50
50 20 th Year
17:35
In this issue: Transylvanian rugs. S. Ionescu. The Mulberry. T. Sabahi. The ICOC Conference. R.J. Howe.
6-04-2012
N. 50 - Euro 22,00 - ghereh@fastwebnet.it - Poste Italiane s.p.a - Spedizione in abbonamento postale - D. L. 353/2003 (Conv. in L. 27/02/04 N. 46) art. 1 comma 1 DCB - Torino N. 1/ 2012
COP GH50 1-2-3-4 ing
Pagina 1
COP GH50 1-2-3-4 ing
6-04-2012
17:35
Pagina 2
WELCOME TO TH
OUR 20 YEAR
www.taher-sabahi.com Since 1961
Sabahi Gallery Tappeti Antichi e Classici Laboratorio di Restauro e Conservazione Scuola di Tappetologia fondata nel 1984 Ufficio Peritale - Perizie Legali ed Ereditarie Ghalibaf Museum (Museo del Tessitore) Biblioteca
The first issue was published in February 1993 TORINO - C.so Vittorio Emanuele II, 40 Tel. +39 011 817 23 86 - +39 011 817 80 93 - Fax +39 011 817 07 09 e-mail: sabahi.collection@gmail.com
01 PAG ING
30-03-2012
11:40
Pagina 1
Reading Ghereh opens a window on the world of rugs.
One of the few international magazines dedicated to textiles arts and the art of Oriental rugs,
Ghereh gives a voice to many elements of these ancients arts. Elements of beauty, harmony and peace.
02-03 SOMMARIO
ing
30-03-2012
11:41
Pagina 2
ISSUE N.50
INTERNATIONAL CARPET & TEXTILE REVIEW 6 7
TRANSYLVANIAN RUGS The collection of St. Margaret’s Church in Mediash
Stefano Ionescu
An original study of the Anatolian rugs to be found in Transylvania, and the fine examples conserved in the churches of the region.
21 THE MULBERRY The Silk Road
Taher Sabahi
Silk, its origins, its distribution through Europe and Italy told through the history of an ancient tree.
33 THE ICOC CONFERENCE A review
R. John Howe
An account of the 12th ICOC Conference, its meetings and market news. A review of the three temporary exhibitions organised for the occasion: the display of rare Turkoman rugs; a collection of Oriental carpets from private Swedish collections and, finally, an exhibition dedicated entirely to Scandinavian textiles.
2
02-03 SOMMARIO
ing
3-04-2012
10:40
Pagina 3
INTERNATIONAL CARPET & TEXTILE REVIEW
News
50
News and updates from leading museums in Europe and the United States: from the nomination of the new director of the MAK in Vienna to the new layout of the gallery dedicated to Islamic art at the Metropolitan Museum of New York.
Exhibitions
56
There are plenty of exhibitions reviewed in this issue. We travel to San Francisco to admire the kilims in the McCoy Jone collection, then to Los Angeles to see the Japanese textiles made using a rare dyeing technique, and so on to Washington, with fabrics made from kuba in equatorial Africa. And finally, we return to Europe for an exhibition of textiles made for children.
COVER: St. Margaret’s Church, Mediash adorned with 16th century Holbein and Lotto carpets
CHAIRMAN & EDITOR: Taher Sabahi
EDITOR IN CHIEF: Farian Sabahi
ACADEMIC COMMITTEE:
Auctions
Murray Eiland Jr., Carol Bier, Jennifer Wearden, Siawosch Azadi, Wielfred Stanzer, Oktay Aslanapa, Feng Zhao, Beata Biedrońska-Słota , Parviz Tanavoli, Jennifer Scarce.
70
Results and the finest lots offered for sale in recent auctions of Oriental rugs and textiles.
Books & Catalogues
CONTRIBUTING AUTHORS: Stefano Ionescu, Taher Sabahi, R. John Howe
76 © Copyright 2012, GHEREH INTERNATIONAL CARPET & TEXTILE REVIEW - Torino All right reserved. Unauthorised reproduction wholly or in part of text, photographs and graphic material herein is forbidden world-wide. Sub-section 27, Art. 2, law 549/95
Two reference books for scholars and collectors: the catalogue of the Farjam collection, one of the most important private collections in the world, and a volume bringing together the most significant papers offered at the ICOC of Washington and Istanbul. And finally, a voyage through the surprisingly modern colours of kilims from northern Iran.
Chaykhané
Poste Italiane s.p.a - Spedizione in abbonamento postale - D. L. 353/2003 (Conv. in L. 27/02/04 N. 46) art. 1 comma 1 DCB - Torino N. 2/2008 AUTHORISATION OF THE COURTS OF SALUZZO n. 127 del 3/2/93 Opinions expressed in articles in this magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher.
84
Turkish rugs of the Seljuk period and floors mosaics from a 6th-century patrician home in Ravenna. Cultural connections and comparisons with Byzantine textiles.
Printed Tipografia Testa - Torino
OUR OFFICE IS OPEN Monday to Friday 3,30 - 7,30 p.m.
C.so Vittorio Emanuele II 40, 10123 Turin, Italy Tel. +39 011 817 23 86 - +39 011 817 80 93
e-mail: ghereh@fastwebnet.it
ISSN: 1124-335X
3
WWW. GHEREH . ORG
4-6 EDITORIALE ING
30-03-2012
11:42
Pagina 4
THE CARPET MUSEUM OF TEHERAN Teheran, 11 February 1978. The Carpet Museum was inaugurated in the presence of the then Shah of Persia, Mohamad Reza Palhavi, and of his consort, Farah Diba. For the time, it was designed to innovative standards, and the museum represented the desire to give a substantial boost to an artistic and cultural heritage without paragon in the world, but it opened at a politically dramatic moment for Iran. In proof of the then political establishment’s interest in the art of rugs, the design of the building housing the museum was commissioned by Farah Diba herself from architect Abdolaziz Farman Farmaian. Through a play of volumes, the facade recreates the outline of a loom. The grid characterising the external structure serves to filter a minimum of natural light within the museum, protecting the objects on display from sunlight, without isolating the building totally from the outside world. In 1978, the Carpet Museum of Teheran was an avant-garde structure: on the ground floor, it had temporary exhibitions, the library, bookshop and, above all, an innovative layout. The rooms presented 135 rugs from the most renowned weaving regions of Iran. Its 3,400 square metres, also include a large park. The principal collection, located on the ground floor. presents not only 20 or so splendid rugs from the Safavid court, but also a large number of carpets of the 18th and 19th century, doing justice to an artistic period that had hitherto been under-estimated by historians, as explained S. Azadi in the first catalogue published for the inauguration. But things suddenly changed. With the arrival of the Islamic revolution, resulting in the exile of the imperial family, the Carpet Museum began a long, painful period of neglect,
which continues to this day. The total lack of interest on the part of the authorities, the long succession of incompetent directors, the lack of any will to renew and offer a programme geared to promoting this important museum, all led to its slow and inexorable decline. The visitor who travels to Teheran today to see the Carpet Museum, will see the same layout as in the 1970s, displayed within gloomy, poorly illuminated and sad-looking rooms. Everything seems old and uncared-for, and the spaces have never been modernised. The internal disorganisation and inadequate maintenance round off the ‘calling card’ of a museum possessing a collection of inestimable historic and artistic value and which could be dubbed the “cradle of rugs”. In their spectacular beauty, the carpets on display shine with their own light despite being surrounded by a total lack of institutional interest. And not only as regards the rugs belonging to the initial 1978 collection. Gholamali Malool, a noted Iranian engineer and great carpet enthusiast has, with enthusiasm and dedication (and at a cost estimated at around $3 million), built up a collection worthy of an international museum. The precious rugs he as sought out in every corner of the world along tell a piece of the history of his homeland, from the period of the Safavid 4
4-6 EDITORIALE ING
30-03-2012
11:42
Pagina 5
EDITORIAL
GHEREH
Teheran museum and, like all the others unfortunately, is displayed poorly. In October 2011, I was invited to Teheran, together with a group of experts, to visit the Carpet Museum, where we were able to admire the collection of Malool. With me were Siawosch Azadi, Qaderi (animator of the website dedicated to the world of rugs and textiles, Carpetour) and Hosein Haj Hasan, who was a director of the museum in the past. All of us, perhaps, expected some positive change to have taken place, that the donation would have incited the management to bring the museum up to international standards; but once again, I have to register my disappointment at seeing so many objects of inestimable value displayed with total indifference. The poor lighting and incomplete captions certainly did not pay tribute to rare, prestigious carpets. Sadly, I have once again been given the proof that the Carpet Museum of Teheran is totally neglected by the government institutions, especially those supposed to be protecting and promoting the nation’s heritage, such as the ministry of culture, which has for months refused the funds for the museum’s most elementary activities. However, a new director has recently been nominated: Sediqehe Qodratabadi. An archaeologist, she comes from Teheran’s Museum of Islamic art and has taught at the university of Teheran. Once again, hope is rekindled. I trust that she is able to impose herself and succeed in obtaining those funds that might enable this museum – so prestigious and representative of Iranian culture – to become a true point of reference for the culture of rug-making.
reign to the start of the 20th century. This passion for rugs well represents the love Iranians have for an article that is often bought by families with some financial sacrifice, and which is carefully passed from from generation to generation. After having published the important and splendidly illustrated book, Baharestan (spring). A Doorway to Persian Rugs, Malool considered donating some of the examples in his collection to the Carpet Museum of Teheran, and thus 22 marvellous rugs have enriched the already extraordinary variety of the institution’s holdings. His passion as a collector has led him to purchase one of the most unusual Persian rugs known to us, a splendid silk figural Kerman, designed by master Forsate Shirazi and originating from the workshop of Abu’l-Qasem Kirmani (a similar rug was recently sold at auction by Rippon Boswell for the exorbitant price of euro 110,000). The pattern of this extraordinary example of the textile arts shows a tree of life filled with flowers and populated by a wide range of animals; it perfectly represents the image of the legendary Persian gardens. A similar rug is conserved in the
Taher Sabahi
5
4-6 EDITORIALE ING
30-03-2012
11:42
Pagina 6
GHEREH on line
We have the pleasure of informing our readers that as of the next issue, the magazine will also be published on the web to facilitate reference and make it faster and more interactive. Subscribers will be given a code to enable them to gain access to the whole magazine.
For further information and contacts, please visit www.ghereh.org
7-20 ionescu_ING
30-03-2012
11:44
Pagina 7
TRANSYLVANIAN RUGS
The collection of St.Margaret’s Church in Mediash Stefano Ionescu An independent scholar in the field of Oriental rugs, a native of Romania now living in Rome, Italy St. Margaret’s Church, Mediash, one of the most beautiful churches in Transylvania. The balcony with the organ of 1755 is adorned with 16th-century “Holbein” and “Lotto” carpets. During the Reformation, frescoes were whitewashed or erased; traces of old wall paintings emerged during recent restoration above the arches (right side).
ocated in the heart of Transylvania, on the road between Sibiu and Sighishoara, Mediash is the main city of a hilly region, known as the “Wine Country”, crossed by the Târnava Mare River. The first
L
7
document relating to Mediash, possessio Mediesy, goes back to 1267 when Saxon settlers first arrived in the area. In the Middle Ages, the town was an important center of craftsmanship and trade. In the 15 th and 16 th
7-20 ionescu_ING
30-03-2012
11:44
Pagina 8
TRANSYLVANIAN RUGS
GHEREH showing floral or geometric patterns (and never animal or human beings as the Persian rugs woven by Shiites) became a suitable and decent decoration for the Lutheran Churches. This is unique and quite extraordinary if we consider that the Ottoman Empire heavily dominated the region at that time. It confirms not only the religious tolerance of Transylvanians but also the capacity of Oriental rugs to bridge different cultures. We should avoid speculating
centuries there were thirtythree craft guilds, which also contributed to the defense of the city. The pride of the inhabitants is St. Margaret’s Church, one of the most beautiful fortified churches in Transylvania. A 15th-century Gothic building with three naves, the church is surrounded by a fortified wall and for this reason is referred to as the “Castle”. The Trumpet Players’ Tower dominates the whole complex. As in most of the Transylva-
nian Churches, during the Reformation the frescoes were whitewashed or erased and the church must have appeared in the eyes of its recently converted parishioners a large, cold, and empty space, arousing feelings of horror vacui. In this situation, the Oriental rugs, created in a world that was spiritually different from Christianity, found their place in the Reformed churches, which were to become their main custodians. The warm and colorful Turkish rugs, which reflect the Sunni tradition of the Islam, mostly 8
To the left: A 16th-century Anatolian animal rug, unique in Transylvania (shown in Schmutzler’s plate 9), which disappeared long ago under unknown circumstances from the Mediash church. Opposite page. Small-pattern “Holbein” carpet, western Anatolia, late 15th century, 155 x 252 cm, 1220 kn/dm2, Mediash, EKM inv. 513. Of the four “Holbeins” in the Mediash Church this is the oldest and the best-preserved example, with a rare open pseudo-Kufic border (unusual in that it has floriated “finials” at both top and bottom of the pseudo-letter motif), framed by minor borders with a polychrome “S” chain. The blue-ground field shows six rows of small-pattern “Holbein” octagonal göls, alternating with rows of diamond-shaped secondary motifs.
