Rug Societies

This article appeared in Oriental Rug Review, Vol. 15/6

ACOR

The word is out! Act immediately! The next American Conference on Oriental Rugs will take place in Santa Monica, California, January 25-28, 1996. It will be held at the Guest Quarters Hotel (room rates $100). The event will include a full two days of focused sessions and workshops, two exhibitions, two receptions, a dealer's row, and an auction preview. As in the past, attendance is limited, so register early. See the ad on p. 11 and "Rug Notes" for more information.

One of the exhibitions will focus on "Persian Bags: Collection from the Pacific Coast," which will be displayed at Sothebys/Beverly Hills. This focused exhibition will present meritorious examples from specialized and general collections. Participation in this exhibit is open to anyone living on the Pacific Coastline who owns any meritorious examples of Persian bags. To submit items from your collection for possible inclusion, send photos along with a self-addressed stamped envelope to: Michael Rothberg, Curator, 3030 Bridgeway Suite 218, Sausalito, CA 94965. Mr. Rothberg may be reached by telephone at 415-331-4538, or one may call Exhibition Chairman Brian Morehouse at 213-931-4987.

Arizona Oriental Rug/Textile Association

Sally Komerska, AOR/TA Caravan Leader, has announced in the group's brand new quarterly newsletter that the Arizona group has decided to hold the majority of its meetings between the months of September and April when the weather is most accommodating. Further, a nominal annual membership fee of $10 has been set to help cover the costs of administering the society's business and programs. AOR/TA's newsletter is a handsome and informative six-pager which includes a column by George O'Bannon, timely information on upcoming rug activities and conferences, a newsy update on members and their rug activities, a membership form, two brain-teasers, and a map. A fine and fun effort.

The September program featured Dr. John Olsen, chairman of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Arizona, who, with his wife Ovadan, spent the summer in eastern Mongolia working with Dr. Derevianko of the Russian Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography in Novosibirsk seeking evidence of early man from the Paleolithic Era. His talk focused on digs at Shabarakh Usu and Tsagan Agui near Choibalson.

In November Bob and Pody Gibson will host a picnic and show and tell at their Tucson home.

Chicago Rug Society

The September 22 meeting featured two speaker, an FBI agent discussing the theft of rugs, and a customs agent speaking on importation.

Cleveland Rug Society

Turn-of-the-century Persian city rugs -- the rugs of Tabriz, Sarouk, Kashan, Meshed -- were Jerry Thompson's topic at the first meeting of the Chicago Rug Society's 1995-96 year. An entertaining speaker, a collector and dealer in rugs and textiles, Jerry Thompson may be best known for his Saturday Morning Rug Appreciation sessions at The Textile Museum in Washington, D.C. Collector/author Mike Tschebull will share his latest acquisitions with the group at its October 22 meeting. On November 12 Peter Davies, a recognized authority on flat-woven pieces, will speak on his field of interest from the perspectives of scholar and dealer.

Houston Oriental Rug Study Society

The Theta Antiques Show in the Astro Hall was the site of the first meeting of the year for HORSS, where the booth of Peter Pap offered visual treats while Mr. Pap himself offered an interesting, informative, and well-received program on the fine old and antique Oriental rugs and textiles for sale there.

Moroccan Rug and Textile Society

The I.C.O.C. Regional Moroccan Rug Conference was held May 23-25 in Marrakech. About 350 people attended, the majority of them European collectors. In connection with the 8th I.C.O.C., planned for October/November 1996, the University of Pennsylvania will mount an exhibition of Moroccan carpets with a presentation and discussion session. If you have questions or suggestions, please phone Brooke Pickering in New York, 212-780-9125.

The New Boston Rug Society

Kicking off the '95-'96 season was Julia Bailey, Fellow for Research in Islamic Art at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, whose talk at Skinner's Boston considered the changing taste of the collector. This first meeting dovetailed with the Skinner fall auction, which was previewed by the group.

NBRS finished the '94-'95 with 105 members. Membership dues are $35 for individuals, $55 couples, $75 supporting, $100 patron. NBRS Chairman Mark Hopkins will be happy to supply information to interested participants; he may be reached by telephone at 617-259-9444.

Oriental Rug Society of N.S.W. (New South Wales)

The traditional textile of Cambodia, including clothing, temple cloths, silk and cotton coverings, and silk shawls, were discussed on August 10 by Gill Green, who illustrated her talk with slides and examples of old and modern Cambodian textiles and decorated loom artifacts.

