An Imreli main carpet, lot 57 in Christie's (London) October 15 sale was one of the finest extant examples of the type. It sold for L11,000,approximately $18,000. (All prices used include the 10% buyers premium.) The same rug was sold by Skinner's in November, 1983, for $19,800. As one of a rare group of Turkoman weavings which sell for fairly substantial sums, the reappearance of this rug caused us to look at the amounts and types of Turkoman rugs which have sold for over $5,000 in the past five years. Of the major U.S. houses, only Sotheby's and Skinner's had sold Turkoman weavings above this price. A detailing of the rugs and prices we received from them follows. We are compelled to comment on the Imreli rug, Illustration 1, as we have been aware of certain aspects of its provenance for several years. Prior to the Skinner sale, the rug had belonged to Father Julius Marina, a Byzantine Rite Catholic priest. Father Marina loved oriental rugs and had many in his residence and in the chapel of his church. This rug was used as a table cover on the altar of the church and later on the altar wall of the chapel in his home. Father Marina was from eastern Czechoslovakia and was the last governor of the province of Moldavia, serving until the occupation and annexation of that province by the Soviets. He came to the U.S. in 1947. Exactly where he bought the carpet is not known, but the executor of his estate knew he purchased rugs from Nahigian's in Chicago after his arrival in the U.S. Most likely the rug was purchased there as he did not leave Moldavia with any personal possessions. Illustration 1. The Marina Imreli main carpet. Photo courtesy of Robt. W. Skinner Co.

TOTAL:.......... ..................................................................... 12
Salor 6; Saryq 2; Yomud 2; Imreli 1; Beshire 1; Main Carpets 5; Trappings, Asmalyks, Ensis 5; Torbas, Juvals, Prayer rugs 2.

Group II, $9,300 to $13,200

TOTAL: ............................................................................... 13
Yomud 8; Salor 3; Saryq 1; Tekke 1 Main Carpets 5; Trappings, Asmalyks, Ensis 5; Torbas, Juvals, Prayers 3.

Group III, $5,500 to $8,800

TOTAL:............................................................................... 15
Yomud 6; Salor 2; Tekke 2; Ersari 2; Chodor 1; Imreli 1; Beshire 1.
Main Carpets 4; Trappings, Asmalyks, Ensis 5; Torbas, Juvals, Prayers 5; Rugs 1.

TOTAL RUGS: .................................................................. 40
Yomud 16; Salor 11; Saryq 3; Tekke 3; Imreli 2; Ersari 2; Beshire 2; Chodor 1.
Trappings, Asmalyks, Ensis: 15
Main Carpets: 14
Torbas, Juvals, Prayers: 10
Rugs: 1

The prime Salor weavings are the wedding trappings. The highest price paid at auction for a Turkoman rug is the $67.1 paid for the Coury Salor Wedding Trapping. This piece had everything going for it: published in Schürmann's Central Asian Rugs; long ownership by one family; beautiful condition, dramatic scale, sumptuous materials, rare colors; and that indefinable, "presence."

Illustration 2 is another of these and is No. 2 on our list. Its rare feature was the single medallion format. Numbers 5 and 6 are the same type of trapping. This type continues to be the most sought after of all Turkoman weavings.

The second observation is that Yomud weavings dominate in number of pieces. The Yomuds are one of the largest and most prolific weavers of the Turkoman tribes. Given their production level, it would follow that they would or should have a high percentage of rugs included in such a list. Yomud designs and color palette are more extensive than the Ersaris or Tekkes, the two other populous tribes.

Illustration 4. A Yomud main carpet. Photo courtesy of Robt. W. Skinner Co.

Of the 16 Yomud weavings on the list, 13 are either main carpets (7) or asmalyks (6). The other three are ensis. Looking at some of these pieces carefully, one sees that they exhibit uniqueness or hark back to what Turkomaniacs "think" 17th and l8th century Turkoman weavings might have been like. Illustration 3, No. 14, a rare combination of dyrnak and "C" Guls, shows an earlier stage in the evolution of these two gul forms. Likewise the main border shows a step in the evolution of the curled leaf and "kink" vine pattern found on bird and animal/tree asmalyks.

Illustration 4. A Yomud ensi. Photo courtesy of Robt. W. Skinner Co.

