ACOR 3: The Third American Conference on Oriental Rugs
Santa Monica, California -- January 25-28, 1996
ACOR 3: The Third American Conference on Oriental RugsSanta Monica, California -- January 25-28, 1996 | |
The gathering in Santa Monica marks the third American Conference on Oriental Rugs. The previous ones were held in Boston and in Chicago. The popularity of these conferences is such that available registrations are characteristically filled months in advance. Although the conferences are jam-packed with sensory delights and intellectual stimulation, organizers have been careful to cultivate an atmosphere that is congenial and relaxing.
A remarkable aspect of the American Conference on Oriental Rugs is that it is entirely the result of volunteer effort. The ACOR 3 Planning Committee is composed of Val Arbab, Connie Henderson, Mark Hopkins, Charles Lave, Bethany Mendenhall, Samy Rabinovic, Paul Ramsey, Rosalie Rudnick, Emily Sanford, and Mike Tschebull. The ACOR Board of Directors consists of Paul Ramsey, Connie Henderson, Mark Hopkins, Rosalie Rudnick, and Mike Tschebull.
Many other people generously contributed time, knowledge, energy, and creativity, serving on the conference faculty, as organizers of exhibitions, as facilitators, and staffing the various activities planned. Two rug societies, the Textile Group of Los Angeles and The Textile Museum Associates of Southern California, were instrumental in providing support and hospitality.
The two exhibitions complement the 1996 conference. "Persian Bags & Saddle Covers of Iran & The Caucasus" was organized by Brian and Stephanie Morehouse, Michael Rothberg, and the LABEC Committee, and "Woven Stars" was organized by Raymond Benardout and his committee.
The auction houses have been generous with their resources. Sotheby's hosts the Persian Bag exhibition and reception on Friday evening, while Butterfield & Butterfield plays host to an auction preview and reception on Saturday evening. Skinner has donated the conference tote bags and Christie's sponsored the coffee breaks.
Registration opens on Thursday evening at 3:00, and Dealers Row at 4:00. The "Woven Stars" exhibition opening, with dessert and coffee, is the first social activity of the conference. Registration continues on Friday, and the tour of the J. Paul Getty Museum, which is by advanced reservation only, is held on Friday afternoon from 1:30 to 4:30. Dealers Row
The relationship of Caucasian embroideries to classical carpets and folk art pile weavings is generally recognized, but it is seldom the subject of a presentation. Tom Caruso will explore the topic with a discussion of their esthetics, design similarities, origins and structure, using some striking old pieces as examples.
Using a loom to dernonstrate, Holly Smith Reynolds will unravel the mysteries of depressed warps, symmetric and asymmetric knots, discontinuous wefting, Z-spun vs. S-spun yarns, and much more. Her explorations will include how to distinguish between wool, cotton, and silk, and how to differentiate the various types of rug foundations. Bob Mann will assist.
Recently back from a two-month visit to the Tarim Basin, Murray L. Eiland Jr. will provide some fresh insights into the pile weavings of this little known area. His experience has led him to question conventional assumptions regarding where its fine old pieces were actually made. The talk will include both examples of rugs frorn the area, and slides from his recent trip.
Where do design motifs come from? Using slides, Marla Mallett will reveal the surprisingly common prevalence of old slit-tapestry design features in village pile carpets. Then she will demonstrate her theories on how unique kilim weaving sequences have helped to shape many of the basic design motifs we commonly associate with pile rugs today.
Don Tuttle will share some of the secrets he has amassed over his years as a professional textile photographer. Using slides, he will describe the technical challenges of photographing rugs and textiles for publication. He will also suggest valuable techniques that amateurs can use to get better pictures of their own collections.
Over the past 18 years Anne Halley has amassed one of America's finest Baluch collections. In this talk she will present some of her finest pieces as the basis for an exploration of her collecting specialty. The broad range of "Baluch" weavings will be covered, with emphasis on flatweaves as well as pile weavings.
Few types of nomadic weavings have been less influenced by disrupting commercial pressures than the broad category of warp-faced utilitarian covers called jajims. John Wertime will explore these colorful flatweaves in depth, covering the work of many cultures and showing many fine examples.
Teddy Sumner will describe the production of handmade carpets now being woven by Black Mountain Looms and Michaelian & Kohlberg, of which he is a principal. Using slides and examples, he will show how today's production relates to earlier export carpets, and will explain how his firm achieves the "look."
Behind every great rug there's a story. Three American rug collectors will each spend 15 minutes presenting a favorite piece from their collection and discussing its origins, provenance, history, and aesthetic merits.
Showing many rugs he has collected in Turkey over the past 40 years, Henry Glassie will describe how weavers in a Turkish mountain village have achieved remarkable commercial and aesthetic success through creative application of their ancient rug weaving traditions.
Holly Smith Reynolds and Bob Mann will address all the key issues that plague collectors: How much repair is needed? Where is it best done, here or overseas? How does restoration affect a rug's value? Should old repairs be replaced or left alone? When is it best not to restore? Slides and old rugs in need of repair will illustrate their points.
Russ Fling will discuss the dramatic silk and wool embroideries made in Central Asian urban areas known by the collective name of suzani. Using examples from his own collection and other sources, he will explain their uses in Central Asian cultures, explore how and why they were made, and discuss how they relate to other groups of embroideries.
Noted Iranian writer Parviz Tanavoli will talk on pushtis -- small pile rugs from Iran usually having a 2'x3' format. Using many fine examples, he will survey the group and discuss his in-progress research efforts to determine their original uses.
Lawence Kearney will share his thoughts on the dealer/collector relationship and where the field seems to be headed. He will explain how he evolved from collector to dealer, showing pieces from his own collection. Issues of connoisseurship will be discussed, as will the role of auctions.