7-20 ionescu_ING
30-03-2012
11:44
Pagina 9
7-20 ionescu_ING
30-03-2012
11:44
Pagina 10
TRANSYLVANIAN RUGS
about the fact that many rugs in the Transylvanian churches are in fact “prayer” rugs which were of course very suitable to decorate the walls but the parishioners who owned them and eventually donated them were unaware or simply did not consider their function in the Islamic religion. In the documents of the time, rugs are described as Turkish or Persian (but this attribution corresponded to the double-niche “Transylvanian” rugs) 1, according to their color (white, red, yellow, brown), age (old, new), size, or function (Tafel Tepig table carpet, divan carpet, Wandt Teppich wall car-
GHEREH
pet). Sometimes the design is even mentioned (rug with bird head, with dots, with flowers), but “prayer” rugs are never mentioned. Generally churches did not buy rugs; they were property of a parishioner and brought to the church to mark the benches as a sign of prestige or donated to the church. The registers of St. Margaret’s Church mention several donations of carpets (1663, 1664, 1714, 1717), but the short notes do not provide useful information to identify the actual rugs. A beautiful “Lotto”, one of the best examples in Transylvania, formerly in the Lutheran 10
Detail of a very fine smallpattern “Holbein” Tuduc carpet with a border showing exactly the same open pseudo-Kufic border flanked by “S” chain minor borders as in the “Holbein” rug from Mediash. Recent evidence published in the Handbook of Fakes by Tuduc proves that this rug is unequivocally made by the workshop of Tuduc, probably before 1930. Six other “Holbein” Tuducs, inspired by examples extant in Transylvania, have already been documented, but the total number is probably higher. The rug was sold as authentic to an Armenian rug dealer based in Toronto, whose heirs Albert and Hilda Aliman donated it to the Textile Museum of Canada of Toronto (inv. T04.19.14.).
7-20 ionescu_ING
30-03-2012
11:45
Pagina 11
TRANSYLVANIAN RUGS
GHEREH Church of Bogeschdorf, has a donor inscription: And. GRaser Año 1690 Offer. In common with other Transylvanian cities, over the centuries Mediash was besieged, occupied, and looted. But no catastrophic fires are recorded in the annals of the church. This might explain the large number of 16th-century rugs, including three “Holbeins” that still survive at St. Margaret’s Church, while no carpets of this type are to be found in the Black Church in Brashov (the furnishing of the great church was destroyed in 1689 by a catastrophic fire). Research carried out in the last decade2 brought to light a report from 1901 when the rugs were found in the vestry of the Lutheran Parish of Mediash. This is a unique account of the moment when the rugs, after a long period
“Lotto” rug, Ushak, western Anatolia, mid-17th century, 110 x 160 cm, 960 kn/dm2, EKM inv. 512. A well-balanced “Lotto” with a “kilim-style” field. The cogwheel-rosette main border is flanked by wide, well-designed, secondary borders. Schmutzler, 1933, plate 17.
of storage, were “discovered” and used to adorn the church: “a committee of the presbytery found the rugs piled up in the vestry. Women of the church selected those that could still be used and covered the pews with them. Dr. Victor Roth, a minister from Sibiu, who knows the 11
value of cult objects, examined the rugs and considered some of them to be very valuable”. Shortly before the First World War, carpet enthusiasts around the world became aware of the carpet treasures of the Saxon parishes in
7-20 ionescu_ING
30-03-2012
11:45
Pagina 12
TRANSYLVANIAN RUGS
GHEREH
A recently discovered fragment of a wall painting from the early 17th century. Saxon home from Sighishoara showing a large “bird” rug. This is a further proof of the local fashion of decorating homes with Turkish carpets placed on the walls. Here to the left “Bird” rug, Selendi, western Anatolia, EKM inv. 503, 17th cent., 120 x 183 cm, 840 kn/dm2 The motifs of the field have been thought to be stylized birds, but in fact they are composed of two angular leaves enclosing a rosette. Opposite page: “Cintamani” prayer rug, Selendi, western Anatolia, early 17th century, 113 x 179 cm, 500 kn/dm2, EKM 528. A rare and well-preserved “Cintamani” prayer rug with a lattice border. 12
7-20 ionescu_ING
30-03-2012
11:45
Pagina 13
TRANSYLVANIAN RUGS
GHEREH Transylvania due to the great exhibition in Budapest. A group of thirteen pieces from Mediash were sent to the exhibition Turkish Rugs from Transylvania of 1914, where no less than 352 Ottoman Turkish rugs were shown. In preparation for this event, Károly Csányi and Count Domokos Teleki traveled throughout Transylvania by carriage, motor car, and train and recorded about six hundred rugs. This was possible with the assistance of Béla Kenessey, Bishop of the Transylvanian Calvinist Church, Friedrich Teutsch, Bishop of the Transylvanian Lutheran Church, and Victor Roth, Lutheran minister and art historian in Sibiu3. It is significant that the catalogue of the exhibition 4 starts with the “Holbein” rug from Mediash shown here5. After 1925, Teodor Tuduc, who was already a skilled restorer and rug connoisseur, started to make forgeries inspired by the rugs in Transylvania and published in the literature of the time. One of his best examples, which could hardly be achieved today, is the small-pattern “Holbein” rug inv. T04.19.14, now in the Textile Museum of Canada6 . The rug, which was proved to be a Tuduc, shows the same open-kufic border flanked by “S” chain minor borders as the rug in Mediash.
Emil Schmutzler, a member of a prominent Saxon family from Brashov and a knowledgeable carpet collector, who certainly understood the value of the collection, included seven pieces from Mediash in his publication Altorientalische Teppiche in Siebenbürgen7. A parish re13
port from 1930 states how the famous author obtained permission from the Presbyterium to take the rugs “for exactly a month”, in order to clean and photograph them. Should he fail to return them on time, he would be held accountable to the parish “for twice their value”.
7-20 ionescu_ING
3-04-2012
11:14
Pagina 14
TRANSYLVANIAN RUGS
GHEREH shown in Schmutzler’s plate9, disappeared long ago under unknown circumstances. Despite the Second World War and political difficulties, the rug collection Mediash remained fairly stable during the last eighty years. Among the classical examples we should mention three “Hol-
A very rare “Scorpion” rug, Selendi, western Anatolia, mid-17th century, 112 x 178 cm, 730 kn/dm2, EKM inv. 111. Formerly in the Lutheran Church of Richis, - Reichesdorf
For several generations of scholars, Schmutzler’s book was the only and best source of information about the rugs in Transylvania. The small-pattern “Holbein” rug from Mediash was also published by Charles Grant Ellis, who attributed it to Wal-
lachia, Romania8; today, given the strong evidence pointing to the Anatolian origin of these carpets (and lack of any in favor of Transylvanian production), Ellis’s theory has been abandoned. An intriguing animal rug, unique in Transylvania, 14
Left page: Single-niche “Transylvanian” rug, western Anatolia, first half 17th century, 122 x 154 cm, 1600 kn/dm2, formerly in the Lutheran Church of Wurmloch. There are only five rugs of this small group in Transylvania and probably not more than fifteen worldwide. The layout is that of a prayer rug, with arabesque motifs in the spandrels, while the field shows the same composition as the double-niche “Transylvanian” rugs with the vase motif. This small subgroup shows great consistency in the choice of design elements, employing arabesque-patterned spandrels, and star and cartouche main borders, reciprocal trefoil secondary borders and chain-link guard borders. Formerly in the Lutheran Church of Valea Viilor-Wurmloch, inv. 21.
7-20 ionescu_ING
30-03-2012
11:45
Pagina 15
7-20 ionescu_ING
30-03-2012
11:45
Pagina 16
TRANSYLVANIAN RUGS
GHEREH beins” and eight “Lotto” rugs (including four large fragments), together with the largest selection of whiteground Selendi rugs: eleven rugs with three known patterns: “bird”, “cintamani”, and a rare “scorpion” rug. Displaying “bird” rugs on the walls was surely very popular in 17th-century Saxon homes and churches of the area; it is relevant that other neighboring churches as Biertan and Sighishoara have several examples showing this pattern. In 2003, in preparation for the volume Antique Ottoman Rugs in Transylvania, the whole collection was cleaned and conserved thanks to Rodica Dinulescu from the Brukenthal Mu-
Here to the right: A late double-niche “Transylvanian,” western Anatolia, early 18th century, 89 x 163 cm, 1150 kn/dm2. This rustic example shows a tulip border also found in later Ladik production. The stepped niche and the crowded design are typical for double-niche Dazkiry and Demirci rugs. This is a further example of the close relation between “Transylvanian” group and later Anatolian productions. 16
7-20 ionescu_ING
30-03-2012
11:45
Pagina 17
TRANSYLVANIAN RUGS
GHEREH seum in Sibiu. Later, a smallpattern “Holbein” fragment and two fragmentary “Lottos,” badly damaged by moths, have been rescued, cleaned, and mounted on linen. Thanks to the efforts of Pastor Reinhart Guib from Mediash, who constantly has been involved in the safeguarding of the rugs and of the other objects of art in the church, the collection was augmented in 2005 by a dozen carpets from smaller Saxon parishes of the county: Arbegen, Baaßen, Bogeschdorf, Langenthal, Reichesdorf, and Wurmloch.
Plain-niche “Transylvanian” rug with arabesque spandrels, western Anatolia, second half 17th cent., 115 x 147 cm, 1760 kn/dm2, EKM inv. 519. A rare example with undulating niche profile and hexagonal cartouche main border. Note the cross-panel on the upper side of the niche showing a reciprocal design. About one-fourth of the rugs in Transylvania are “prayer” rugs, but we should consider that the parishioners who donated them to the churches were not aware or simply did not consider their function in the Islamic religion.
Twenty-four rugs from the Transylvanian parishes, including five rugs from Mediash, and from the Brukenthal Museum were exhibited in 2006 at the Museum für Islamische Kunst in Berlin. The following year, thanks to Nazan Olçer and Michael Franses, a wonderful exhibition with Ottoman 17
rugs from Berlin, Budapest, Transylvania and Bucharest was mounted in Istanbul, at the Sakip Sabanci Museum in Istanbul 9, in connection with the ICOC 2007. Visitors could admire the “Transylvanian” rugs displayed on the walls of a church interior recreated inside the museum.
7-20 ionescu_ING
30-03-2012
11:45
Pagina 18
TRANSYLVANIAN RUGS
This year, after long time, the Mediash parish will be given an Anatolian rug to be displayed in St. Margaret’s Church: the replica of the lost animal rug published by Emil Schmutzler as plate 9. The design of the new rug, matching every detail of the original, and the control of the whole production process have been carried out thanks to Ali Riza Tuna of Geneva, who is known for his efforts in the reconstruction of carpets from 15th16th century paintings10. The funds for this high quality replica, were provided by donations from the parish, by the community of natives from Mediash living
GHEREH
in Germany, by the Oriental Rug Society of New South Wales, Sydney and by rug enthusiasts from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and United States who had visited Transylvania in past years. The Presbyterium together with the current pastor Gerhard Servatius-Depner decided that the rug will be inscribed in order to recall the first anniversary of the election of former Pastor of the Mediash parish, Reinhart Guib, as Bishop of the Lutheran Church in Romania. It is hoped that this heartfelt gift will renew the tradition of donating Anatolian rugs to the churches in Transylvania. 18
Newly added rugs in St. Margaret’s Church: In 2005, the collection displayed of the Mediash Church was augmented by a dozen carpets from smaller Saxon Lutheran parishes of the county. The “Lotto” rug shown among two “bird” rugs comes from Arbegen. It is a well-preserved example, from the first half of the 17th century, showing an interesting hooked octagon border and a “kilim-style” field. The small-pattern “Holbein” fragment, formerly in the Bogeschdorf Lutheran Church, shows a two-color background in the field and a closed pseudo-Kufic-derived “X” border.