The asmalyks in the list are not the common ashik and tree type asmalyks. As in the Abadjian asmalyk, No. 11 (see PIate 77, Mackie/Thompson), ivory grounds and archaic plant forms tend to dominate the field patterns. In Group III, the Yomud ensi, No. 31, is not so much rare as it is a currently voguish type among Turkoman collectors, ashik with small arrow, Illustration 4. This rug was in perfect condition, had excellent colors, and was graphically strong.

Of the three Saryq pieces, all are from the earliest group of Saryq main carpets. Illustration 5, No. 4, is discussed elsewhere in this journal in the article on Saryq main carpets.

Of the other tribes represented by one or two examples, the reason for the price seems to lie in one of the reasons cited for the Salor and Yomud pieces.

For years Beshire prayer rugs have been the only weavings of this group which achieve a high price. They are rare, antique and difficult to find in good condition. Furthermore, their design and coloring appeals to people who are not Turkoman collectors (which is most of the world).

Like Salor rugs, Imreli weavings are considered rare and early, but many are in poor condition and have an unfortunate color palette which has held prices down on some pieces. Even the big spenders won't pay thousands for an ugly, rare rug.

Of the three Tekke pieces, one was a rare kapunuk, a favorite trapping of collectors. No. 33, a late rug but with superb execution of all weaving elements, shows that decorative Turkomans can occasionally reach these levels if the right bidders are present. The lone Ersari juval was a fine mina khani patterned rug of exceptional quality with a rare design.

We spoke to Detlef Maltzahn of Rippon-Boswell in Wiesbaden to see how some of these observations track in the European market and because we recognize that European buyers dominate the U.S. market in these purchases. In recent years, Rippon-Boswell has had tremendous success with a rare group of ivory ground asmalyks. One sold for approximately $51,000 in May 1985.

Mr. Maltzahn told us that one could not sell mid-19th century Tekke main carpets today because there are simply too many of them. He added that collectors in Germany are interested in small pieces, almost anything with ivory grounds, rare weavings, and pieces which are unknown in the market, e.g. fresh. He said that they should have an aspect which no photograph can capture, a characteristic he calls drama or magic, what we call presence.

In discussing specifically the Marina Imreli and why it did not bring more than the Skinner price -- actually something near a $5,000 real loss for the owner -- he felt that possible damage was done in Vienna where Thompson publicly confessed his sin in naming the group Imreli, and Azadi further confused the issue with a rebaptism of Goklen. It also was not fresh.

He feels Turkoman collectors want specific tribal names and that attribution ambiguity can affect the price of pieces. So the Imrelis are wandering in the desert, orphaned, waiting for someone to declare their real paternity or at least adopt them again.

Everyone seems to agree that the number of buyers for the best Turkoman pieces is extremely thin. Detlef believes there are 10-20 people worldwide who would spend at the Group I level. Another house specialist thought that might be a bit optimistic. In any event, they should not be allowed to all fly on the same airliner. This thinness at the Group I level in buyers may well explain the gap in prices between Group I and Groups II and III.

There are significantly more people of middle income who participate at the lower level, but when the rarest pieces go on the block, the truly rich and most successful dealers, who are willing to pay the highest prices, rapidly bid to the higher level in their competition. The gap results from the propensity to spend by the wealthy beyond that of the middle income collector.

Below the $5,000 level the variety of pieces increases. However, there are specific pieces which are surprisingly close to the $5,000 figure. They are small and rare items. One is the Yomud bokche. Skinner's has recently sold two of these for $4,400 and $4,950. Tekke khalyks are another favorite trapping.

Considering these prices, it would be interesting to see what a bird or animal/tree asmalyk would bring at auction. They are not only rare but could be labelled "classical" Turkoman weavings, replete with the desired totemic imagery. Would they set a new record or is it the unique piece, like the white, flower-covered Saryq asmalyk, Carpet Magic, p. 100, which will drive Turkoman rug auction prices even higher?