On October 28, an Oriental rug seminar and associated exhibition will be presented by the Oriental Rug Society of N.S.W. in conjunction with The Asian Arts Society of Australia. A highlight of the "Rugs and Art" segment of this major event will be noted Australian painter, Michael Johnson's presentation of his view of rugs. Members will be treated to a special visit of an accompanying exhibition, the theme of which is Rugs in Paintings.

Princeton Rug Society

On October 7 Dr. Hanan Munnayer will discuss Palestinian Costumes, the subject of her study and collecting for many years. Her slides and videos of these renowned embroidered garments will be supplemented by examples from her extensive collection.

On November 3, George Jevremovic, president of Woven Legends, Inc., in Philadelphia, will explain his Azeri Folklife Carpets and their production in Turkey. "Live" examples will be on display.

San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society

The 12- or even 14-page SFBARS News letter continues to take the prize for most informative and wide-ranging of the rug society publications, thanks to the indefatigable "Ed" Sommer (Dr. John L., to most of us). Space being what it is (limited), we have gleaned from the #26 edition the following bare facts: October 6, George Jevremovic will speak of natural dyeing and the weaving of contemporary Middle Eastern rugs. His talk will be given at Emmet Eiland's Oriental Rug Company in Berkeley.

Professor Serife Atlihan will share her years of knowledge with traditional Turkish village weaving of the DOBAG Cooperative Project, sponsored by Marmara University. Her presentation is scheduled for November 8 at Return to Tradition on Sacramento Street in San Francisco.

On December 4, the Annual Dinner Meeting of the SFBARS will be held and Professor Elizabeth Barber will again be the featured speaker. Dr. Barber spent the early summer studying archaeologic textiles in China's Xinjiang Province and in the Urumqi museum.

TGLA, INC/Textile Group of Los Angeles

Joyce Corbett spoke on September 17 on the subject of Eastern Europe's "Eastern" Roots. Her remarks considered Eastern influences as they found their way into the art of Eastern Europe including carpets and kilims, costume, embroidery, and other needlework. She examined various regional styles and suggested the influences upon them.

In October Elizabeth Barber will discuss the first 20,000 years of "Women's Work for the group; the meeting will include a book signing.

The TGLA, with LABEC/the LA Bag Exhibition Committee, and Sotheby's, is making plans for the exhibit, "Persian Bags: Collections from the Pacific Coast," to be on display during the third A.C.O.R. in January. According to the TGLA newsletter, "If you would be interested to join the LABEC Committee please do not hesitate & call the local phone #. All are welcome. However, to be eligable [sic], you will have to submit to testing before your name is added. A sample question is: Name the hit single/hit album or any Persian bag they may own, of following performers: Alanis Moresette, Arrowsmith, Beck, Boyz II Men..." Local phone contact is Brian or Steph Morehouse at 213-931-4987.

Textile Museum Association of Kansas City

TMAKC met July 19 at Mundy & Yazdi Oriental Rugs and enjoyed a demonstration of indigo dyeing by Paul Soodsma, fiber artist. The group participated by dipping apparel, shirts to shoes, in the dye vat.

Barbara Lentz talked about and exhibited miniature Oriental rugs from her collection and from the collection of Frank Cooper. Mr. Cooper has written a well illustrated book on miniature Oriental carpets, and both he and Ms. Lentz have donated rugs to the Kansas City Miniature Museum.

In August 29 members and their friends visited "Treasures of the Czars," a trip to Topeka which was organized by Carol Mundy.

On September 20, Kirk Wynn presented a program on utilitarian weavings, which was followed by a show-and-tell.

On October 20, Saul Barodofsky of Sun Bow Trading Co. in Charlottesville will present a program on kilims.

New officers for the '95-'96 year are Pam Hoelzel, president; Chris Haas, vice-president; Carol Mundy and Kirk Wynn, programs; Bill Griffith and Paula Fernald, secretary/treasurer; and Pam Hoelzel, newsletter.

The Washington Textile Group

Members of the Washington Textile Group were invited to participate in a meeting at The Textile Museum to plan for a post-I.C.O.C. tour in Washington November 5 and 6, 1996. The planning meeting was co-chaired by Wendel Swan and Carol Bier and was attended by members of the WTG, the Textile Museum, and the International Hajji Baba Society.

Dick Wright and Phil Tiger conducted a workshop seminar on Caucasian rugs on September 23. Attenders were asked to bring one or two pieces for discussion.

Exemplary tribal pieces from the collections of members of the WTG will be on display during The Textile Museum's Annual Rug Convention in October, while a retrospective of the collection of McCoy Jones will be presented on October 28 by Jerry Thompson and Wendel Swan.