7-20 ionescu_ING
30-03-2012
11:45
Pagina 19
TRANSYLVANIAN RUGS
GHEREH A second reason for this initiative is to encourage people in the Saxon parishes to accept replicas in their churches instead of highly important older examples; the older church rugs could be sheltered in the Brukenthal Museum, which belongs to the Lutheran Church, in a special section dedicated to the Transylvanian rug patrimony. If we want the 16 th and 17th century church rugs to survive for future centuries, we should probably start to preserve them in mu-
The replica of the lost animal carpet that will be donated to the Mediash Church. The design was reproduced by Ali Riza Tuna after Schmutzler, plate 9. The wool comes from native Anatolian mountain sheep, of excellent quality, which can reach the fineness of antique Anatolian rugs. All dyes are natural; colors are slightly more saturated in order to compensate for fading over time. The carpet was woven in Konya by two expert women, supervised by the wool and dye master Mehmet Girgic. They carefully matched every detail of the design (note the sawtooth motif outlining the two square panels in the field, and the serrated leaves in the main border). The knot density is 30 x 48 kn/dm2.
seum conditions and display replicas in the churches or at least alternate periods of storage with periods of display. The debate is open.
Notes 1 Albert Eichhorn, “Kronstadt und der orientalische Teppich,” in Forschungen zur Volks- und Landeskunde, vol. 11, no. 1, Bucharest, 1968, pp. 72-84. 2 Thanks to Prof. Julius H. Knall for research carried out in the Mediash parish archive. 3 Ferenc Batári, “The First Ottoman Turkish Carpet Exhibition in the Western World”, in Hali 136 (SeptemberOctober 2004), pp. 70-75. 4 Károly Csányi, Sándor Csermelyi, and Károly Layer, Az erdélyi török szonyegek
19
kiállításának leíró lajstroma (Descriptive catalogue of the exhibition of Turkish carpets of Transylvania), Budapest, 1914. 5 I am grateful to Sarah B. Sherrill for this information and I would like to thank her for kindly editing this article. 6 Stefano Ionescu, Handbook of Fakes by Tuduc, Rome, 2011, pp. 29, 31. 7 Emil Schmutzler, Altorientalische Teppiche in Siebenbürgen, Leipzig, 1933, pls. 2, 4, 6, 9, 11, 17. 8 Charles Grant Ellis, Oriental Carpets in the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, 1988, p. 16, fig. 4b. 9 Stefano Ionescu, “Anatolian Rugs from Transylvanian Churches: On show in Istanbul”, in Ghereh 42 (2007), pp. 2539. 10 Ali Riza Tuna, “Back to the Future: A reconstruction study of Anatolian carpets from Renaissance paintings,” paper delivered at ICOC XII, 2011, Stockholm.
7-20 ionescu_ING
W
30-03-2012
11:45
Pagina 20
ith this book dedicated to kilims, Taher Sabahi – today one of the world’s most acclaimed experts and collectors of rugs – rounds off his already broad bibliography concerning the art of rugs and Oriental textiles. As his starting point, he takes an appealing personal memory dating back to his early childhood in Teheran: on Friday holidays, he and his family would go on outings and, “lying or sitting on our two kilims laid out on the grass in the shade of the mulberry trees, we would enjoy the marvellous air offered by the slopes of the Alborz mountains”. The oldest examples of kilim weaves come from Anatolia, and from here production spread throughout the Near and Middle East, from Egypt to Iran, into Central Asia and on to India and China. Unlike knotted rugs, kilims are flat weaves and the fact that they are thinner means they are used for other functions: not only as rugs, but also to separate spaces in tribal homes and the interiors of tents, as blankets, sacks for transporting things, table cloths, caparisons and bands to fix loads to saddles. It is perhaps because of
these more utilitarian uses that until a few years ago, kilims were not particularly sought-after by collectors and connoisseurs. But today, they are the object of study, collecting and widespread appreciation, both for their artistic qualities and for their historic and ethnographic value. Organising them by area of production, the author has brought together the most significant examples of this highly esteemed art, ranging from the earliest examples down to present-day production. Over 600 photographs of kilims from throughout the world illustrate not only the enormous variety of models, but also the habits and customs of peoples of the East who daily produce these articles. The geographical survey is completed with an expert analysis of the weaving techniques, spinning and materials, together with the dyes used and the decorative styles. Last but not least, Taher Sabahi examines the symbolic value of the kilims, given that their abstract decorations conceal meanings derived from the cults and beliefs of ancient Oriental cultures.
KILIM. TESSUTI PIANI D’ORIENTE by Taher Sabahi, Electa, Pagg. 352, €
130
21-32 gelso ing
3-04-2012
10:41
Pagina 21
THE MULBERRY The Silk Road Taher Sabahi
B
The Silk Road.
etween 206 BC and AD 220, China enjoyed a long period of peace under the domination of the Han. It was an era in which art flourished greatly and also one in which China geographically attained its greatest expansion, including the basin of the Tarim, a territory of vital importance as it faced the West. In the first century AD, a great general named Ban
21
Chao occupied the northern oases, securing them from the XiongnÚ nomads, and maintained control despite attacks from Kushan troops. Having consolidated the political situation, trade began to flourish. The opening of the Silk Road from the capital, Chang’an, dates from the Han era. Crossing the Gansu and Sinkiang desert, it then split into two roads. From Tunhiang, it went north to Lou-lan and Aksu or south to
21-32 gelso ing
17-04-2012
10:19
Pagina 22
THE MULBERRY
Niya. A lesser road then went north through the Tienshan mountains and through the Fergana. Having crossed the Pamir mountains, the road then reached the Bactrian region, the fulcrum of which was Bactra in Parthian times, and later came to be known as Maracanda (Samarkand). From here, a caravan route, already active in Achaemenid times, headed towards Ecbatana and Seleucia, and from here to the Mediterranean or
GHEREH
the Persian Gulf. Since Han times, it was along here that raw or spun silk, iron tools and Chinese lacquers were shipped to the West, while horse, camels, scents and new woods travelled the other way. This valuable commercial chain led to the development of caravanserai in the Tarim basin in sites close to oases. These rapidly grew in importance and as equally declined when, from the 3rd century AD, the Chinese were expel22
led from the Tarim basin and the Silk Road was interrupted. SILK
Silk is a natural proteinic fibre, known since antiquity and widely used in the pro-
Above, entrance to a caravanserai. Opposite above, silk cocoons; below, a mature silkworm weaving its cocoon, called the “dancing� phase.
21-32 gelso ing
8-05-2012
17:22
Pagina 23
THE MULBERRY
GHEREH duction of textiles for its great resistance, fineness and special sheen. Many insects and spiders (see Ghereh no. 47, page 93) produce various types of silk, but the most widespread and well-known is the silk derived from the Bombyx mori, or silkworm. During the metamorphosis that transforms it from caterpillar to moth, the silkworm weaves a cocoon made of a slender and continuous proteinic filament: silk. Ever since antiquity, the silkworm was bred for its selected varieties of “fibre�. To raise it successfully, tepid,
protected spaces were needed that were well-ventilated but free of draughts. The adult Bombyx mori lays its eggs on a litter of mulberry
23
leaves. Numerous larvae emerge from these which, if well-fed, grow rapidly and in a month can be up to ten centimetres long. These vora-
21-32 gelso ing
30-03-2012
15:05
Pagina 24
THE MULBERRY
GHEREH cious larvae have to be constantly fed if they are to grow and arrive at the stage in which create a cocoon and so produce the sought-after silk. At first, these leaves should be chopped finely; then whole leaves are supplied and, finally, twigs of mulberry. The quality of the silk is closely linked to that of the mulberry leaves. Around the first month, having chosen a suitable site amidst the twigs, the silkworm starts to secrete a long filament made of two proteins, fibrin and sericin. Gradually, over three or four days, it wraps itself up completely in its cocoon and enters the chrysalis phase. This is when the cocoons are harvested: some cocoons are spaced by the harvesters so the moth can continue its reproduction, while others are dried at high heat to prolong the conservation and kill the chrysalids. In order to unravel the filaments easily, the cocoon is left to soak some time in hot water. In this way, the rubbery external layer is stripped off and the cocoon is easier to unwind. The silk, softened by water, is then collected on spinning
Above, adult silkworms mating. Alongside, soaking in hot water to unravel the filaments more easily. 24
21-32 gelso ing
30-03-2012
15:05
Pagina 25
THE MULBERRY
GHEREH
(reeling) machines and immediately twisted to form threads formed of several single fibres; this number varies according to the future use and quality of the silk. The process of spinning the silk when still warm immediately after extraction from the water makes it possible to exploit the sticky nature of silk upon contact with air, thereby strengthening the cohesion between the different fibres in the yarn. Silk spun cold does not benefit from this strengthening
Top, young women selecting cocoons. Alongside, silk cocoons. 25
21-32 gelso ing
30-03-2012
15:05
Pagina 26
THE MULBERRY
and its strength is as a consequence far less; cold spinning is used only to make silk of inferior quality (silk waste), for the most part using cocoons ruined during harvesting, or rejects from the warm spinning process. The principal characteristics of silk yarn, even when of a very slender diameter, offer a high resistance to stretching, sheen and great softness and flexibility; these qualities make it ideal for weaving fabrics destined for clothes or soft furnishings. We should not forget, however, that it is a costly material and hence intended for high-quality articles.
GHEREH
The indispensable special skills needed to produce and process silk ensured that for centuries its production was limited to a few precise geographical areas, starting with the country that first produced it: China. THE HISTORY OF SILK
The origin of silk dates back a long way. According to Confucius, it was a Chinese empress, Hsi-Ling-Shi, who discovered the secret of silk some 5000 years ago in 2640 BC, as she curiously examined a cocoon that fell into her cup of tea. Very soon, the slender yarn was used to make drapes and 26
garments, but also for other unlikely uses, such as the strings of string instruments. Numerous archaeological finds – in China and elsewhere in the Orient – give credence to the legend: traces of fossilised silk, probably the remains of a lining, have been found around bronze arms datable to 1300-1100 BC; moreover, some Chinese ceramics from the Yang-Shao culture that flourished around the 1st millennium BC, are decorated with im-
The mulberry harvest on a table in Gengzhi tu.
21-32 gelso ing
30-03-2012
15:05
Pagina 27
THE MULBERRY
GHEREH
pressed fabrics of a fine thread that they could only be silk. Its spread to other Eastern countries and into the West, dates from equally distant times, thanks to the development of long-distance trade along the commercial routes of the Silk Road. Silk production spread to neighbouring countries from the 3rd century BC, including Japan, but for centuries the secret of how silk was made was closely guarded by China, which exported it in large quantities in the form of yarn or fabrics. The refinement and value of silk fabrics were known to the
“Ladies of the court combing silk”, section of a horizontal roll entitled “Ladies of the court preparing silk that is just woven”, 12th century, 37 x 145.5 cm. Boston, Museum of Fine Arts.