The Christie's (London) sale on October 15 was the first major rug auction after the October stock market decline. In many respects nothing untoward came out of this auction. Total sales were $617,400 and 68% of the 145 items sold, not an atypical set of figures. This was the auction which contained an Imreli rug and prompted our survey of Turkoman rug prices which you will find preceding this report. In discussing the sale with a Christie's spokesman, he reported that in general Caucasians and Persian city rugs did well in the sale. In asking about specific rugs pictured in the catalog, it seemed that many of the Turkish and Turkoman pieces did not sell. But a Chinese pillar rug with an unusually drawn dragon and corrosive browns sold at L6,800, just over the L6,500 high estimate. A rare and beautiful octagonal "East Persian" carpet sold for L7,500, est. L3,000/5,000, and a soumak rug with a Seikur pattern and color in perfect condition made L5,500. If the condition of the stock market was having an effect on the rug auctions, it was not apparent in London. Our second conversation was with Detlef Maltzahn of Rippon-Boswell, Wiesbaden. Detlef and Christa Lebold have recently assumed responsibility for the Rippon-Boswell operation in Germany. The auction on November 14 was their first since the change in management. Rippon- Boswell has had something of a checkered reputation in European circles. It was a British firm which began holding auctions in Germany in 1976. The initial German dealer and collector reaction was to stay away from their auctions because of the uneven quality of the rugs and the reknowned cliquishness of the German rug community. However, some good pieces did pass through their hands in Germany and one or two American dealers were smart enough to buy there. The success these dealers had plus the gradual upgrading of offerings resulted in a turnabout four years ago when the major German dealers and collectors began attending and buying at Rippon- Boswell. Lot 96 at Rippon-Boswell, as Ersari main carpet sold for DM19,000

When we talked, final sales and percentage flgures were not available because some after sale negotiations were still in progress. He felt the sale had been satisactory and that slightly more than 50% of the 174 items had sold.

Several factors seemed to attribute to this low percentage sold: the absence of German businessmen concerned about the decline in the stock market, the ban against Persian goods by U.S. Customs (a German dealer who wanted to buy for export to U.S. was told Iranian goods would not be cleared), and the unfavorable exchange rate. The DM on that day was DM1.64 to the dollar. Three years ago it was approximately DM3.45. Detlef said that three years ago one-half of their sales were to Americans and at this sale one rug sold to an American.

Lot 108 at Rippon-Boswell, a white field Yomud asmalyk

There was also a clear division of sales: a group of cheap goods which sold below DM1,600 and a second group which sold above DM4,500, with virtually nothing selling in-between.

There were many interesting rugs, but the trend spotted at Christie's seemed to hold here, also. Caucasians and fine Persians did better than the other groups. Turkish rugs were virtually dead in the water. The only one to sell was Lot 40, an antique Memling gul Konya at DM7,000, est. DM8,500. Many of the Kulas, Ghiordes and Bergama rugs did not even elicit bids.

Lots 10 and 140 were Shahsavan Soumuk horsecovers, circa 1930-40. Based on dealer information Maltzahn announced at the auction that they were post-WW II weavings. The result was that Lot l0 did not sell but Lot 140 sold for DM5,500. The latter piece had the Bosporus/Samarkand medallion plus four horsemen. The buyer was a horseman himself and told Detlef that age didn't mean anything to him, it was the imagery that mattered. Hooray for him! We have commented on these pieces before -- Sotheby's, May 1987 -- and we believe they are wonderful weavings. Thank God, there are some people out there who are not intimidated by the antiquarian snobbery of some dealers and collectors. Surprisingly, Lot 61, a Shahsavan bagface very similar to the Bosporus to Samarkand catalog cover, went unsold. Its estimate of DM8,500 was not at all unreasonable.

Two Davagin Avar kelims, Lots 28 and 64, sold at DM4,500 and DM3,600, both below estimate. Lot 28 was especially nice and we continue to be surprised at the lackluster interest in these pieces since the article by Wilber and Milberg. The kelims have elicited more interest than the pile rugs of this group.

Turkoman pieces were weak. A pair of embroidered asmalyks, an Arabatchi torba, a Chodor main carpet and an unusual Ersari main carpet did not sell. Even a Yomud bokche was being post-sale negotiated. Another rare, early 19th c. Ersari main carpet, Lot 96, must have barely made reserve at DM19,000. The star Turkoman attraction, however, an Abadjian-type tree asmalyk sold for DM65,000. This was within the range of previous examples sold by Rippon-Boswell but below the DM125,000 plus record. Prices qouted do not include the 16% buyer's premium and VAT.

