha rug with a harshang pattern, 6'1l'xl9'7", which is probably mid l9th century, and a Kurdish rug, also with a degenerate harshang pattern, 5'x8'. This area has two alcoves with statues. Behind one of these statues is a blue ground Caucasian verneh, and opposite is a Panderma Kulah prayer rug in mint condition. A twin Panderma rug also hangs in a similar alcove across the room.
In this room, one should not miss the rugs on the balcony. There one can see a classic Khila Baku with medallion, 5'x 14'; a 4'xl1' Shirvan; another Shusha with harshang elements within a lattice, 6'x20', dated 1259 (1842A.D.); a Shusha with a mina khani pattern, 4'x21'; and, the most important textile, a 4'x22' Talish runner with a red open field and green ground main border! The walls are also hung with several European tapestries.
In the Upper Hall, a 17x31'8" Mahal fills most of the space. In other side areas one can see two Shusha rugs with harshang patterns, 8'x20' and 7'x16'; a Bijar, 4'9"x8'4", with a bid majnun pattern; and under the dining area table a Kerman, 7'8"x 11', with an all-over cartouche pattern in light and dark blues that is probably from the third quarter of the l9th century. In this space, it is impossible to mention all the rugs in this collection of over 200 pieces. Not all of them are on view, and the smaller rugs are changed from time to time for repair and cleaning. However, some caught our attention. In a second floor office on the building's south side was a beautiful rug with a white ground main border. We initially took it to be a variant Ferahan, but on handling it we discovered it was a Bijar of a fine and supple weave. The library, a lovely room which should not be missed, contains a Gerus Bijar, 10'9"x 16' 1". Although coarsely woven, the realistically drawn flowers and colors are glorious. This rug has also been reduced in length. On a raised landing of the library, one can see another midcentury Kurdish rug, 6'x 1 5", with the mina khani pattern.
The Chapel is filled with a rug of a type which rug collectors should see at least once. It is a turn of the century copy of a classic Kuba dragon rug. The Costikyan firm was making rugs of this type in India and, as Mr. Pitcairn purchased other rugs from this firm, it may have come from it.
While most of the rugs in this collection are standard types and easily recognized, there is an occasional ringer. One of these is to be seen on the landing on the sixth or deck floor, which is not usually open to the public. The rug is 6'11"x18'11" and has a red field with several paired lions which are tied to a stake. Some of these lions are spotted like leopards. On one end are two birds, possibly peacocks, one with tail raised and one with tail down, which closely resemble the birds on Lampa Karabaghs. The rug is very coarsely woven at about 25 knots to the square inch, has wide selvedges, and supplementary weft finished ends. We had never seen anything like it before.
| There are remarkedly good records in the archives of the Museum, and some of the rugs have been matched with the existing receipts and correspondence. The Kurdish rug on the deck floor was purchased in New York from Justin Ruch in April, 1935. It is listed on the invoice as a "Souishboulak rug." In September, 1936, the dining area Kerman was bought from Mr. Ruch, along with two other rugs. The Kerman is listed on the invoice as "antique royal Lavehr Kirman.One of the other two rugs was a Shield or Keyhole Kazak, 5'6"x9', and is presently in storage. One conclusion to be drawn from these purchases is that Oriental rugs were hard to sell in the 1930s; prices were always negotiable and rationalness, and worth had little to do with the final price. We also know from the documents that the Bijar in the Library was originally 30'6" long and was cut down to fit the space. Described as an "antique Royal Bijar," it too was purchased from French and Company. Apparently, Bokharas were not the only rugs called "Royal" but Bijars and Kermans as well. The segments cut out of the Bijar were saved and are in storage. We were surprised at some correspondence we found regarding rugs which had been purchased for Cairnwood, John Pitcairn's home in which Raymond was raised. Correspondence dating from June, 1903, and continuing into 1905 concerns some specially ordered rugs from Costikyan Bros. and Co. of New York. Their letterhead lists offices in Constantinople, London, Tabriz, and Tiflis. The rugs in question, and we saw these still on the floors in 1982, were ordered to size for the foyers, first floor halls, and second floor hall. Described as Kermans with the typical beige and pink coloration, these rugs were purchased in 1903. One should add that these were not small rugs. It is estimated that the first floor hallway at Cairnwood is about 7'x40' and the second floor hall would have been comparable. |
Other New York dealers from whom rugs were purchased include H. Michaelyan, Kent-Costikyan, and the American Art Association (now Sotheby's). Although it appears that most of the rugs were bought in New York, some were purchased locally from Messrs. Albed, Jerrehian, and Stokes. There is a group of about eight Senneh kilims which were purchased in the 1930s; these still having the Stokes sales tags on them.
| A Penchant for Village Rugs
That he preferred the village rugs to the city ones is further evidenced by records on file. For example, in 1905 he was offered "a small Kirman for $110 and a rare silk with silver threads for $400." Neither rug pleased him and they were not purchased. In another instance he was presented with a large Tabriz which was rejected. In the case of the three rugs which included the Kerman and the Kazak, it could be that it was the Kazak that he found appealing and took the Kerman because it was part of the package. It is possible that the stronger appeal of village rugs was their drawing, which is more in conformance with the architecture in which they were placed but, again, we could find no direct evidence for such a conclusion. It does seem that Pitcairn liked good, strong, saturated, and clear colors. In our opinion, Shusha rugs, which dominate the collection, at least those of vintage during which Mr. Pitcairn was buying, have the best colors and widest range of colors of rugs found in the Caucasus. We feel the same is true in Persian rugs, especially Bijars from the 19th century. And he certainly seems to have had a strong preference for both of these types.
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The Glencairn Museum is located at 1001 Cathedral Road, Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania 19009. It is open by appointment from Monday through Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 P-m., except for public holidays. It is also open the second Sunday of each month from September to June from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., when no appointment is necessary. Admission is $3 per person, but children and students are admitted free. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Individuals or groups interested in a specialized rug tour should make appointments in advance.
For more information or appointments, telephone (2I5) 947-9919 or (215) 947-4200.