Greek and Roman world, but their origin was not known. Of the types of merchandise Western traders sought in the Far East, silk was one of the most important: its great cost stimulated many to try and discover the secret. According to legend, two Basilian monks sent by the Byzantine emperor in the 6th century AD succeeded in crossing the Chinese border with some cocoons hidden in their hollowed-out pilgrim’s staffs. From that moment on, silkworms were raised on the shores of the Mediterranean and underwent further expansion with the establishment of the Arab kingdoms, with the Crusades and Mongol invasions. SILK IN ITALY AND EUROPE
Italy and Spain were among the first countries in Europe to start producing silk, some 27
time between the end of the 9th and start of the 10th century. The first workshops were built at Catanzaro and Palermo, one dominated by the Byzantines, the other by the Arabs. In Sicily, silk production expanded during the Norman era: in the mid 12thcentury, Roger II provided incentives for the founding of new workshops that soon were renowned throughout the Mediterranean; they used silk for the most part to make drapes and embroidered garments. Other workshops, inspired by the Sicilian example, began to spring up throughout the Italian peninsula over the centuries. One of the more important of these was in Lucca which in the 12th century, produced a famous fabric called diasprum, with floral and heraldic motifs. The skills needed to make silk reached the city of Flo-
21-32 gelso ing
30-03-2012
15:05
Pagina 28
IL GELSO
GHEREH
28
21-32 gelso ing
30-03-2012
15:05
Pagina 29
THE MULBERRY
GHEREH
rence, already famous for the skill of its weavers, thanks to refugees from Lucca. Over the course of a century, Florentine silk fabrics became famous throughout Europe, while flourishing industries developed in parallel in Ge-
Various views of the mulberry exhibition at the Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali in Turin. 29
21-32 gelso ing
30-03-2012
15:06
Pagina 30
THE MULBERRY
GHEREH noa, Milan and Venice. New proto-industrial techniques were applied to silk weaving in Bologna: the “Bolognese mill�, which used a hydraulically-driven wheel and a mechanical winder, made it possible to make more uniform and resistant threads than those made by hand or other mechanical means. The 15th century marked the peak in the Italian art of making silk; in later centuries, the Italian workshops suffered strong competition from other countries, and especially the French manufactories in the Lyons area, which were strongly promoted by Louis XVI. Defended by a series of strict protectionist regulations, the French silk industry began spreading abroad, from Switzerland to Britain, as a consequence of the repeal of the Edict of Nantes in 1685, which forced many of the most skilled Huguenot workmen abroad. In the 18th century, technological innovation transformed and simplified the production processes: around 1770, Philippe de Lasalle designed a mechanism in Lyons that made it possible to reproduce patterns automatically, and this opened the way to the in-
Above, skeins of coloured silk. Alongside, silk cocoons and thread. 30
21-32 gelso ing
30-03-2012
15:06
Pagina 31
THE MULBERRY
GHEREH vention in 1801 of the Jacquard loom, which made possible the sumptuous fabrics of the imperial era. The 19th century saw both an increase in production, made possible by the first wave of industrialisation, and a strong fall in demand: the opening of the Suez Canal brought Japanese silk – elegant and competitive in price – to Europe. At the same time, a disease struck the European production of silkworms, which had until then been very productive. Only a few workshops remained active in central and northern Italy, focusing closely on articles of excellent quality. MULBERRY
This is fundamental for raising silkworms, as only mulberry leaves assure the rapid growth of silkworms and enable silk to be produced in abundance. The mulberry – or Morus – is originally an Asian genus. Two species grow in Europe: the Morus nigra was the first to arrive and was cultivated in abundance in Sicily and along the shores of the Mediterranean. Originally from Armenia and Azerbaijan, it produces palatable dark fruit and has small,
Collecting mulberries.
dentate leaves of an oval shape. Its fruit has some medical value and was praised for this by Galen. In the 12th century, the black mulberry was replaced by the more highly esteemed white mulberry, or Morus alba, which is taller and more robust, with larger leaves, much favoured by the silkworm. 31
The cultivation of mulberries formed a regular feature of many parts of the Italian countryside where the art of making silk flourished. With the decline of the industry, the cultivation of the trees has also largely vanished, and the few remaining mulberries to be found today are kept for their ornamental rather than practical value.
21-32 gelso ing
30-03-2012
15:06
Pagina 32
S I N C E 17 0 7
Palais Dorotheum
Carpets, Textiles and Tapestries Auction 2 May 2012
Palais Dorotheum Dorotheergasse 17 1010 Vienna, Austria Enquiries: Wolfgang Matschek Tel. +43-1-515 60-271 wolfgang.matschek@dorotheum.at Catalogues: Tel. +43-1-515 60-200 kataloge@dorotheum.at www.dorotheum.com
Talysh, South Caucasus, 250 x 115 cm, end 19th century, ₏ 3,000 – 3,800
33-47ART02 icoc ING
30-03-2012
13:59
Pagina 33
THE ICOC CONFERENCE A review R. John Howe
A
View of Stockholm.
nette Granlund, head of the local organizing committee for ICOC XII, said in her opening remarks that ICOC’s founder, Robert Pinner, had envisioned Stockholm as an attractive site for a future conference, and that we were, this weekend in June, 2011, realizing Robert’s notion. Opening ceremonies are difficult to do well, but those of ICOC XII were brisk, varied and interesting. Two members of the rug world, Alberto Boralevi and Stefano Ionescu, were, in the pres-
33
ence of a row of previous awardees, given the (ribbon, medal and book) McMullan award in recognition of their contributions to rug and textile research. Boralevi gave an aptly conceived talk on “table carpets.” He said that the study of this particular format made clearer than we have often been in the past that the design influences we have sought, mostly in the rugs and other textiles of Eastern part of the world, are also visibly evident in the Western textiles, especially those in Europe. Boralevi didn’t explicitly cite Greece and Rome (since we haven’t much material from those times, and the surviving table carpets of which he spoke are, of course, much later), but to, push his point about design into a non-textile arena, I’ve often thought that you could probably find nearly any design in the Roman mosaics at Timgad. It seems unlikely to me that similar designs were not used on some Roman textiles. Mr. Myers, founder of The Textile Museum, in the U.S., did not collect many European textiles because he considered
33-47ART02 icoc ING
30-03-2012
13:59
Pagina 34
THE ICOC CONFERENCE
them “derivative,” a notion at least in tension with the predominant flow of history. (Aside: As an instructional designer I was gratified to see that Boralevi’s deft, unobtrusive use of animation in his
GHEREH
projected visuals, actually enhanced, rather than detracted from, his lecture.) The opening ceremonies ended with a brief talk by a “heavy hitter” from the scientific and political worlds. Dr.
34
Above from left, Anette Granlund Ali Pishqahi and Moshe Tabibnia. Below, the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm.
33-47ART02 icoc ING
30-03-2012
13:59
Pagina 35
THE ICOC CONFERENCE
GHEREH Hans Blix has recently been visible in the news as the result of his investigation of the possibility that Saddam Hussein’s Iraq had “weapons of mass destruction,” and also of the seeming drive by Iran to achieve the production of nuclear weapons. Dr. Blix was cultured, erudite and droll. He denied being a real “rug collector,” saying that, while he owns and sometimes pursues rugs avidly, his efforts lack the focus that he believes correct use of the “collector” designation requires. He said that his feelings for his rugs are probably best described as the sort of thing a man might experience for a beautiful woman… or those he, personally, feels for his cats. He is simply “taken” with them. He played with various conflicts and tensions involved in owning both prized rugs and much loved cats. His best line was that one of the great virtues of cats is that they are real and actual “weapons of mice destruction”. Shortly thereafter, a full-faced reception opened (finger food and wine) and we wandered about in the dealers’ fair.
Above, Siawosch Azadi, Taher Sabahi, Afsaneh Qani, Peter Willborg, Nazila Daryai. Right, Hadi Maktabi’s conference (Lebanon). 35
33-47ART02 icoc ING
30-03-2012
14:00
Pagina 36
THE ICOC CONFERENCE
92 dealers were arrayed spaciously. The material I saw was generally of a high quality, but prices (all quoted in euros) also seemed high. An overheard conversation about a complete Luri envelope bag with full-pile and a simple, but unusual design: Collector: What can you do on this piece? Dealer: I’ll look. (Dealer returns from looking) Dealer: (fingers in the air) Three. Collector: Three hundred euros? Dealer: (aghast) Three thou-
GHEREH
sand! Collector: Thank you. Dealer: But I am willing to negotiate… (Collector wanders off) I did not encounter a single dealer who said that ICOC XII had been a financially successful show for him/her. Perhaps some did better than they were willing to admit, but if, in fact, dealers did not make money at ICOC XII, this calls the business model upon which the ICOC conferences are based into question, since the dealer setup fees cover far more of the 36
ICOC conference expenses than do the registration fees conference attendees pay. ACOR seems to have foundered, at least in part, for similar reasons. It may not be accidental that some influential folks in ICOC are suggesting that the next ICOC conference be held in such sites as Qatar, on a basis of being heavily subsidized by the host country. Three exhibitions were part of the doings of ICOC XII. First was the exhibition devoted to a rare conflagration of Turkmen “eagle group” pieces. Informed Turkmen collector eyes offered the following assessment. “For those who savour Turkmen rugs there was a special treat adjacent to the Dealers’ Fair in Stockholm. In one room was an exhibition devoted entirely to the rugs known as “Eagle Gol” Group. The name derives from the geometric drawing of the gol design on most of the main carpets, a design which is probably meant to depict a two-headed bird of prey. “All manner of items were on display: main carpets (divided by structural analysis into groups I, II, and III), tent
Setting up the exhibition of Turkmen rugs.
33-47ART02 icoc ING
30-03-2012
14:00
Pagina 37
THE ICOC CONFERENCE
GHEREH
bags, tent bands, and trappings, plus various fragments. “It was instructive to see the different groups of main carpets side by side, but my favourite pieces were the more unusual ones. One of the main carpets did not have any gols, but had instead a design consisting of a series of bands, many with a “chevron” type of design. Unlike the kilims with a similar design, the design in the rug was not random, but was arranged in an ascending pattern, with one multicoloured chevron at top centre. The weave was extraordinarily fine, and the colours rich and deep. The
The exhibition of collectors belonging to the ICOC, dedicated to Oriental carpets.
colours exactly matched the ones in the fragmented “gol” rug presented nearby, and as one might expect, both were of the same classification, Group I. “A torba exhibiting the “aksu” design was on display. These pieces are always presented on a white ground, and when the scale is expansive, as in this example, the artistic effect is quite pleasing. “It was also a pleasure to see the chuval that is depicted on the cover of the Rautenstengle/Azadi book, the one with horizontal bands, all in the same colours and fine weave and velvety wool as the Group I carpets. “Finally, there was an exceptional, complete tent band, with lots of silk highlights, but it was difficult to see in the light provided. 37
“All of these pieces are extremely rare. It is uncertain which tribe created them. S. Azadi attributes them to the Goklan. And, recently, in her new book devoted to the Hoffmeister collection, E. Tzareva speculates that they may well be attributed to the Imreli Turkmen tribe.” A second exhibition was of privately owned “oriental” rugs and textiles from Swedish collections. The brilliant reds of two Turkmen pieces jumped at me from the back wall. But my ultimate, personal favourites in this exhibition were, first, a Caucasian rug, with a “threestacked-diamonds” design and a nice meander border (in fact, owned by Dr. Blix); and second, a Bergama, with a field design composed of “armature” devices that con-
33-47ART02 icoc ING
30-03-2012
14:00
Pagina 38
THE ICOC CONFERENCE
tained elements that echoed, for me, aspects of some Anatolian, splayed “animal” designs. There was also an interesting, spacious silk rug that was either Tabriz or Heriz. Someone has told me that a “tree of life” Kerman was better. A third exhibition featured Scandinavian textiles. If you are drawn to graphic impact, there was a striking rya (from western Sweden, although many rya rugs turn out to be
GHEREH
Finnish). The back of this rug was also distinctive, since it showed only camel-coloured wool, this the result of its having its pile knots tied only on alternate raised warps, a structure seen in some Central Asian rugs and tent bands. If you demand colour, there was a lovely cushion cover (“agedyna”) done in ”flamskvev” or “Flemish” weave. At the end of the first full day of the conference, attendees 38
travelled to The Museum of Ethnography where the exhibition centred on Anatolian rugs of the “Transylvanian” type, with a Lotto or two, a large, beautiful, Khorasan rug (the back of which revealed a
Opposite page, a silk Kerman rug, displayed in the exhibition and signed “Forsate Shirazi”.
