RUG NOTES, Volume 8, Number 1

by ORR Staff

From Oriental Rug Review, Vol. 8/1, October/November, 1987

Textile Museum Exhibition

Woven from the Soul, Spun from the Heart November 8, 1987 - January 29, 1988

For several months the American public in Washington, Chicago and New York has been dazzled by the textiles, rugs, ceramics and metalwork of the great Turkish sultan, Sulayman the Magnificent. The l6th century witnessed a phenomenal burst of creative artistic energy not only in the Ottoman Empire but throughout the world. The Safavid dynasty of Iran also participated in this cultural epoch and produced some of the most astounding artifacts the world has known.

Large pile carpet, central star medallion, with corner quarter
medallions; Iran, early 17th century. Textile Museum,
cat. no. 38 - TM R.33.1.1
Velvet, falconer, Iran, first half 17th century. Textile Museum, no. 3.320

On November 8, The Textile Museum will open a major exhibition focusing on Safavid art and that of its successor dynasty, the Qajar. Following so closely on the Sulayman exhibit, Middle Eastern art afficionados will have an opportunity to study and to view the art of two of the most significant Islamic cultural styles.

Woven from the Soul, Spun from the Heart is drawn from the museum's collection of Safavid and Qajar textiles (l6th through l9th centuries), among the foremost in the world. Many of the materials will be exhibited for the first time. The exhibition is conceived and directed by Carol Bier, curator of the Eastern Hemishere Collection. Ms. Bier has conducted extensive research and preparation over a three-year period prior to mounting the exhibition, which will occupy all of the exhibition spaces at the museum. Included in the exhibition are rare classical Persian carpets, Safavid figural silks and velvets, garments worn by courtiers, as well as products woven by nomads for their pastoral lifestyles. There are more than 100 works of art, including 40 rugs and textiles, in addition to supplemental materials such as metalwork, miniatures, and tiles to highlight the social, economic and cultural aspects of the history of this 400 year period.

In selecting the rugs and textiles for the exhibition, the complex nature of Persian society was kept in mind. They tell the story of kings and queens, of royalty and nobility, of weavers at the court; they also tell of the common folk, of factory workers, peasants and nomads.

Funding for Woven from the Soul, Spun from the Heart has been provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency. Additional funding for the catalogue has been received from Farhad Hakimzadeh and the Hagop Kevorkian Fund. The exhibition will travel to two additional sites: Santa Barbara Museum of Art (April 2 - May 22, 1988) and the Detroit Institute of Arts (June 20 - August 14, 1988). It continues at The Textile Museum, 2320 "S" Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20008 through January, 1988. The catalogue Woven from the Soul, Spun from the Heart will be published in late October, 1987, and will be available through The Textile Museum shop. Cost for the softcover is $39.50 (plus $2.50 shipping and handling charges) and $60 for the dust-jacketed hardcover (plus $3.00 shipping and handling charges).

The museum is planning two major programs during the period of the exhibition. A rug convention to be held December 5 - 6, 1987 will focus on l9th century Persian carpets. A full-day scholarly symposium is scheduled for late January, 1988, and is supported by the Marshall and Marilyn Wolf Foundation.

* * * The Textile Museum will hold its l2th annual Rug Convention, December 4 - 6, 1987. The theme of the convention will be "The Nineteenth Century Renaissance in Persian City Designs," and will feature a full slate of events. Speakers will include the museum's Carol Bier, Gerald W. Thompson, Dr. Murray L. Eiland, Donald N. Wilber, P.R.J. Ford, and Dr. Annette Ittig. Registration is limited to 100 participants and the fees are: $215 for TM members and $260 for non-members.

New Afghanistan Studies Journal

The first issue of the Afghanistan Studies Journal will be published in October, 1987 by the Center for Afghanistan Studies, University of Nebraska at Omaha. Plans to publish such a journal were announced over a year ago by Thomas E. Goutierre, Director of the Center. Ehsen Entezar is the Managing Editor.

The Journal will be published twice a year (fall and spring) and the contents will consist primarily of scholarly articles, of analysis and comments related to the current situation in Afghanistan, and articles concerning Afghanistan's rich cultural heritage. The first issue carries an article by ORR Editor George O'Bannon, called "Dated Prayer Rugs from Afghanistan," as well as one called "Mohammad Hashim Maiwandwal: Afghan Patriot," by Donald N. Wilber, a frequent contributor to this journal.

* * * Speaking of things Afghan, back when we were in our tabloid incarnation, we mentioned the Pamir Restaurant which features "Afghanistan cuisine," and asked for comments if any of our readers sampled the fare. We have heard from Rosalie and Mitchell Rudnick, Massachusetts collectors. "Rugs on the walls, excellent meal and much fun. Partner Bassir Bayat very much appreciated your mention of the restaurant." The Pamir Restaurant, 1437 Second Avenue, (between 74th and 75th) NYC, (212) 743-3791

Oriental Rug Dye Analysis

Dr. Paul Mushak, a frequent contributor to this journal has opened a technical analysis service for dye, mordant and fiber analysis of Oriental rugs. Dr. Mushak has described his methods of analysis in a series of articles in ORR. Complete details including a fee schedule were not available as of our presstime. Dr. Mushak has told us that a testing sample would normally be two knots of the same color for duplicate analysis. For further information: Dr. Paul Mushak, 811 Onslow Street, Durham, NC 27705, (919) 286-3854.

Navajo Rug Dye Analysis

For some years Dr. David Wenger has been providing dye analysis for Navajo rug collectors. Formerly of Denver he has recently moved to the Philadelphia area. Dr. Wenger tests the red and blue dyes only in Navajo and Spanish textiles. He tests submitted samples using a spectrophotometer. Response time is usually 1-5 days. Those wishing to avail themselves of this service should submit labelled samples in small packets if sending more than one. The fee schedule is $50 for one sample, $80 for two samples and $35 each for three or more samples submitted at the same time. For further information contact, Dr. David Wenger, Darby and Marple Road, Haverford, PA 19041.

Exhibitions

Nahigian Brothers Gallery, 645 N. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611, (312) 943-8300 has hung an exhibition of flatweaves titled, Tent and Caravan: Flatwoven Tribal Treasures. The exhibition opened September 11 and will be up until December 5, 1987. A small catalogue written by Jerome Franke, a prominent mid-west collector, has ten color illustrations of various kilims, bagfaces, a horse cover and an embroidered asmalyk.

George O'Bannon opened an exhibition, Mughal Tapestries, Victorian Jacquards: 300 years of Paisley, of Kashmir, Paisley, and European shawls at his gallery at 2100 Spring Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. The pieces were collected by Mr. Frank Ames, author of The Kashmir Shawl.

John J. Collins, Jr. of Newburyport, Massachusetts, (617) 462-7276, will hang an exhibition of South Persian tribal and village rugs from November 28 to December 12.

In the O'Bannon exhibition, detail of a Kashmir shawl, c. 1780

Conferences in the Air

Leningrad

The International Conference on Central Asian Carpets with a venue of the State Hermitage Museum, Leningrad, U.S.S.R., was originally scheduled for March l6th through 23rd, 1986, but was postponed. Rumors are afoot that it has been rescheduled for spring of 1988, however we have been unable to obtain confirmation on this by presstime. If it is on once again, we hope that details will be worked out in time for those interested in attending to make their visa and travel arrangements. Perhaps there will be a happy consequence of glasnost and rugs after all.

San Francisco

Leningrad is not the only conference up in the air. We have heard that the VI International Conference on Oriental Carpets, originally scheduled for the fall of 1989, has been pushed back one year due to organizational difficulties. Watch this space for further developments.