GHIORDES
Synonyms.—Ghiordez, Gurdiz, Guerdi, Yourdez, Yurdi, and many others.
Why So Named.—After the city of Ghiordes, fifty miles north of Smyrna, where they are made. It is the ancient Gordium from which was named the Gordian knot that Alexander the Great cut.
Knot.—Always the Ghiordes knot. Number vertically eight to fourteen; number horizontally eight to twelve; number to square inch sixty-four to one hundred sixty-eight.
Warp.—Usually wool, antiques occasionally cotton or silk.
Woof.—Usually cotton, occasionally wool or linen.
Nap.—Short, fine, lustreless wool, occasionally cotton. It has the shortest nap of any of the Turkish rugs. Seldom acquires sheen.
Sides.—Frequently finished with an added silk selvage in pale colors.
Ends.—The fringe on the upper end, as a rule, instead of being a continuation of the warp threads, is a separate piece sewed on.
Border.—From three to ten border stripes, usually one wide and one with from one to four narrower ones on each side. A favorite arrangement is to alternate light and dark border stripes.
GHIORDES PRAYER RUG
PROPERTY OF THE TIFFANY STUDIOS, NEW YORK CITY
Prevailing Colors.—Light blues, yellows, reds, and greens. Usually considerable white or ivory.
Dyes.—Of the best.
Designs.—A great majority of them are of the prayer designs. Usually with a centre of solid color and two cross panels, one at each end of the field.
Sizes.—Usually prayer rug sizes. Modern ones run larger than the antiques.
Prices.—Antiques exceedingly high.
Remarks.—Antiques are among the best, while the modern ones are among the poorest.
THE EXAMPLE ILLUSTRATED
Owner's Description.—The field of this old Ghiordes rug is of jade green, edged with small flower forms in cream, canary color, and brown. The high prayer niche penetrates the light blue space in which is a most symmetrical and formal arrangement of a leaf worked in light green, brown and red. The outer and inner border stripes carry the Ghiordes "Tarantula" design, and in the main border the design is squared off in tile fashion, a stiff leaf in light blue filling one-half the square and two red blossoms with yellow centres the other half. The stems are wrought in dark brown. See also color plate, page [66].