Left Lot 110 at Rippon- Boswell, a Ning-Hsia rug. Right Lot 64 at Rippon- Boswell, a Davagin kelim

Another star item was an antique Ning Hsia, again with corrosive browns, which made DM28,000. Finally what would appear to be one of the oldest Kazaks we have seen at auction, Lot 150, sold for DM8,800, est. DM3,800. It apparently waffled between Kazak and Eastern Turkey for origins, but even in the b/w photo it looked like a great piece of rug.

All and all, Maltzahn was pleased with the outcome of this sale and promised some surprises in their next major rug auction in March, 1988. Our final conversation was with an auction house we have not had an opportunity to report on with any frequency, Butterfield & Butterfield of San Francisco. Their major sale of English, American, and Continental Furniture and Decorative Arts of November 10, 11, and 13 contained approximately 150 rug lots. The total value sold was $360,000 with 85% of lots sold. As the catalog shows and the value proves, this is no fly-by-night operation. The low percentage of unsold goods also shows that there were many unreserved items, rare at a major auction house! We spoke with Jim Haas, who has recently assumed responsibility for Butterfleld's rug department. This was their best sale ever. Apparently the room was full and buyers were standing in the back and in the aisles. There was even a contingent of East Coast dealers who are not normally present. (Have the European dealers driven them out of New York. with their competition?) Haas said they have two or three major rug auctions a year such as this one. With this type of success, will they follow Skinner's lead and start a "rugs only" auction?

No specific group of rugs was especially stronger than others, but large decorative rugs such as Ushaks tended to sell above estimates. West Coast buyers may not be as tolerant of condition problems, however, as Lots 2384, a 10'x13' Serapi with repairs and paint, and 2385, an unusual and early Shirvan with worn areas, did not sell. From the photos, we would have bet they would have had no problem selling. A group of Turkoman pleces from a private collection sold at very reasonable prices.

Lot 2512 at Butterfield's, a Kazak rug sold for $6,600 including buyer's commission. Lot 2511 at Butterfield's, a Lori Pambak Kazak rug, sold for $6,050 including buyer's commission. (left)

Two Lori Pambak Kazaks. Lots 2471 and 2511, may point up some price differences between the East and West Coasts. Lot 2471 sold for $3,250, est. $3,000/4,000; Lot 2511 sold for $5,500, est. $7,000/10,000. In.their December 5 sale Sotheby's had a rug, Lot 7l, which.does not appear to be superior to either of these and it was estimated at $12,000/15,000. For that difference, one could pay the price of a first class round-trip to a Butterfleid's auction. Butterfleld's next major auction is in March, 1988, and we hope to provide more advance information and a preview.

To our surprise, it would seem that the stock market is having more of an effect on the European markets than in the U.S. Maybe it really is just paper money after all, and the U.S. buyer is buying at home rather than in the dollarwise, more expensive European markets. Those who follow the painting auctions suggest that the market decline is causing a return to tangible investments. We will see about that in December.

Since the stock market decline in October, many have been anxiously awaiting the December round of rug auctions to see what effect it had on the market. The results are now in. Sotheby's auction was on December 5, Skinner's on the 6th and Christie's the 8th. As is usually the case the scene at each was quite different. Sotheby's sale included 270 lots, the most notable of which were the rugs deaccesioned by the Baltimore Museum of Art. These included the famous vase carpet which was presented on a fold out page in the catalog. There was also a large group of decorative carpets. The "collectors" rugs were not particularly strong but surprisingly included a group of Turkish rugs. We wondered if the house were trying to capitalize on the success which Skinner's has had recently with these. We decided to follow these as a group in the auctions. When Skinner's catalog arrived it was clear that this was the auction for the collectors, and we would have bet that it is where we would find many in attendance. The sale included a Holbein variant Turkish rug and several exceptional Turkish village rugs and a melange of other tribal and village weaves of a vintage that are of interest to collectors on both sides of the Atlantic. Skinner's has redesigned their catalogs. They are larger in size, do not fall apart as they used to, and there has been an improvement in color reproduction.

Lot 118 at Sotheby's, a silk Caucasian embroidery.