33-47ART02 icoc ING
30-03-2012
14:00
Pagina 39
33-47ART02 icoc ING
30-03-2012
14:00
Pagina 40
THE ICOC CONFERENCE
classic Khorasan structure), too large to be photographed comprehensively, and a large Turkmen eagle group torba, borrowed from Munich. Attendees were then taken to the National Historical Museum. Here they were paraded past the Marby rug (shown front and back; the range of its mild colours is wider than I had previously thought), a large number of fragments of the “Fustat” fragments, brought in especially, but shown in dim light. Attendants held small flashlights to permit minimal photographs, but also said that all of this material was available in published form. I’ve visited this museum’s web site and “store” link, but no
GHEREH
mechanism seems available for internet purchase. The last conference evening’s event was at The Royal Armoury. The 16th-century royal hunting carpet was shown, as were the Polonaise carpets from Skokloster Castle and Hallwyl Museum. Also on view from Skokloster, were the promised “Transylvanian” rugs, one Lotto and a Medallion Ushak. Boralevi, who headed the Academic committee for the conference, said, during the opening ceremonies, that the committee had decided that it was important for ICOC to return to its research roots in the presentations for ICOC XII. It had, he said, as a result selected only about 40 40
presentations from the approximate 140 proposals they received. To confirm the old rule that any effort to improve things will not go unpunished, the move to enhance the quality of the academic presentations by reducing the number approved, drew criticism from some conference participants who said the increased quality made it more difficult for them to choose between presentations held in the same time slot. Among the academic presentations that caught my eye were the following: Faking of old carpets is currently a hot issue in the rug world and Vedat Karadag has been examining the various
33-47ART02 icoc ING
30-03-2012
14:00
Pagina 41
THE ICOC CONFERENCE
GHEREH
ways in which some attempt to make new rugs look credibly old. His conference talk
Some of the rugs from the Swedish textiles exhibition.
on this subject was his most recent, and necessarily compressed, version of one he has been giving to rug societies and in other venues around the world. He provided a good, crisp delivery that enhanced the in-
41
terest in this controversial topic. Two images highlighted the lengths to which fakers will currently go to produce a rug that seems older than it is. In one, a new rug has been placed in a livestock pen and is nearly
33-47ART02 icoc ING
30-03-2012
14:00
Pagina 42
THE ICOC CONFERENCE
GHEREH
42
33-47ART02 icoc ING
30-03-2012
14:00
Pagina 43
THE ICOC CONFERENCE
GHEREH
buried in manure. In another, a new rug is being dragged through a field of grain behind a motor cycle. Karadag demonstrated, concretely and graphically, that the fakers are getting better all the time, and revealed some of the ways they are doing so. His argument was so effective that Michael Frances was moved, during the question period, to hope that fears about faking will not unduly discourage collectors from buying rugs and textiles claimed to be antique.
Various fragments from the Lamm collection preserved at the Nationalmuseum, Stockholm.
Koos de Jong, an art historian from Amsterdam, examined aspects of Chinese saddle rugs apparent in Chinese paintings and sculpture as well as in some actual “applied art” examples. His look at this evidence was extensive 43
and deep and its results were reflected in a typology that characterized materials, shapes, and other features of saddle rugs during broad historical periods of Chinese history. De Jong’s discussion, in this lecture, is to be elabo-
33-47ART02 icoc ING
30-03-2012
14:00
Pagina 44
THE ICOC CONFERENCE
rated in an article and a book. Although this session got high marks, some experienced observers thought de Jong’s presentation of his research might have been made even more effective by omitting some later material dealing with the 19th century. Wendel Swan, a U.S. collector of Swedish heritage, has, in recent years, assembled a collection of Swedish textiles, mostly 18th-century cushion-
GHEREH
cover size. He has studied this class of textiles for a while now, and was daring enough to come to Sweden and to talk knowledgeably about them to Swedish collectors and other closely informed folks. There were no criticisms of Swan’s thesis that, while small Swedish textiles are made from distinctive materials and exhibit distinctive structures, they compare in “size, design and 44
appeal” to many Middle Eastern textiles. Swedish textiles, like most others, occur in a wider variety of formats and employ more structures than is apparent when one first begins to examine them. In addition to the familiar “rollakan” and “rya” characterizations and weaves, one encounters terms like “flamskav,” “billedrev,””tvist,” “trensa,” and several describing varieties of double weave. Swedish flatweaves seem to be almost entirely weft-faced. There are Swedish terms for “brocading” and “extra weft patterning.” And there is considerable embroidery. In another excellent presentation, Jessica Hallett led a team of researchers in Portugal who have been working with and on “Three ‘Salting Carpets’ Discovered in the Palace of the Dukes of Braganza, Portugal. “ A trained scientist, who attended this session, described the work reported as follows: “This is work of an exceptional collaboration among technical groups in Portugal. Their comprehensive analysis included design aspects of the fine decoration, silk foun-
Marby rug, 145 x 109 cm, Anatolia, 15th century.
33-47ART02 icoc ING
30-03-2012
14:00
Pagina 45
ICOC XII: BOARD MEETING
O
n Sunday 19th June, 2011, a board meeting of the ICOC was held in Stockholm. On the agenda for the day was the resignation of Walter Denny (professor in history of art at the Massachusett’s University) because of an increase in academic commitments and for personal reasons which no longer allow the scholar to dedicated himself as he would wish to the International Conference on Oriental Carpet. The choice of the new president fell unanimously on Peter Bichler, in recognition of his skills and organisational capacity. The work of the board then continued by accepting the suggestions of the various participants, and establishing a firm point: the commitment of the ICOC in involving as many museums, foundations, cultural institutions and universities in organising an increasing number of events about rugs and textiles generally, drawing in new experts and scholars. Another commitment of the ICOC will be to make private collections as visible as possible, although these are often “hidden” by their owners, and have them studied by experts. The assembly then continued with an introduction by Roya Taghiyeva who, announced the opening of the new carpet museum at Baku in Azerbaijan next September, and proposed that a cycle of conferences be held for the event. Within the framework of international conferences, Peter Bichler also informed those present that the International Conference on Hallstatt Textiles in Vienna will be held at the Naturhistorisches Museum in the Austrian capital from 15th to 17th March 2012, and will be organised by Bichler himself. A text by the late Frenç Batari, former member of the International Conference on Oriental Carpet and organiser in Budapest of its 6th conference, will be included in the ICOC’s publications. The publication will see the collaboration of the Austrian Society for Textile Art Research – TKF. While Elena Tsareva suggested the organisation in future of a series of meetings in Arab countries, Taher Sabahi was asked to solicit the support of the Iranian government in the activities associated with supporting Persian carpets, such as conferences and visits to textile production sites.
Right, Wendel Swan, Siawosch Azadi, Taher Sabahi, Roya Taghiyeva, Peter Bichler.
Discussion was then invited with regard to the next edition of the ICOC and proposals came in plentifully from those present. Among these, Alberto Levi suggested that Maastricht and Amsterdam should ICOC new Chairman not be overlooked, Peter Bichler while Jessica Hallet, of Portuguese nationality, naturally suggested that the international conference be held in her home country. The final decision, after a series of consultations, saw the other side of the ocean winning the day: the next time the ICOC unrolls its rugs will be on American or Canadian soil. The board meeting of the ICOC ended at 11.40 and the ceremonies closing the Stockholm conference began at midday with the speech by the president, Annette Granlund, and announcement of the start of work of the new international president, Peter Bichler. The numerous participants raised a glass in toast to the next edition to be held in 2014-2015 in the United States or Canada, under the direction of Dennis Doods. The following participants took part in the meeting, while another 13 members were absent with justification: Dennis Dodds, USA; Wendel Swan, USA; Michael Buddeberg, Germany; Anette Granlund, Sweden; Alberto Boralevi, Italy; Peter Bichler, Austria; Daniel Shaffer, UK; Elena Tsareva, Russia; Alberto Levi, Italy; Andrea Klobucar, Croatia; Hadi Maktabi, Lebanon; John Mills, UK; Jurg Rageth, Switzerland; Mahmat Cetinkaya, Turkey; Roya Taghiyeva, Azerbaijan; Siawosch Azadi, Germany; Taher Sabahi, Iran and Italy; William Robinson, UK; Margareta Nockert, Sweden; Ernest Albegger, Austria; Jessica Hallet, Portugal; Julia Bailey, USA.
33-47ART02 icoc ING
30-03-2012
14:00
Pagina 46
THE ICOC CONFERENCE
dation and structure, as well as analysis of other fibres, including DNA and polarized light “polypolarization”, a technique that can be used to roughly distinguish among fibre types. Dye analysis was put into a larger perspective by reference to their librarydatabase of dye colours, including insect reds by world regional source. They also presented details of the unusual brocading thread of silver-gilt metal foil over silk.
GHEREH
Metallographic data showed that gold was applied to both sides of the silver rather than the expected gold on only one side. It may be that gold was deposited from mercury amalgam by a dip process. The gold layers, a few nanometers thick, were so fragile that it was mentioned that a fine brush to remove dirt particles would also remove gold. Extraordinary cleaning was done with supercritical carbon dioxide – 46
at the extraordinary expense of about 600,000 per carpet, if I heard correctly. The exciting work and presentation evidently had a similar effect on others, as judged by a lively question session.” Hallett’s report of the results they have achieved moved Michael Franses to volunteer, during the question period, that while he thought he and others he had worked with in allied areas had achieved some modestly useful results, the accomplishments of this Portuguese team had, in his view, moved things to a new level. A few summary thoughts. I was a member of the local organizing committee for ICOC X in Washington, D.C., and am, as a result, empathetic with any local group that is willing to take on the monumental tasks that producing and executing an ICOC conference unavoidably entail. Stockholm is a beautiful city and the free public transportation pass provided to conference registrants made it possible for us to see lots of it. Evening events seemed scattered geographically and sometimes transportation needs between events broke down. There was lots of standing and waiting at events. But the events and the material shown were of interest. Two conference-related tours were offered, one in Copen-
33-47ART02 icoc ING
30-03-2012
14:00
Pagina 47
THE ICOC CONFERENCE
GHEREH hagen, the other in St. Petersburg. I can’t speak of the pre-conference tour in Copenhagen, although my wife and I were in Copenhagen, privately, for five days that overlapped with the ICOC tour dates at the end. I would argue that the extensive and marvellous David Collection, and the food, and lovely conservatory dining room of the Orangeriet restaurant, on the edge of the park, across the street, alone, provided considerable value. (The entire Islamic majority of the David Collection has been captured in a full-colour, paperback catalog that is heavy and will be expensive to mail, but which sells for a mere $30 US.) Here is the link to their publications:http://www.davidmus.dk/en/information/publikationer. Here is the email address at which you can order items:museum@davidmus.dk My wife and I were participants in the St. Petersburg tour, organized and conducted by Elena Tsareva. I may write about it in detail at some point, so I’ll spare you that here and say only that, while it was expensive, the St. Petersburg tour was heavily subscribed (with about 150 participants), and it was meticulously planned and executed. It was packed with access to material that was al-
ways interesting and sometimes famous in more palaces than one could actually take in in four days, and extraordinary, last-minute requests from participants were accommodated. A good Georgian restaurant close to the hotel was literally taken over by ICOC folks on some tour evenings. So I think we have to say that, what must have been a small local organizing committee in Stockholm, put on a cred47
itable conference in ICOC XII. They had support from those who organized the tours (in fact, spectacular support from Elena Tsareva), and I think, on balance, a fine, educative time was had by all.
Note: Jim Henderson, Michael Rothberg and Wendel Swan contributed to this review. Any errors are mine alone.