Jon Sommer, assisted by Jim Blackmon, will present a rare group of non-Turkoman rugs, textiles and artifacts that are little known outside of Russian museums. Many of the rugs, screens, felts and other textiles were acquired directly in Kirghizstan. Travel slides will augment the talk.
Cathy Cootner will survey the broad subject of old Anatolian kilims and their design origins. She will augment her presentation with both weavings and slides.
Behind every great rug there's a story. Three American rug collectors will each spend 15 minutes presenting a favorite piece from their collection and discussing its origins, provenance, history, and aesthetic merits.
John Collins will survey the category of Persian weavings broadly known as Afshar, with an emphasis on graphic design. He will show examples ranging from pile rugs to flatwoven salt bags woven between 1875 to 1925.
Unheard of until a few years ago, these dramatic pile rugs from the northern Caucasus have aroused considerable worldwide interest. Erol Kazanci will describe his recent visits to the town of Zakatala. He will present many examples, and will use slides to show the fine old pieces he discovered in a mosque there.
How should you care for a rug? David Walker will discuss the process in detail, exploring various wash techniques, storage methods, and prevention of insect infestation. He will touch lightly on rug chemistry, and will offer amateurs some practical tips, including a basic rug shampoo formula.
Freshly back frorn her third visit there as a speaker at the Tehran Carpet Conference, Julia Bailey will share her observations on contemporary Iran. Using slides and weavings, she will discuss the current state of the Iranian rug industry, and will comment on what types of collectibles can still be acquired there.
Some weavings simply defy all attempts to categorize them. Wendel Swan will present a series of collectible pieces from Northwest Iran and the Caucasus that have thus far proven unidentifiable as to their origin, use, and/or age. He will share a "case study" approach that may help collectors in their own efforts to solve such mysteries.
A panel of experts will offer comments and opinions on pieces supplied by the audience. ACOR registrants are encouraged to bring their favorite Turkish pieces, and audience participation will be welcomed throughout the session.
Employing a new and different presentation format than invites audience participation, Mark Hopkins will use slides to display many pairs of rugs for comparative evaluation and comment by a panel of experts. The emphasis will be entirely on aesthetics, addressing those prickly questions "How good is it?" and "What makes it so good?"
Using examples from his own collection, Thomas Rutherford will survey this fascinating weaving group and describe his collecting activities in Nepal and Tibet. He will also comment on the many uses that pile weavings enjoy in the Tibetan culture. Slides of the region's weaving areas will accompany his talk.
Once thought to be prayer rugs, these Turkoman weavings were later discovered to be door coverings. Robert Pinner will share his observations gleaned from long years of collecting these popular weavings, using exarnples from many different tribal groups to make his points.
A panel of experts will offer comments and opinions on pieces supplied by the audience. ACOR registrants are encouraged to bring their favorite Caucasian pieces, and audience participation will be welcomed throughout the session.
There appear to be two distinct weaving traditions within the Chodor tribal family, and Michael Rothberg and Kurt Munkacsi will team up to unscramble the mystery. The possibility of a Chodor-Arabatchi linkage will also be discussed. Examples shown will include several rare ensis and unusual asmalyks.
"Memorable Rugs"
Juiia Bailey
serves as Fellow for Research in Islamic Art at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts.
Jim Blackmon
is a dealer of antique textiles based in San Francisco.
Tom Caruso
is a dealer of antique textile art living in Belmont, Massachusetts.
John Collins
is a Boston area dealer and author with special expertise in Bijar and South Persian weavings.
Cathy Cootne
r recently retired from the position of curator-in-charge of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco textile department.
Murray L. Eiland, Jr.
is a well-known collector from the San Francisco area and the author of several rug books.
Russ Fling
is a rug collector with a special interest in suzanis. He lives in Ohio.
Henry Glassie
is a professor at the Folklore Institute at Indiana University in Bloomington and an expert on contemporary Turkish folk arts.
Anne Halley
is a long-time collector of Baluch rugs and a principal of Adraskand, a San Anselmo (CA) rug shop.
Mark Hopkins
is a collector from the Bostou area and president of the New Boston Rug Society.
Erol Kazanci
is a leading dealer in Istanbul, Turkey, specializing in antique rugs.
Lawrence Kearney
is an antique textile dealer and collector from the Boston area.
Marla Mallett
is a weaver, researcher, and textile dealer in Atlanta who lectures and writes on design matters.
Bob Mann
is a textile restorer and conservator based in Denver, Colorado.
Kurt Munkacsi
is a Turkoman collector who lives in New York City.
Robert Pinner
is a London-based Turkoman collector. He is a now -retired founder of Hali magazine and the chairman of ICOC.
Holly Smith Reynolds
is a restorer and textile conservation expert based in Boston.
Michael Rothberg
is a collector of tribal weavings who lives in the San Francisco Bay area.
Thomas Rutherford
is a collector of Tibetan weavings, living In Glendale, California.
John Sommer
is a retired physician and an active rug collector. He is president of the San Francisco Bay Area Rug Society.
Teddy Sumner
is the principal of Black Mountain Looms and Michaelian & Kohlberg, rug production companies based in New York.
Wendel Swan
is a collector from Alexandria, Virginia, and president of the International Hajji Baba Society.
Parviz Tanavoli
is a well-known Iranian sculptor and the author of several books on Persian tribal rugs.
Don Tuttle
is one of America's leading photographers specializing in rugs and textiles.
David Walker
is the proprietor of Talisman in Santa Cruz, California, aud an expert on textile conservation.
John Wertime
is a textile dealer in Alexandria, Virginia, and a widely respected researcher and author.
Participating Collectors: Jim Burns, Mark Hopkins, Bethany Mendenhall, Rosalie Rudnick, Wendel Swan, Mike Tschebull.