The Christie's sale was not as large -- 150 lots -- nor as focused, but there were enough pieces of interest that one should not have neglected to preview or attend the auction. Lot 8 was the best East Caucasian rug of all the sales. (Estimated $7,000/9,000, sold for $23,100.) Lot 23, a pair of Veramin bags in the aksu design, were among an interesting group of small collector pieces. Sometime back we were critical of the "Junior League" ambiance at Christie's. Whether we or Christie's has changed, we are not quite sure, but it has a more relaxed and user-friendly atmosphere these days. After perusing the catalogs, we decided to watch closely a group of East Turkestan rugs as well. We noted that more rugs with extensive repairs are appearing in the auctions and we add a cautionary note for those who may be bidding by phone. Sotheby's lot 109 estimated at $8,000/10,000 was completely rewoven on both sides with no mention made in the catalog. Skinner's lot 114 with an $8,000/l2,000 estimate carried the notation "portions of the border professionally rewoven" but the restoration was quite extensive. They might well have said "new weaving with antique fragment." Lot 23 at Christie's, a pair of Veramin bags. Note the closure system.

Sotheby's and Skinner's produced five more Turkoman lots to be added to the price survey published elsewhere in this issue. At Sotheby's lot 66, an Ersari main carpet, is the first Ersari on the list. It sold at a surprising $7,150 (est. $3,000/5,000). Lot 68, a very old dyrnak gul Yomud main carpet with boat border, optimistically estimated at $15,000/20,000, did not sell. Lot 53, an unusual small Tekke rug with a fawn colored ground, sold for $8,250, and the S-Group three medallion wedding trapping sold for $18,700, slightly below the high range breaking point of $20,000. This piece was in the poorest condition of any to appear on the market. It was paper thin, the silk was gone and the colors were tired. But even in that state, it still attracted top Turkoman dollars. At Skinner's lot 147, an S-Group juval, sold below estimate at $6,050 and lot 101, a "C" gul main carpet, was knocked down for $9,350.

A Salor juval was Lot 147 at Skinner's, b&w photo

Lot 131 at Skinner's, a West Chinese rug, was one of several rugs that many recognized as once being in the hands of one of the premier dealers in the United States. The rugs were subsequently sold to a western collector who had a very good day with them at auction. This piece brought $4.500, plus buyer's commission, against an estimate of $1,500/2,000. This result suggests that rugs can be a repository of value if you buy top pieces from top dealers., b&w photo

Among Kazaks Sotheby's and Christie's lots 98 and 39 were comparable rugs. Lot 98 was dirty and sold for $3,575, while lot 39 which was clean, and therefore more attractive -- see their ad in the November/December ORR -- sold for $3,850, so why bother washing a rug before sending it to auction? On the way to the auction we walked through Tepper's auction house downtown. On the floor there we saw a large Kazak rug with bright synthetic red field and red-stained ivory from earlier washings. We guessed this rug would probably sell for $500. In previewing Sotheby's sale we encountered their lot 76, an almost identical rug which had escaped washing which would have caused its reds to run. This piece was estimated at $5,000/ 6,000 and sold for $5,500. For what they bought, this buyer would have been better off at Tepper's.

On auction day at Sotheby's the Turkish rugs simply did not sell. Most were West Anatoia/Bergama region rugs which serve as the prototype for the DOBAG rugs. Only two Turkish rugs sold. Lot 26, a beautiful Bergama rug in very good condition, sold at $69,600 (est. $8,000/$10,000). The other was lot 117, a Central Anatolian runner in perfect condition which sold for a cheap $5,500. This was one of those rugs that was in such perfect condition you had to ask yourself if it were a fake. See Brüggeman and Böhmer plate 13 for a similar piece.

Skinner's had an entirely different result with their Turkish rugs. The star was lot 97 (est. $8,000/l2,000), sold to a Munich dealer, for $44,000. Lot 120, a small but graphically powerful piece, sold on the phone for $16,500. The distinction between the Sotheby's and Skinner's rugs was that Skinner's were mainly Central Anatolian or 18th c. or unusual types. The one exception was a Bergama rug, lot 95, in next to perfect condition which achieved a bid of $3,250 and did not sell. But it was the one piece which was most like the group of rugs at Sotheby's.

Christie's had a more mixed group of Turkish rugs but more examples: Konya prayer rugs, a Ladik prayer, Milas rugs, a Mujur prayer rug, etc. The results were in line with Skinner's. The Ladik, lot 28, sold for $4,180 (est. $2,000/3,000), a Konya prayer rug dated l738 with outrageously fine color (est. $2,500/3,500), sold for $22,000! The only piece which did not sell was a Yachebedir Bergama rug.