48-49 appuntamenti inglese6
30-03-2012
12:01
Pagina 48
AGENDA
21 October 2011 - 26 February 2012 A ORIENTE. CITTÀ, UOMINI E DEI SULLE VIE DELLA SETA Museo Nazionale Romano Terme Di Diocleziano, ROME
9 November 2011 – 1 April 2012 GRIPPING DIVERSITY! FANS AND GLOVES FROM THE MAK COLLECTION Mak – WIEN
14 February - 11 March 2012 L’ULTIMA CAROVANA Mercati di Traiano Museo dei Fori Imperiali, ROME
27 May 2011 - 18 March 2012 FLAVOURS OF THE ARTS. FROM MUGHAL INDIA TO BOLLYWOOD Musée d’Ethnographie, GENÈVE
17 November 2011 - 5 February 2012 IL VELLO D’ORO: ANTICHI TESORI DELLA GEORGIA Mercati di Traiano-Museo dei Fori Imperiali, ROME
10 June 2011 - 20 December 2012 THE INCA TRAIL. THE PAST OF THE ANDES Museu Marmier-Mueller D’Art Precolomí, BARCELONA
13 February – 4 March 2012 AZERBAIGIAN - LA TERRA DI FUOCHI SULLA VIA DELLA SETA Museo della Civiltà Romana, ROME
26 January- 15 April 2012 HAJJ - JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF ISLAM British Museum, LONDON
4 November 2011 - 25 March 2012 ICÔNE DE MODE Museée de Tissus et des Arts Décoratifs, LYON
14 May 2010 - 31 December 2012 JAIN MANUSCRIPTS Victoria&Albert Museum, LONDON
6 December 2011 - 26 February 2012 JAMEEL PRIZE - ART CONTEMPORAIN D’INSPIRATION ISLAMIQUE Institut Du Monde Arabe – PARIS
6 March 2012 - 24 June 2012 LE CORPS DÉCOUVERT Institut Du Monde Arabe – PARIS
25 settembre 2011 - 15 aprile 2012 Es putzt ganz ungemein - Accessoires und Damenkleidung der letzten 200 Jahre aus dem Bestand des Deutschen Textimusems Deutsches Textilmuseum, Krefeld
48
48-49 appuntamenti inglese6
30-03-2012
12:01
Pagina 49
AGENDA
GHEREH
29 October 2011 - 5 March 2012 GOLDENE IMPRESSIONEN: JAPANISCHE MALEREI 1400 – 1900 Museum für Ostasiatische Kunst, KÖLN
17 September 2011 - 27 May 2012 DOMESTIC EMBROIDERIES Museum of Fine Arts, BOSTON
26 January - 9 April 2012 ROADS OF ARABIA: ARCHÄOLOGISCHE SCHÄTZE AUS SAUDI-ARABIEN Pergamonmuseum, BERLIN
21 October 2011 - 8 April 2012 MAHARAJA: THE SPLENDOUR OF INDIA’S ROYAL COURTS Asian Art Museum, SAN FRANCISCO
6 March 2010 - 21 October 2012 ORDER AND BORDER Seattle Art Museum, SEATTLE
8 October 2011 - 28 May 2012 BEAUTY AS DUTY. TEXTILES AND THE HOME FONRT IN WWII BRITAIN Museum of Fine Arts Boston, BOSTON
21 October 2011 - 5 March 2012 MIRROR OF THE BUDDHA Rubin Museum of Art, NEW YORK
8 January - 31 December 2012 FOWLER IN FOCUS: JAPANESE PICTORIAL IKATS FROM THE KRAUSS COLLECTION Fowler Museum at UCLA, LOS ANGELES
Until 6 January 2013 YOUNG BRIDES, OLD TREASURES: MACEDONIAN EMBROIDERED DRESS In the Cotsen Gallery, Neutrogena Wing Museum of International Folk Art , On Camino Lejo off Old Santa Fe Trail, SANTA FE
13 November 2011 – 13 May 2012 EMBROIDERED TREASURES: TEXTILES FROM CENTRAL ASIA Baltimore Museum of Art, BALTIMORA
13 August 2011 - 19 February 2012 WOVEN AND WORN: TEXTILE ARTS AND SILVERWORK OF THE DINÉ Minneapolis Institute of Arts, MINNEAPOLIS
14 September 2011 - 4 March 2012 CENTRAL NIGERIA UNMASKED: ARTS OF THE BENUE RIVER VALLEY African Art Museum, WASHINGTON DC
10 September 2011 - 10 June 2012 THE ART OF THE ANATOLIAN KILIM: HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE MCCOY JONES COLLECTION de Young Museum, SAN FRANCISCO
15 September 2011 - 15 September 2012 FROM COURTSHIP TO KINSHIP: WEDDING CELEBRATIONS OF LAOS’ ETHNIC GROUPS Traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre, Luang Prabang, LAOS
49
50-55 NOTIZIE ING
30-03-2012
12:01
Pagina 50
NEWS NEW GALLERIES FOR THE ART OF THE ARAB LANDS
T
he new permanent display of the Metropolitan Museum of Art di New York dedicated to Islamic was inaugurated on 1st November, 2011. The gallery, comprising no less than 15 thematic galleries, will explore the “Arab lands”, Turkey, Iran, Central Asia and Southern Asia, following a chronology of 13 centuries via the 1200 items on display, chosen from the over 12,000 owned by the Metropolitan. Sheila Canby, curator of the new layout in the famous New York museum, affirms that with her assistants, she sought to create an itinerary that highlighted the transnational character of Islamic art, stressing the context in which the various items displayed were made, and through these, the network of exchanges and relations between the various Muslim countries, from Spain to Mughal India and China. This new display bears witness to a changed perspective of the Metropolitan’s collection, in recognition
of the fact that the compactness of Islam did not create a single, monolithic artistic expression, but that its works of art possess infinite shades, and that the contact with other peoples has resulted in objects that are strongly influenced by other cultures, including the Roman, Greek and Chinese civilisations. The
50
50-55 NOTIZIE ING
30-03-2012
12:01
Pagina 51
NEWS
GHEREH
rehanging of the galleries dedicated to Islamic art also involved the US authorities. The choice of objects displayed was submitted to the approval of the US Department of State and to the religious authorities of the coun-
tries that are the protagonists of the gallery in order to avoid any diplomatic incidents and not to disturb the sensitivity of Muslim visitors, as well as to prevent unpleasant speculation. After almost a decade of rebuilding (the Metropolitan closed the Islamic Art gallery in 2003), some of the masterpieces in its collections are now back on show. Of these, one of the most famous is the so-called Emperor’s Carpet: large in size (7 x 3.3 metres), it was donated by Emperor Leopold I of Austria by Peter the Great of Russia. The rug was made in a Herat manufactory during the Safavid period, presumably in the mid 16th century. The Met’s new layout also includes a gallery dedicated exclusively to the rugs and textiles of the Ottoman empire. Elsewhere, it is possible to admire the illustrations of the marvellous Shahnameh or “Book of Kings”. In further testimonial to the renewed interest in Islamic Art that is currently being evinced, is the imminent reopening of the gallery of another great museum, the Louvre. A new display for the Parisian museum’s Islamic collections is planned to open in new spaces during the current year.
More than one thousand works from the preeminent collection of the Museum's Department of Islaic Art have returned to view in a completely renovatedsuite of fifteen galleries.
51
50-55 NOTIZIE ING
30-03-2012
12:01
Pagina 52
NEWS
GHEREH
CHRISTOPH THUN-HOHENSTEIN THE NEW DIRECTOR OF THE MAK IN VIENNA
S
ince 1st September 2011, the MAK in Vienna, one of the most prestigious European museums, has a new director in the young and dynamic Christoph Thun-Hohenstein, formerly the much-appreciated director of the Austrian Cultural Forum of New York, director of the on-line magazine, Austria.culture, and of the Creative Agency of the city of Vienna, an institution dedicated to cultural and technological innovation. The arrival of Thun-Hohenstein will be a further breath of fresh air in an institution that is already highly dynamic. The new director aims to open the doors of the museum (founded almost 150 years ago and at the time dedicated to Austrian art and industry) to new technologies and to a new way of perceiving the applied arts. Through a series of meetings called MAO, an acronym for Memory and Progress, the director, curators and museum experts will appear in public to define the MAK’s new goals, without forgetting, naturally, the immense heritage the museum possesses. Questioning everything seems to be the new approach for the museum’s directors. This unconventional venue will be used to discuss the direction of the new museum collections, and the significance of applied arts today will be
examined, together with how a 21st-century museum should reach out, what will be its new acquisitions and how best to promote the sizeable holdings already in the collections. The results of this research will be presented in an exhibition to take place in the spring of 2012. In line with the new director’s wishes, contact with the visitors will be closer. A social network and blog will allow a symbiotic relationship between those producing and those consuming culture. Shortly, a new press conference to be held by Christoph ThurnHohenstein will reveal the 2012 programme of temporary exhibitions.
THE ABEGG-STIFTUNG FOUNDATION RE-OPENS RIGGISBERG
A
fter two years of modernisation, the Abegg-Stiftung Foundation of Riggisberg, one of the most active institutions dedicated to textiles, has re-opened its galleries with a new style of layout. The interiors have been designed by architects Hanspeter Wespi and Erich Offermann as a large
open space fitted with movable walls, a characteristic giving the curators total freedom in designing exhibition layouts. The new permanent display (inaugurated on 18th September) presents the most precious items in the Abegg Foundation’s holdings. The exhibition explores splendid European 52
50-55 NOTIZIE ING
30-03-2012
12:01
Pagina 53
NEWS
GHEREH
curators to highlight the influences between the various cultural areas examined, as the visit progresses. The display has been designed in such a way that the visitor can build his own itinerary, with transverse perspectives and visions; for example, one can admire the space dedicated to the textiles early and late Middle Ages, or investigate the links between the textiles arts of the Eastern Mediterranean and garments from Central Asia. The displays are rounded off with sculptures, paintings and jewellery. The Abegg-Stiftung Foundation has also been endowed with new collections, giving ample space to textiles. About thirty textiles and garments have been put on show for the first time on the occasion of the re-opening: for the most part these are acquisitions of the past ten years. Among these are some pieces from Central Asia and China, but the collections have noticeably grown also thanks to the acquisitions of ancient Byzantine and European textiles. On top of the space dedicated to permanent displays, the Foundation has also equipped with new rooms to host temporary exhibitions. In the spring of 2012, this vital Swiss institution will see a series of new exhibitions enabling visitors to deepen their knowledge of textiles and the applied arts.
textiles of great worth, originating from the Eastern Mediterranean basin, and some original pieces from countries crossed the Silk Road. The items have been laid out by geographical area and chronological order, and the new open space has made it possible for the
53
adv_libro_p54 dam.qxp:Layout 1
On sale at
8-05-2012
15:41
Pagina 1
Ghereh Publications: WWW.GHEREH.ORG
50-55 NOTIZIE ING
17-04-2012
10:25
Pagina 54
NEWS
GHEREH
TEXTILE SOCIETY OF AMERICA TEXTILES & POLITICS
O
n top of being one of the most famous museums in the world to deal with textiles, the US capital also plays host to the very active Textile Society of America, an association founded in 1987 and directed by a board formed of directors of the museum and university lecturers from North America. Its over 700 members dotted around the world are museum curators, lecturers, historians, collectors and dealers. The aim of the Textile Society is to create a network facilitating the study of subjects associated with the world of textiles and the spread of knowledge about this fascinating, multi-faceted world. Every two years, the Textile Society of America organises a symposium generally held in the autumn. The congress this year, planned for September, will look at the links between the world of textiles and politics. Textiles can communicate and construct status, ethnic membership, personal taste, sexual gender; historically, they have been used to represent power. Over the centuries, textiles have also been of great social significance and important trading articles; we need only consider how much a fibre like silk has influenced cultural and political exchanges, since it was at the heart of intense commercial traffic between ancient Rome and the Chinese empire from the early centuries after Christ. The disciplines meeting at this symposium will be highly varied. All subjects in some way associated with the world of textiles will be included; this interdisciplinary nature will be one of its strong points. The leading scholars of the sector will present the most recent studies from anthropology, the history of art, preservation and restoration, design, historic studies and their links with the world of textiles. The chairmen of the symposium responsible for selecting the papers of the congress’s participants will be Sumru Belger Krody, curator at the Textile Mu-
seum of Washington and Cecilia Anderson, an academic and expert in the history of textiles, from the Smithsonian. Below, Kaftan fragment, Ottoman, Bursa (?), Turkey, first half of 17th century, kemha (lampas).
55
56-69 mostre 50 ing
30-03-2012
12:04
Pagina 56
EXHIBITIONS THE ART OF THE ANATOLIAN KILIM: Highlights from the McCoy Jones Collection
tique traditions. As is well-known, kilims are “poor” rugs that are woven (in sheep’s, goat’s or camel’s wool) rather than knotted. Because they are thinner, they are used as screens to divide spaces, as coverings, curtains, tablecloths and much more. The generally abstract decorations vary according to the area of provenance, and the colours derive from the natural tints available locally. The appeal of kilims from Anatolia lies in their archaic designs, often associated with indigenous religious themes stretching back to neolithic times. H. McCoy Jones, an officer in the U.S. Navy, began collecting textiles when he was stationed in Istanbul, just after the First World War. One of the duties of the then young officer was to escort guests from Europe and the United States around the bazaar; it was in this context that his passion for collecting and his profound knowledge of Oriental art was born. For the exhibition, the Fine Art Museum of San Francisco presents about 20 of the most significant Anatolian kilims from the McCoy collection, dating from the 15th to the 19th century, of various provenance and decorative types. The group of kilims present in the permanent collection of the FAMSF is considered to be the most important collection of Anato-
San Francisco, de Young Museum Fine Art Museum 10 September 2011 – 10 June 2012
T
he Fine Art Museum of San Francisco presents The Art of the Anatolian Kilim: Highlights from the McCoy Jones Collection from 10th September, an exhibition dedicated to the collection of Anatolian kilims belonging to Caroline and H. McCoy Jones. The two collectors, among the principal supporters of the Californian museum and great collectors of antique rugs, donated their entire collection of over 800 textile articles, including a large number of Anatolian kilims, to the FAMSF at the end of the 1980s. The exhibition aims to celebrate the donation made by the McCoys by displaying a selection of flat-weave rugs that are exemplary of an-
56
56-69 mostre 50 ing
30-03-2012
12:04
Pagina 57
EXHIBITIONS lian rugs outside Turkey, and this thanks to the donation by the two untiring collectors. The examples displayed in this exhibition are precious and antique. Some of them are torn or incomplete, but the colours decorating the patterns are still bold and saturated and, even after centuries, are able to show the simple, direct decorations to best effect. According to the exhibition’s curator, Jill D’Alessandro, 20 years after the first exhibition of the collection, which marked a turning point and brought this type of rug to the awareness of the non-specialised public, this new exhibition will increase interest in kilims and offer a new opportunity for study and investigation of these flat-weaves.
