COMMENTARY

When we started planning this issue several months ago, it was our hope to publish an article summing up the various types of Baluch rugs by category, with neat classifications by design and technique, and with an identification key. Armed with such information, rug collectors confronted with a type of Baluch rug unknown to them could pull out the key and might use it as in the following example:

Step 1 Type of knot: Turkish
Step 2 Light or typical Baluch colors: typical Baluch
Step 3 1, 2, 3 or 4 cord selvedge: 2 cord
Step 4 Floral design or geometric: floral
Step 5 White flowers present or absent: present
Step 6 Plain tapestry kilim or mixed technique: plain
Step 7 Natural or corrosive dyed brown wool: natural
Step 8 Use of small amount of pale yellow: yes
Solution; The rug is from the Bacha-i-Shukhi, a subtribe of the Shash Qazi clan. It is very rare and valuable!

Regrettably, the state of knowledge of Baluch rugs is not so advanced; and therefore there is no such article in this issue. There are, however, attempts to identify several types of Baluch rugs with more specific names, an extensive bibliography which may help Baluch collectors seeking more information, a report on Baluch rugs at auction, and articles on some recent weavings as well.

Those readers not familiar with Baluch rugs who want a general overview of them will find useful our reprint of an article by S. Azadi published recently in the Encyclopaedia lranica. We are grateful to Dr. Annette Ittig for bringing this article to our attention; the Encyclopaedia lranica is being issued by fascicles and the most recent one, the B volume, contained the Baluch article. We understand that more articles on the rugs of Iran will appear in alphabetic sequence. If your major local library does not subscribe to it, you may wish to urge its management to do so. It will become a major reference work, we are sure.

Last month we remarked about our experiences with the printer's arts during our first year as a color journal. Many of you have already told us that you saw a marked improvement in the color reproduction quality of ORR IX No.1. That pleases us because we printed that issue on a new press and under vastly improved lighting conditions. We felt we had made a giant step forward, and we are pleased that you noted it and took the time to tell us. Further refinements with this process are expected In fact, as we begin pre-press production, we expect this Baluch issue to be our biggest challenge so far; we have our fingers crossed because we have learned these rugs are among the most difficult to depict accurately in color.

The reader surveys are pouring in. If you have neglected to return yours, please do so soon. We hopeto have an initial report of results for our next issue, so don't miss this opportunity to voice your opinion of our journalistic efforts and their impact upon you.

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Many of you met my wife Helen at rug meetings around the country and abroad I am sad to report that she succumbed to breast cancer on October 19. Although not as committed a rug groupie as I, she was always supportive of my endeavors in this field. Her wry, humorous and pointed assessments of rug events andpersonalities will be missed. In her own field of administration and public service, she accomplished more in her 49 years than most do in a full lifetime. I miss her greatly.

George O 'Bannon, editor