OF TURKISH VARIETIES
Babylon or Egypt may have woven the first carpets or floor coverings, and
China of course worked early in the same field. But Persia acquired the
art quite independent of China, and well in the beginning of the long ago.
Indeed, the Chinese industry practically ceased to exist many centuries
back, and was transferred to northern Persia, where the history of this
handicraft has its true beginning. From Persia all other countries have
drawn their knowledge and inspiration, and however much they may have
endeavoured to create and to evolve new figures and new designs, even the
oldest examples of their art must concede something to Persian influence.
The Turks, above all others, have shown themselves the most apt scholars,
and indeed in many lines have improved upon their teachers. The choicest
specimens of Turkish weave are as rubies to the other precious stones,
rarer, more brilliant, and more costly than diamonds. Though not so
closely woven as some of the Persians, they are wonderfully beautiful in
artistic picturing and in their own Oriental splendour of colour and
design. Such in particular are the antique Gheordez, as splendid in rich
floods of light as the stained-glass windows of a cathedral. They are the
finest woven and have the shortest nap of their class.
Here is the description of one taken from a catalogue of twenty-five years
ago: "Antique Gheordez Prayer Rug. Mosque design, with columns and pendant
floral lamp relieved on solid ground of rare Egyptian red, surmounted by
arabesques in white upon dark turquoise, framed in lovely contrasting
borders."
[Illustration:
PLATE VII.
ANTIQUE GHEORDEZ
_Prayer Rug_
FROM THE COLLECTION OF MR. GEORGE H. ELLWANGER
Size: 4.6 x 5.11]
Another is pictured as: "A flake of solid sapphire, crested by charming
floral designs in ruby on ground of white opal. The mosaics and blossom
borders are toned to perfect harmony."
These word pictures are in no way exaggerated, and only help to portray
the glories of the old Gheordez, with their graceful hanging lamps, as
wonderful as Aladdin's, in a vista between pillars of chalcedony or onyx.
They came in the form of prayer rugs generally, and a pronounced feature
of those more commonly seen is a multiplicity of small dotted borders. The
older and finer examples show borderings of far more graceful and artistic
drawing.
The antique Koulahs and Koniahs, though not so finely woven, have mostly
the same superb centres or panels of solid colour as the Gheordez, and vie
with the latter in the splendour of their hues, if not in the delicacy and
intricacy of their designs outside the central field. The Koulahs may
generally be recognized by a narrow border, which is peculiar to
themselves and is almost invariably found on them. This consists of a
broken line of little tendrils or spirals quite Chinese in character, and
looking much like a row of conventionalized chips and shavings. It is so
odd and distinctive that once seen it can never be mistaken. The Koniahs
also have little figures which are quite their own, and which usually
appear somewhere in the central design. They are small flowers each on a
single stem, and the flower has commonly three triangular petals, like an
oxalis or shamrock leaf. It is quite unlike the blossoms which besprinkle
other rugs. With this, often come crude figures of lamps like miniature
tea-pots. The Ladiks display all the colours of an October wood, and
complete the group of Turkish old masters. Not a few of them have also a
unique border in the form of a small lily blossom. Experts speak of it
familiarly as the "Rhodian border," but its origin is altogether
obscure.
[Illustration:
PLATE VIII.
ANTIQUE KOULAH
_Prayer Rug_
FROM THE COLLECTION OF MR. GEORGE H. ELLWANGER
Size: 3.11 x 5.6]
These words in testimony to the beauties of Turkish rugs may be offered
simply by way of guide-posts to lead to some museum. A few battered and
torn war-flags of Gheordez or Ladiks are occasionally offered on the
market, but the best of them lack all character and colour, and show only
the bold design and holes and strings and naked warp.
Just which particular Turkish rugs are properly classed as Anatolians it
is hard to say, Anatolia being so large a province. The term as
commercially used is only as comprehensive and expressive as "Iran"
applied to the Persians. It is generally misapplied to an uncertain class
of old, worn, and tarnished remnants or new coarse prayer rugs, ruinous of
harmony with their magenta discords. Yet many of the "mats" are rightly
called Anatolians, and, premising a later chapter, one of the greatest
delights of collecting was to look over a pile of them, with the
never-failing hope of finding some bright particular gem. And these mats
are truly the little gems of Turkish weaving, and in accordance with the
Oriental fondness for jewels and precious stones the suggestion that they
represent inlaid jewelled work has been well imagined. But here again we
cry, "Eheu fugaces!" They have gone. It is idle to look over the pile.
There are no good ones for sale. One explanation of their scarcity is in
the fact that the Armenian dealers have a weakness for these small pieces
themselves, and are wont to indulge their fondness for colour and sheen by
keeping the choice ones for their own use. So the mats of commerce are
either new, coarse, and crude and offensive with arsenical greens and
aniline crimsons and magentas; or they are but soiled patches and bits of
old rugs sewn together. _Caveat emptor!_ and let the buyer look at their
backs before purchasing.
The old Melez rugs, with characteristics peculiar to themselves, are
of almost like importance to the Koniahs and Koulahs. Frequently they have
a suggestion of the Chinese in their figures and decorations. You will
find symbolized dragons pictured on them, also the cypress tree; while in
colour they form a class by themselves, and exhibit shades of lavender,
heliotrope, and violet such as no other kinds may boast. Whatever this dye
may be, and whatever tone of mauve or lilac it may take, you will find it
only in the Melez, a few Bergamas, or in some old Irans, whose race is
practically extinct. Worthy modern Melez are still to be had, and will
improve as they wear; if only they are firm in texture and do not flaunt
the battle-flag colours of Solferino and Magenta.
[Illustration:
PLATE IX.
MELEZ
_Forty or fifty years old_
FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE AUTHOR
Size: 3.10 x 5.3]
The Bergamas come mostly in blues and reds, most prominently set out by
soft ivory white. One of their recognized patterns is quite individual,
and readily marks their class. It is a square of small squares marked off
like a big checker-board. Other small pieces are almost square, with the
field in mosaic-work or flower blossoms. In the fine old specimens, which
used to be, the Bergamas rioted in superb medallions or in a floriated
central figure like a grand bouquet. As a class, their merit is softness
and richness. Their defect is that of the Shiraz, a proneness to curl and
puff themselves with pride. The fault is caused by the fact that their
usually artistic selvedge is too tightly drawn. Skilful cutting of the
selvedge and new fringing will correct the error.
Some old and some excellent new Bergamas have lately been in evidence in
the stocks of the Oriental dealers. Howsoever or wheresoever they come,
the collector may well take courage from their appearance and apply
himself to the chase with renewed zest.