57
56-69 mostre 50 ing
30-03-2012
12:04
Pagina 58
EXHIBITIONS
GHEREH
WEAVING ABSTRACTION: Kuba Textile and the Woven Art of Central Africa
dedicated to the marvellous Kuba textiles, a tribe that lives in the region of the Kasai river in Central Africa, was inaugurated on 15th October. Nicknames the “people of lightning, the people of garments and the people of the king�, they are certainly well-known for the extraordinary beauty and originality of their textiles and for their great mastery in making everyday articles. The first news we have of this tribe dates back to the 17th century: the Kuba arose from the union of about 20 ethnic groups in the area that today corresponds to the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in the past formed one of the most powerful kin-
Washington Textile Museum 15 October 2011- 19 February 2012
A
utumn and winter were warmed by a hot African sun at the Textile Museum in Washington. An exhibition
58
56-69 mostre 50 ing
30-03-2012
12:04
Pagina 59
EXHIBITIONS
GHEREH gdoms in the region. Their culture has been preserved thanks to their relative closure to other populations (especially from the West) and, until the end of the 19th century, the Kuba kingdom had had few contacts with foreigners. This isolation has ensured that their traditions have remained substantially unchanged; among these traditions, textiles play a leading role. The material used for weaving and decorating the garments for which this proud and ancient people is not a commonly employed raw material such as wool or cotton: Kuba garments and textiles are made from raphia, a vegetable fibre that is complex to work, obtained from palms. In particular, they use the Raphia vinifera. Once the most tender leaves have been collected, these are left to dry in the sun and then cut into small strips and woven by the tribe’s men, using looms set at an angle of about 45° to form cloths of about 50 - 70 cm. The fabric made in this way can subsequently be painted or embroidered; the embroidery is done by pregnant women or women unable to do heavy work. The thread used for this is also made from raphia, worked with a fine-tooth comb. After being softened in the hands, the thread is twisted and threaded through a needle. The raphia is dyed using mineral and plant substances in conformity with the symbolic traditions varying between ethnic group. The textile articles of the various ethnic groups forming the Kuba kingdom, vary considerable. Trafia velvet embroideries of the Kasai tribe, called shoowa, are famous; these are made by inserting little threads between warp and woof, without knotting. But the fabrics of the Kuba ethnic groups are famous above all for the decorations, which are not simple bands but constituted a system of sa59
56-69 mostre 50 ing
30-03-2012
12:04
Pagina 60
EXHIBITIONS
GHEREH cred geometry, abstract symbols that can be understood only by those belonging to the tribe. The textiles are a means of communication to express moral, spiritual and philosophical conventions, and are used also to show off the rank, authority and social role within the tribe. Within the Kuba, the exchange of fabrics is an integral part of village life, but also the basis for trade. Historic sources relate how these groups traded with the Portuguese conquerors, making these textiles their form of cash. Legend narrates how king Shamba Bolongongo in the 17th century travelled east, perhaps reaching Arabia and Mediterranean Africa, and subsequently imported and developed raphia-weaving; this would explain the strong analogies that some Kuba patterns reveal with motifs of Western and Muslim origin. Certainly the slave trade that in the 19th century crossed Africa from the Atlantic coast to the Indian coast (operated by Arab and Swahili merchants), brought these populations into contact with religious European garments and Arab cloth, and this would explain the close similarity of some Kuba motifs with Western
60
56-69 mostre 50 ing
30-03-2012
12:04
Pagina 61
EXHIBITIONS
GHEREH
decorations, at times comparable to those seen in Roman mosaics. The entire decorative repertoire presents herringbone, square decorations, lozenges and square with quincunx or dentate details, and Greek motifs drawing on late-Roman ones. Centuries later, contemporary artists drew inspiration from the designs of Kuba textiles: Paul Klee, Sonia Delauney and Henri Matisse
re-invented the patterns of African decorations, creating marvellous and innovative abstract designs at the start of the last century. In this exhibition, the Textile Museum of Washington presented 150 textiles from regions inhabited by the Kuba, displayed in parallel with objects from neighbouring areas (inhabited by Congolese and Tutsi groups). Among these were the marvellous raphia velvet fabrics used to make the traditional skirts worn by the members of these tribes, and also everyday objects such as baskets and mats. The exhibition, curated by Vanessa Drake Morata, was accompanied by a catalogue with rich illustrations.
Opposite page, noblewoman’s Ceremonial Overskirt. D.R. Congo, Shoowa people. Below, woman’s Ceremonial Skirt (detail), D.R. Congo, Bushong people.
61
56-69 mostre 50 ing
30-03-2012
14:58
Pagina 62
EXHIBITIONS
GHEREH tion offered by the Musée de l’Impressions sur Étoffe in Mulhouse, entitled, Il était une fois. L’enfant et le tissu imprimé de 1750 à nos jours, explores the history of textiles for infancy via a thematic and chronological itinerary through a collection of textiles and objects for infants, from clothing and linen to furnishings. The exhibition begins with an account of the evolution of decoration on fabrics from the year 1750. This is a symbolic date: the Enlightenment saw an end to the notion of a child as a “little adult”, and the rise of that of the child as a person who needed to grow, with his own individuality. This change in the concept of childhood can be perceived in the decorations present on the fabrics, and in the subjects chosen in the early 19th century: middle-class families and the values of this up-and-coming class: a love for one’s country and family, respect for one’s elders, religion. As yet, there were no fabrics made especially for children, but these were no longer merely a decorative element, as occurred in earlier centuries when they were shown as loveable, plump little miniature rustics in bucolic scenes. A century would pass before the first printed fabrics for children appeared towards the end of the 19th century. The subjects shown in the decorations depict little children playing cricket, or dressed in carnival clothes, riding bicycles or playing on the beach. Obviously, these were expensive items destined solely for customers who could afford luxury items. Child labour was still a sad everyday occurrence at the time. With the 1920s, the market for children developed, and the decorations printed on fabrics reflected children’s games and entertainment. The first cartoon characters appeared (Mickey Mouse, for instance), together with film characters (Charlie Chaplin). After the Second World War, the market for children’s items and clothing gradually filtered down to every
IL ETAIT UNE FOIS L’enfant et le tissu imprimé de 1750 à nos jours (avec la collaboration de Jean de Castelbajac) Mulhouse, Musée de l’Impression sur Étoffe 10 November 2011- 14 October 2012
G
iving a gift to a new-born baby or a child is always a pleasant occasion, and nowadays it is possible to choose – in the textile sector – from a huge range of items, from clothing to fabrics for furnishing; an infinity of articles with the most varied decorations, from those recalling cartoon characters to more anonymous illustrations. But it was not always thus. The designs decorating textile items for infants, which today seem an everyday thing, actually have only a relatively short history. The interesting exhibi-
62
56-69 mostre 50 ing
30-03-2012
12:04
Pagina 63
EXHIBITIONS
GHEREH
brothers as cowboys. The years of protest and 1968 brought some individuality to the decorations used for children’s fabrics. To close the exhibition, the Musée des Impressions sur Étoffe, presents a collaboration with fashion designer Jean de Castelbajac. The MISE’s galleries reveal the creative development of a designer who has always associated his motifs with the decorative iconography of childhood, using illustrations produced in a range of primary colours and cartoon and TV characters (it is worth recalling the irreverent jacket made using stuffed Kermits from the Muppets, together with the famous Walt Disney sweaters drawn in the 1980s for the Iceberg line, and associated advertising campaign by Oliviero Toscani). The French designer has also produced a special creation for the museum, a cotton voile featuring one of his unmistakable, joyful decorations.
social class, and consumer products aimed at children multiplied. A fundamental role was played by the division into the sexes: fabrics and colours for little girls and those for little boys; little girls dressed as princesses, their
63
56-69 mostre 50 ing
30-03-2012
12:04
Pagina 64
EXHIBITIONS
GHEREH
TREASURES OF ISLAMIC MANUSCRIPT PAINTING FROM THE MORGAN New York, Morgan Library and Museum 21 October 2011- 29 January 2012
T
he Morgan Library and Museum, founded more than a century ago by the influential financier, Pierpont Morgan, is renowned above all for its collection of drawings, precious historic and literary texts, manuscripts dating back to the Middle
Ages and Renaissance, seals and illustrations from the Near East. Until 29th January, it was be possible to visit the library to admire the Treasures of Islamic Manuscript Painting exhibition, comprising an important collection of Islamic manuscripts dating from the Middle Ages to the 19th century and forming part of the museum’s holdings. Pierpont Morgan was extremely interested in the art of the Middle East, collecting and acquiring Islamic manuscripts in some number. The items on display in the exhibition are an extraordinary example of calligraphic skill and artistic refinement. The collection also includes veritable treasures, such as a treatise on animals and their habits, dating to the 13th century. This is the oldest manuscript on show, and is deemed by experts to be one of the most important and rarest of Islamic manuscripts. Its miniatures 64
56-69 mostre 50 ing
30-03-2012
12:04
Pagina 65
EXHIBITIONS
GHEREH are an example of the influence of Chinese naturalistic style. Another noteworthy piece, one of only surviving in the world, is the translation into Turkish of the biography of the poet and mystic, Rumi. The translation was done in Baghdad in 1550 (controllare: errore nell’italiano) and was commissioned by sultan Murad III. The manuscript on show here includes material not found in the Persian original and is also richly illustrated. The miniatures accompanying the text were acquired by Pierpont Morgan in 1911 and are a masterpiece of the Baghdad school of drawing, which flourished under the Ottomans. Alongside these masterpieces, we find some fascinating hand-written volumes of the Qu’ran and single miniatures from two albums formerly owned by Sir Charles Hercules Read, who was curator of British and Medieval Antiquities at the British Museum from 1896 to 1921. One piece we particularly liked for its refined elegance is the miniature showing a young woman lying on a rug after bathing. With its rich calendar of events, public readings, films and teaching activities for the family, the Morgan is not just a museum and research library, but also a point of reference in the cultural sector as a whole. Indeed, the exhibition is accompanied by an interesting programme of, for example, concerts and readings dedicated to the masters of Sufi poetry, and workshops for children and adults to learn more about calligraphy. The Morgan Library and Museum is a presti-
gious, dynamic institution. In October 2010, it finished the refurbishment of his original nucleus, the McKim building in the heart of Manhattan which was Pierpont Morgan’s private library. In 2006, this building was given a major expansion in the form of a steel and glass pavilion designed by Renzo Piano. This acts a little like an Italian piazza, linking the three buildings of the historic museum. The Treasures of Islamic Manuscript Painting from the Morgan exhibition has been organised by William Voelkle, curator and director of the Department of Medieval and Renaissance Manuscripts.
