OF THE MAKING, & OF DESIGNS, BORDERS, ETC.
[Illustration]
[Illustration: _"Serabend" Border_]
In order to appreciate the beauty of rugs, it is well to remember how they
are made, and with what infinite patience the bits of wool are knotted
onto the warp one after another, knot upon knot and tie after tie, until
the perfect piece is finished. Yet, no! Finished it may be, but never
perfect. Deliberately, if necessary, it must show some defect, in proof
that Allah alone is perfect. Such at least is the poetical version of a
crooked rug as the seller tells it. Yet never was a vendor but will
expatiate fluently on the merits of a rug which lies true and straight
and flat upon the floor, as a good rug should. It is a common sight
nowadays in shop windows to see some wandering artisan plying his trade
for the edification of the passer-by. In his own home it is generally a
woman who does the weaving, and very commonly the whole family take part
in it. More often still the rugs were woven by an Oriental maid for her
prospective dowry, and the practice yet obtains. A specimen of her
handicraft in textile art was a bride's portion and marriage gift; it was
considered as essential to the proceedings as the modern _trousseau_. This
offering was a work of love and often a work of years. It is but natural,
under such circumstances, with dreams, hopes, and fancies for inspiration,
and the stimulus of rivalry, too, that masterpieces should result.
These Eastern marriage portions correspond to the "linen chest" of our
ancestral Puritan Priscillas; and similar customs now survive in many
countries. Except that the "accomplishment" of the Oriental maiden is so
much more important, it might also be compared to the beadwork so
diligently done by our grandmothers. If the Persian bride gave infinite
toil and pains to innumerable knots and ties, our belles of the last
century were also unwearying in their tasks, and strung more and smaller
beads than any would care to count or finger now. The designs on these
bead-bags were mostly crude and "homely," and their art was very simple.
But though the handiwork of the Orientals was expended in a better cause
with worthier skill, both linen and wool, and even beads, bespoke a
labour of love in such employments; which, alas! is out of date to-day.
Rugs of this character, gathered from house to house, together with some
few stolen from mosque or palace, were the first ripe spoils of twenty
years ago. Of course the supply was soon exhausted. It is an interesting
question whether it might not be possible, in the East, to revive this
high class of work among the girls. Instead of establishing great
factories for machine-made products from set designs, could not the most
skilful of the girls be induced by good prices to create original pieces
and rejuvenate the old art?
[Illustration:
PLATE II.
ANTIQUE KONIAH
_Prayer Rug_
FROM THE COLLECTION OF MR. GEORGE H. ELLWANGER
Size: 3.5 x 4.7]
[Illustration: _Persian, Caucasian_]
[Illustration: _Feraghan Leaf Design_]
[Illustration: _Rhodian or Lily Border_]
The method of weaving is most simple. The warp is stretched on a rude
wooden frame, and this warp is either wool, linen, or cotton. The
knotting is begun at the bottom and worked from right to left. A bit of
woollen yarn about two inches long is deftly twisted between the strands
of the warp, then tied in a secure knot, and the ends left as they are.
This knot of yarn is then secured in place by one or more twists of the
end of the warp, and then another knot of yarn is tied and the process
repeated _ad infinitum_ until the bottom row is finished and another row
begun. Not till the rug is all made are the ends of the knots cut,
according to the length of nap desired. Such, at least, was the original
method, although the various knots are all a mystery to any but the
initiated, by whom they are generally classified as two only. When one
square inch of rug is completed, according to the quality of the rug and
the coarseness or fineness of the yarn, there have been thus laboriously
tied from one hundred to five hundred knots, not uncommonly a thousand and
more in some museum pieces. And all this while the weaver is working with
his brains as well as with his fingers and keeping true to the design and
colour scheme which he carries only in his head. Except in the few
intentioned copies, specially made, they had formerly no patterns to
follow. Each particular weaver, however, was wont to keep to the general
design and colouring which distinguished his particular locality.
[Illustration: _Koniah Field_]
[Illustration: _Koulah Border_]
Of designs it may be said, generally, that they were originally individual
trademarks, and, of themselves, stamped the locality of their weavers.
Later, as knowledge and civilization spread and tribe grew to communicate
with tribe and nation with nation, local designs came to be used
indiscriminately. For example, you will find in the semi-antique Feraghans
or Shiraz, or Kiz-Killims as well, the distinctive and unmistakable Sehna
models. On the other hand, certain definite, primal, and unchanged
designs, both in the field and border, mark some rugs absolutely and
exclusively; as the Bokharas and Afghans. In many, their classification is
fixed, or at least approximated, rather by their borders than by the
figuring of their fields. There are many border designs surely determining
their origin and the region to which they properly belong. These borders
may have been borrowed or stolen, or may have naturally spread to other
regions, even in the old time; and they may be adapted to various other
makes to-day. Their evident individuality of design tells its own history
just the same.
It is not difficult to master the characteristic features of the borders
of many types; and, once known, they make a fair foundation of knowledge
for the collector. They are often truer and safer guides to classification
than are the designs of centre or field. Indeed, the study of borders,
inner, middle, and outer borders, and borders characteristic, modified, or
exceptional would make a book of wondrous artistic interest and beauty of
design. Even the item of selvedge, particularly in the Beluchistans, shows
great skill in colouring and pattern.
[Illustration: _Turtle Border_]
The consideration of characteristic patterns in field and border is so
involved with verbal description and specification in the various classes
of rugs that an attempt at complete pictorial illustration of such figures
in their proper place is practically impossible. A few reproductions are
shown in this chapter which may serve as examples. Some of them are more
particularly considered elsewhere in the text, as reference may show.
[Illustration: _Crab Border_]
[Illustration]
The Serabend border is referred to on p. 50, and is quite unmistakable;
and the Persian border (p. 23) is familiar to every one, and appears
frequently on Caucasian rugs of every quality and every age. The Feraghan
leaf design is noticed on p. 52, and wherever used in the drawing,
determines its class as absolutely as any figure may. The Rhodian border
is referred to more particularly on p. 72, and the Koniah design and
Koulah border are described in their proper place, p. 72. Other Persian
borders are most interesting, although they may not particularize any
class or locality. Such are the turtle and crab borders (pp. 28 and 29),
and the lobster design, at the head of this page. The origin of these
strange forms of ornament as applied to carpet-weaving adds only another
mystery to the subject. But dyes were derived not only from leaves and
roots, but also from insects, molluscs, and crustaceans. It must be that
the origin of the colour originally suggested these symbols of marine or
insect life for decorative effect. The more they were used, however, the
more conventionalized and meaningless they appear, recent weavers not
appreciating what they represented. Old pieces show more clearly the
evident model. But old pieces also often show original creations in border
and design, far more artistic than the usual types. The Kazak border of
the titlepage is an example. The discriminating collector, when a choice
offers, will do well to avoid the commonplace.
[Illustration]