In reflecting on this, we wonder if the lack of interest in the Bergama region rugs is related to the success of the DOBAG rugs and their clones. The normal retail customer does not see the difference in an ayvacik and an antique Bergama. If Central Anatolian weavers started weaving new vegetal dyed rugs in the antique style would these prices fall too?

Lot 121 at Sotheby's brought $25,000 plus buyer's commission. In our October/November issue we reported that this piece had appeared at a previous Sotheby's auction and did not sell. We were in error. The house has informed us that the piece had been withdrawn from that earlier sale by the consignor.

East Turkestan rugs are scarce and in this round of auctions there were several: Christie's lot 37, Skinner's lots 124, 133, 140c, 157, and Sotheby's lots 60, 62, 63, 65, 119, 120, and possibly 121. They have always had a small following because of their unique designs and colors, this despite the fact that they have lousy wool, poor dyes, and undistinguished weave. When they are genuinely antique, they normally bring surprising prices given their generally poor condition. Lots 62 and 124 were early 19th c. examples of the three medallion type and a typical worn condition. Lot 62 (est. $3,000/4,000) sold for $2,970 to one of New York's most notable rugs-as-art dealers (Abadjian). Lot 124 (est. $3,000/5,000) made $3,740. Lot 63, a silk pile rug with the vase/pomegranate design (est. $10,000/15,000), was the priciest of these rugs at $17,600. It was in very good condition and, all told, an impressive rug. Christie's rug was younger than these by a couple of generations and had an unusual allover pattern of rosettes and floral branches. Condition was good but its appearance would have been enhanced with a bath, but one does not go to auctions for clean rugs. Estimated at $4,000/6,000, it was a good buy at $3,080. The late l9th/early 20th c. pieces were represented by lots 157, 60 and 65. These are usually in better condition but usually have cotton warps and wefts and more borders. Lot 157 with dark colors (est. $3,000/5,000) made $3,410. Lot 60 had colors described as "pale mauve, ivory, buff and pale rust." A decorator's dream rug! Estimated at $2,000/2,500, it sold for $1,320, just the right price to redecorate this year and throw it out in five years when the colors have changed. Lot 65 was a coffered rosette pattern in "salmon, saffron, teal blue, and chocolate" (do people eat these things?), good pile, brown wefts and a very attractive look. Two people obviously wanted this rug for it sold at $11,550, slightly more than double the top estimate of $5,000. The star example of this group was a small ivory ground, vase/pomegranate rug, lot 133 (est. $3,000/5,000) from the early 20th century. After vigorous bidding, this piece stayed in the U.S. with a private bidder for $5,830.

The most successful sale on a percentage sold basis was Christie's at 82% and total value of $750,000. Anything over 75% sold in a rug auction is exceptional and this shows the strength in the market today. At least two things are operating: the weak dollar brought the Europeans over who are buying a third cheaper now than a year ago, and the stock market decline would appear to be making tangibles more attractive to people with money. The latter is a bit more speculative because the real strength of the sales was in the large decorative rugs not the collector pieces.

Keith Wayne, Christie's rug expert, runs a very efficient auction disposing of the 150 lots in 1 1/2 hours. There is no coddling and coaxing of the buyers and they learn to make their decisions fast with no detriment to the values achieved. Other notable rugs were lot 48, Chi Chi prayer rug, excellent condition, color, and drawing (est. $12,000/15,000), sold for $19,800; lot 91, silk Kashan prayer (est. $15,000/20,000), extremely fine weave, great condition and in a pictorial design, $38,500; an Aubusson carpet, lot 128, l8'20"x10'7", (est. $20,000/30,000) made $19,800; and a blue ground early 20th century Chinese rug, lot 134, 21'7"xl4', (est. $6,000/8,000) went for $16,500.

Sotheby's grossed the most, as usual, with $2.5 million the highest total in a rug sale since the market peak in 1980-81 and 77% of the offered lots sold. Bill Ruprecht relieves the generally cold, institutional feeling at these auctions with his one-liners, e.g. when lot 149, a Kum Kapour silk prayer (est. $20,000/30,000), seemed to stall at $35,000, a new bidder entered the fray, prompting his remark to the other bidders, "Breaks your heart, doesn't it". Final sale was $47,300. This was the one auction where a sense of tense excitement appeared several times during the morning and afternoon sessions.

