THE IDENTIFICATION OF RUGS
The one thing desired by those who are just beginning the study of Oriental rugs is the ability to readily identify them. Realizing this, the author has included a chapter on the identification of rugs which contains many features new to rug literature and which, he trusts, will greatly simplify and render easy the process of identification; but it must be borne in mind that certain rugs are much more easily distinguished than others and that at times even the connoisseur is puzzled.
Oriental rugs are identified not alone by their designs and colors, but by their material, texture and finish, therefore, there is given first, a list of those which are distinguishable by their outstanding or prominent characteristics; second, reproductions of the backs of those rugs which are characteristic in their appearance, and third, an exhaustive chart giving complete details as to weave, material, texture and finish of each variety of rug.
The chapter on Design, which precedes this, is the most complete consideration ever given to this detail of rug making, and its numerous descriptions and drawings will enable the reader to identify, with reasonable certainty, rugs by this feature alone.
The numerous pictures of the representative types of rugs will also familiarize the readers with many distinguishing patterns, while the chapters in Part II take up and gather together all of the various features of each kind of rug upon the market, so arranged and described that a clear and comprehensive idea of it will be formed in the mind of the reader.
A FEW CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF CERTAIN RUGS
Named in the order of their importance and given to assist the reader in differentiating, although few are absolute criterions.
Herez.—Characteristic angular ornamentation; shaded background (see doubletone, page [172]).
Kara Dagh.—The pile contains considerable natural colored camels' hair.
Tabriz.—Almost invariably a medallion centre (see doubletone, page [182]). Very frequently curl on the sides.
Bijar.—Considerable camels' hair in the field.
Kermanshah.—Colors soft and light; sides overcast with dark wool.
Senna.—Characteristic weave (see plate on weaves, page [152]); pear design and Herati field and border design very common; pole medallion (see doubletone, page [188]).
Feraghan.—Herati border and field design in the great majority (see doubletones, pages [114] and [190]).
Hamadan.—Broad outside band of natural colored camels' hair; pole medallion nearly always a prominent feature (see doubletones, pages [110] and [192]).
Saraband (Mir).—The characteristic Saraband border stripe; field consisting of the pear design in rows with the stems of alternate rows turned in the opposite direction; light blue web (see doubletone, page [198]).
Saruk.—Overcast with silk or dark wool; Herati border designs; intricate floral designs; frequently curled on the sides (see color plate, page [166]).
Sultanabad.—Generally large scroll and floral pattern (see doubletone of Mahal, page [202]).
Niris.—Madder red predominates; pear pattern common.
Shiraz.—Sides overcast with wool of two colors; pole medallion a prominent feature; little tassels of wool frequently along the sides; strand of colored yarn in web (see color plate, page [52], and doubletones, pages [206] and [208]).
Herat.—Herati border and field designs common; pear designs in field with stems all turned in the same direction.
Khorasan (Meshed).—Uneven distribution of woof threads (see plate on weave, page [152]). Two small pears resting their stems upon a larger one is one of the common designs. Herati border and field also common. Magenta a prominent color (see color plates, pages [22] and [32]).
Kirman.—Bouquets and vases in design most frequent (see doubletone, page [212]).
Kurdistan.—One or two strands of colored wool in web of one end; overcast with yarn of different colors; shading of colors.
Kir Shehr.—-Many have several tufts of wool composed of all the different colored yarns which are used in the body of the rug.
Ghiordes.—The fringe on the upper end, as a rule, instead of being a continuation of the warp threads, is a separate piece sewed on. It also usually has two cross panels, one above and one below the prayer field (see color plate, page [66]).
Ladik.—Wide red web striped with yellow or blue; figures large in comparison to the size of the rug; magenta freely employed.
Yuruk.—Border narrow in proportion to size of rug.
Bergama.—Designs generally broad and large in proportion to rug (see doubletones, pages [46] and [236]); frequently small tassels of wool along the sides of the rug; several woof threads between each row of knots and a wide web which frequently carries a design or rosettes which are woven in.
Kulah.—The Kulah border design nearly always in one or more of the stripes; the ends are generally dyed yellow; a large number of narrow border stripes which are filled with minute designs, usually the "fleck." A filled or partly filled centre field; usually one cross panel (see doubletone, page [240]).
Meles.—Field is frequently composed of perpendicular stripes of yellow, red and blue with zigzag lines or peculiar angular designs running through them (see doubletone, page [242]).
Mosul.—One or more strands of colored yarn run through the selvage, usually red and blue.
Daghestan.—Diagonal ornamentations of both field and border; all spaces well filled with a small geometrical design (see color plates, pages [84] and [292], also doubletones, pages [254] and [256]).
Derbend.—Yellow lavishly used; field likely to consist of a repetition of designs in alternate colors.
Tchetchen.—The characteristic Tchetchen (Chichi) border design is nearly always found (see doubletone, page [260]).
Baku.—Small strand of camels' hair crosses one end.
Shemakha.—Pileless; loose shaggy yarn ends on the under side (see plate of weaves at page [153]).
Genghis.—-Field often filled with the pear design, each row alternating in color (see design on page [268]).
Kazak.—From two to six woof threads between each row of knots; diagonal position of pile (see plate on weaves, page [152]). Palace design commonly employed. Bold figures and bright colors (see doubletone, page [272]).