Some notable sales: lots 1 and 3 were beautiful leather bound copies of Martin and Bogolyubov. The Martin sold for a cheap $4,400 and Bogo for a not so cheap $5,500. The classical rug fragments from the Baltimore Museum of Art sold between $300 and $1,000 except for lot 8 (est. $1,000/1,500) which sold to the astute James Burns for $4,025. Lot 122, the vase carpet, was the only one of these Baltimore Museum rugs seemingly with a reserve and it did not sell at $95,000. Rug collectors who did not attend this auction preview just to touch and feel the classical pieces missed a rare opportunity. Museums certainly don't let you do this. But if one wants to know what the carpets at the Textile Museum's Safavid/Qajar show feel like this was the way to find out.

Persian tribal rugs did not fare so well in this sale. Lot 34, a beautifully conditioned Qashgai, failed to sell but for its type it was superior to all the Kazaks which did sell. Lot 90, a Shirvan rug (est. $30,000/35,000), 3'7"x4'5", was a rug many people wanted to see. Why so much? While technically superbly woven, it left me cold. A wag standing next to me remarked that the weaver's husband probably said when she finished it, "Hon, you done good, I'II take you out to dinner tonight." It was a shock to most when it was knocked down for $46,200.

Another peak at the auction was lot 118, a silk 17th century, Caucasian embroidery, estimated at $20,000/30,000. This was a well known piece and it had attracted much attention and was the clear star of the sale. Around the $20,000 mark, Ruprecht began recognizing "a woman at the rear of the room". She was a stunningly attired black woman who appeared just for this lot. She was wearing a black dress, white leather coat and leopard skin boots. When the piece was knocked down to a phone bidder for $49,000, she vanished as abruptly as she had appeared. Rumor the next day was that she was Diana Ross (she was not). Someone else speculated that she was in the service of a well-known dealer. This episode was indicative of the high drama surrounding his sale.

The afternoon session of decorative carpets also had its high moments, more so, in fact, than the morning session. Indeed, auctioneer Ruprecht told us, "The afternoon session crackled. I could feel it from the podium." An English needlepoint carpet, lot 249, sold for $73,000. Lot 261, a 20'x16' Heriz went for $70,000, while an ex-Baltimore Museum late 19th century rug, 31' x 12', in very good condition sold for $8,000, against an estimate of $12,000/18,000.

From both a percentage of units and dollar value sold, Skinner's was the weakest sale. This likely results from the large number of collector's pieces which don't bring the five figure amounts. American privates, not the Europeans, buy the large carpets, and it was in these large carpets where Skinner was weakest. The New England public was sitting on its hands. Perhaps they need to go to New York and see what people down there pay for large carpets. On the other hand, the New England Yankee is willing to 1ive with worn out rugs.

Having seen all three auctioneers at work, we wonder why Skinner's has to rotate them every 60 lots or so. This slows down the process and can break the rhythm of a sale. We would also urge Skinner's to adopt New York's legally required statement of a non-sale.

The Skinner sale peaked with Lot 97, the Holbein variant rug which sold for $40,000. It was followed by possibly the best flatweave of all of the sales, lot 116, a Shahsavan brocaded horse-cover, estimated at $7,000/10,000, which made a well-deserved $15,400. A surprise was lot 120, a graphically powerful West Anatolian rug, 4'4" x 4'9", estimated at $5,000/7,000 which closed at $16,500. A Tekke khalyk, cut and sewn back together, estimated at $2,000/3,000, surprised many by selling for $800. Obviously there was a small group of Turkoman pieces that went unreserved. In a discussion with a Skinner spokesperson we were told that there were several post-auction sales.

We venture to draw some generalizations from these sales. Foreign money was slightly stronger for the collector's pieces. American privates were buying the large decorative carpets. Collectibles are still going to Europe and it appears that the stock market crash has not quelled the spending patterns of the rich for large decorative rugs.

The major houses are recognizing this strong market by scheduling more rug sales. Sotheby's has held all-rug Arcade sales, which means four Sotheby's rug sales a year. Christie's is adding a third rug sale, which is scheduled for March or April. The next round of major rug sales will fall in late May or early June. The U. S. rug auction scene appears to be heating up with more, stronger sales. Add to this the possible emergence of San Francisco's Butterfield's, who have a new rug man, Jim Haas, as a strong regional house and it looks like the mix will become even hotter.

The author, George W. O'Bannon at ORR headquarters