Opposite page, above, Bahram Gur and the Slavic Princess Nasrinnosh in the Red Pavilion on Tuesday; below, Bahram Gur and the Indian Princess Furak in the Black Pavilion on Saturday. Above, Laila and Qais in School From “The Khamsa” by Nizami. India, probably Ahmedabad, ca. 1618. 65
56-69 mostre 50 ing
30-03-2012
12:04
Pagina 66
EXHIBITIONS
GHEREH
FOWLER IN FOCUS Japanese Pictorial Ikats from the Krauss Collection Fowler Museum - Ucla Los Angeles 8 January -29 April 2012
I
n 2008, the Fowler Museum of Los Angeles received an important collection of Japanese textiles from Jeffrey Krauss as a donation; over 200 examples of e-gasuri, or “designs composed with kasuri�, ranging in date from the start of the 19th century to the end of the last. Kasuri is the term coined in Japanese to describe the resist-dye technique called ikat in the rest of the world. In general,
the patterns created using this technique are abstract, and often make use of geometric motifs, but in Japan weavers have developed a unique process enabling them to compose simple figurative designs too. The Fowler Museum has grouped the most important articles from the collection to display them in Fowler in Focus: Japanese Pictorial Ikats from the Krauss Collection, which inaugurated in Los Angeles in January. Jeffrey Krauss, a telecommunications expert, began collecting textiles about 20 years ago, when he first began exploring the world of Oriental textiles, fascinated by such precious fabrics. His attention was then drawn by Japanese textiles, before specialising in kasuri. 66
56-69 mostre 50 ing
30-03-2012
12:04
Pagina 67
EXHIBITIONS
GHEREH The resist-dye process is used in many parts of the world: from South America to Africa, and from Uzbekistan to the Far East. Using this process, the baths of dye are applied only to part of the fabric or yarns, so as to create varying contrasting effects. Among the dye-resist methods is the one called ikat in the East: before weaving, the warps are dipped into baths of different dyes with some parts tightly knotted together so that they cannot absorb the dye. The areas that are not coloured have resisted the dye, whence the name of the technique. Kasuri was traditionally used in the countryside and the fabric made was typically blue or indigo. The Japanese artisans, masters in the art of ikat, would enliven them with patterns drawn from the most varied subjects: in this way, there might appear such subjects as cheerful spirits provoked by the fumes of sake, Buddhist saints, tortoises (a symbol of longevity), images of ships and ornamental motifs linked to the Japanese decorative tradition. Kasuri developed strongly during the second half of the 18th century and became an important trading item in many rural parts of the country. The size of the fabric never exceeded 30-35 centimetres in height and it was sold in long bolts of cloth called tan. Each of these bolts was about 12 metres long; it provided sufficient fabric to make a kimono. But kasuri was also used to make fabrics for furnishing: it would cover futons (futonji), the linings of cushions (zabuton) and curtains to cover doors (noren). With the progressive Westernisation of clothing, the traditional kimonos embellished with decorations made using this resist technique gradually vanished. The weavers – ever fewer – continue, however, to pass on this tradition, which is unique in the world of weaving. The exhibition, curated by Roy Hamilton, senior curator of the Asian and Pacific collection at the Fowler Museum, can be visited until 29 April.
Opposite page, left, futon cover (futonji), fragment; right, Cloth. Japan; 19th century. Right, Futon cover (futonji), fragment. San-in region, western Honshu, Japan. 67
56-69 mostre 50 ing
3-04-2012
10:44
Pagina 68
EXHIBITIONS
GHEREH
A ORIENTE Città, uomini e dei sulle Vie della Seta Museo Nazionale Romano delle Terme di Diocleziano - Roma 21 October 2011 - 26 February 2012 ries and adventurers, in search of financial profit, to evangelise unknown populations, to satisfy a thirst for knowledge and to go beyond the borders of the known world. The common denominator accompanying the exhibition is the co-existence between the great monotheist religions. Along the route of the Silk Road, in the towns constituting the various stages of the fabulous journey, the various religious faiths rubbed shoulders fraternally, creating opportunities for cultural exchange and stimulating peaceful co-existence between different peoples. The multimedia itinerary created by the Milanese artistic collective of Studio Azzurro whisks the visitor along a journey of sights, sounds and emotions recreating the atmo-
T
he A Oriente: città, uomini e dei sulle Vie della Seta (East: towns, men and gods along the Silk Roads) exhibition was hosted until 26th February in the extraordinary space of the Baths of Diocletian in Rome, especially opened for the occasion. The exhibition took the form of a long multimedia journey accompanying the visitor through the fundamental stages followed by voyagers of all sorts along the Silk Road. Palmyra, Tur ‘Abdin, Ctesiphont, Taq-e Bostan, Merv, Samarkand, Ghazni, Swat, Kucha, Turfan, Dunhuang and Xi’an are the towns and regions on the journey east, followed from the second century AD by merchants, missiona-
68
56-69 mostre 50 ing
30-03-2012
12:04
Pagina 69
EXHIBITIONS
GHEREH
sphere of a mysterious, fascinating world, describing the complexity and cultural and religious contaminations of the Silk Road. A significant collection of artefacts of various types, consisting of about 100 works from various Italian and foreign museums, appears alongside the itinerary planned by the Studio Azzurro. Among these is the exceptional Map of the Mongol landscape (Menggu shanshiu ditu) recently discovered in Japan. This is a silk roll painted in ink and colours measuring over 31 metres in length and 59 centimetres broad. This extraordinary textile object includes 211 Chinese place names, in large part transliterations from Mongol, Persian, Sogdian, Arab and numerous other languages. After reaching Japan in the 1920s, it was conserved in the private Fujii Yurinkan museum, and in 2002 was purchased by the Beijing Sungari International Auction Co. It currently belongs to a private collection.
The pictorial style of the roll is linked to the “blue and green landscape” tradition and to the Wumen school in particular, which dates to around the middle of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644). The roll has been drawn with the so-called “landscape” method, and illustrates the panorama from the pass of Jiayu in what is Gansu province today, to Tiafang, which is Mecca today. In all probability, this precious work of art is incomplete, because two woodcut reproductions found recently, bearing many resemblances to the roll on display in Rome and dating from the Jiajing era of the Ming dynasty, include the panorama between Mecca and Istanbul. It is reasonable to suppose, therefore, that this splendid drawing on silk must belong to the same period, and that it shared the same origin as the woodcut prints, as suggested by the similarity in place names. The A Oriente: città, uomini e dei sulle Vie della Seta exhibition is part of an ambitious project organised by the City of Rome: the International Culture Biennale which, with 11 exhibitions of the highest level, will explore the history and culture of those countries in the Middle and Far East which, until the 12th century (until Marco Polo’s famous voyage), were such a mystery for Europe, but which also constituted such an appeal to explore unknown territories.
Opposite above, detail of the map of the Mongolian landscape, roll painted in ink and colours on silk, early 16th century. Below, following memory: Palmyra. View of the interactive installation. Above, gazing on the sacred: the monasteries of the Syro-Oriental Church. View of the interactive installation. 69
70-75 ASTE ing
30-03-2012
12:07
Pagina 70
AUCTIONS DOROTHEUM, Wien 8 September 2011 Price inclusive of 20%buyer’s premium North-western Persia circa 1940 410 x 300 cm (lotto 71)
TAPESTRY France - Paris first third 17th century 331 x 187 cm (lotto 98) A Basselisse fabric decorated with silk and gold threads. It is not possible to provide a precise iconography of the scene depicted, but it probably shows a series of episodes drawn from the life of the young King David. The mark of the manufactory showing a lily is unknown, but the tapestry probably comes from the workshop of Marc de Comans and François de la Planche. The preparatory cartoon was done by Henri Delambert, and examples very similar to this one can be seen at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The ends have been damaged at the points from which the tapestry used to hang. 30,000 – 40,000 30,800
A pleasing and large Tabriz made around 1940. Originating from a private Austrian collection, it was in excellent condition. There were no signs of damage or marks of wear in the fleece. The wool of extraordinary quality. 13,000 -15,000 18,600 LORI PAMBAK South-western Caucasus mid-19th century
70
70-75 ASTE ing
30-03-2012
12:07
Pagina 71
AUCTIONS
GHEREH 232 x 166 cm (lotto 80) An old rug from the Kazak region in an exceptionally good state of conservation and made from the very finest wool; the fleece uniform throughout. The violet colour and decoration suggest a dating to the mid-19th century. Original ends and lateral borders in part restored. No significant repairs have been made. 15,000 - 25,000 16,160 KARAGASCHLI Eastern Caucasus circa mid-19th century 322 x 120 cm (lotto 133) A very fine carpet in the former of a runner, originating from the Kuba region.
The wool and colours were very bright. The knotting was fine, but some parts of the fleece were worn rather low. Both ends were complete and the side edges resewn. All the sides have been strengthened with fabric, but repairs were minimal. Overall, the rug was in good condition. 15,000- 20,000 13,720
NAGEL, Stuttgart 13 September 2011
CAUCASIAN RUG Caucasus Early 19th century 180 x 107 cm (lotto 73)
A fine Caucasian rug with colourful decoration, showing a woman and cockerel. The edges damaged and the fleece totally worn down in some points. Some small holes also present. 3000 5500
KAZAK KARACHOF Caucasus circa 19th century 233 x 192 cm (lotto 74) This fine Caucasian rug came from a private collection in Lower Saxony. It has been sold several times at auction and in private sales between 1975 and 1990, in Hamburg, Hanover, Munich and Salzburg. The decoration presented a fine central medallion of octagonal form, within a pattern of waves. The colours have not been wholly preserved. It has been restored. 5000 5500
71
70-75 ASTE ing
30-03-2012
12:07
Pagina 72
AUCTIONS
GHEREH SHAHSAVAN KHORJIN BAG North-western Persia, Caucasus circa 1900 120 x 56 cm (lotto 117) A Shahsavan Khorjin bag marked by a strip of kilim on the rear, while the front of the bag is a fine soumak. It came from a private Spanish collection. Part of the soumak has been lost, but it was in generally good condition. 2000 6700
TABRIZ North-western Persia Circa 1930 577 x 351 cm (lotto 138)
VERAMIN Northern Persia Circa 1930 504 x 368 cm (lotto 139)
A signed Tabriz in good condition. An elegant rug characterised by a field with red floral patterns; the main border stands out for particularly refined decoration. 2000 4000
This handsome Veramin had an elegant design on the traditional blue ground. In good condition, it had a few small marks of wear and tear. 2000 4000
ISFAHAN Central Persia Second third 20th century 385 x 253 cm (lotto 136) An Isfahan carpet in good condition, marked by a splendid red colour that helps the white pattern stand out all the more. 5000 5000
72
70-75 ASTE ing
30-03-2012
12:08
Pagina 73
AUCTIONS
GHEREH
This fragment of late-Gothic tapestry, datable to between 1480 and 1490, is of great historical importance and is certainly part of a long panel decorated with a variety of scenes. This kind of article was generally made to commission and would be used to embellish the homes of the nobility and of wealthy families. Rarely is it possible to determine the exact provenance of textiles from the Upper Rhine; they were usually made in small workshops around Basel and Strasbourg. The similarities in style in the depiction of floral and human motifs to the decoration of some fragments of tapestry conserved in the abbey of MuriGries near Bolzano and made in a Basel workshop, suggests that this article was also made in the same city.
RIPPON & BOSWELL Wiesbaden 26 November 2011
SHUSHA (KELLEH) Southern Caucasus, Karabagh Dated 1246 (Egira), AD 1831 614 x 197 cm (lotto 168) This splendid example of Shusha in kelleh format was last sold in the Rippon Boswell sale of 1999. Formerly belonging to the Metternich family, this lot is almost identical to one published in 1922 in Grote-Hasenbalg’s text, dated to 1848. In good condition. 35.000 36.000
The subject shows the execution of a man: he is tied to the ground, while the executioner raises a wheel, ready to strike him. Other protagonists of the scene are a sovereign, who also plays the part of judge, and a woman who, from the position of the arms, seems to suggest forgiving words. The display of this article must have served as a deterrent against a specific crime: execution by the wheel was reserved for murderers and thieves.
FRAGMENT OF LATE-GOTHIC TAPESTRY Switzerland, Basel Late 15th century 58 x 80 cm. (lotto 172)
SARYK TENT BAND Central Asia, western Turkestan Late 18th century 1260 x 34 cm (lotto 152)
This tent band in excellent condition was last offered for sale in 1999 at GĂśteborg. The especially refined realisation, use of colour and style of decoration suggest that it belonged to the Saryk tribe of Turkestan. Some patterns have been woven in a rubycoloured silk. 30,000 30,000
73
The tapestry was finely woven, with some details in silk. To the right, in the upper part of the panel, one can still see the original fringes, but the other sides show that this panel was cut from the rest of the fabric. 55,000 87,840
70-75 ASTE ing
30-03-2012
12:08
Pagina 74
AUCTIONS SILK KERMAN RUG Southern Persia Dated 1326 (Egira); AD 1908 271 x 176 cm (lotto 142) This figurative rug belongs to a small group of finely-woven Kerman rugs designed by Forsate Shirazi, the famous miniaturist, and made in the workshop of the master weaver (ustad) Kirmani. This example was commissioned by Aga Buhjat Al-Mulk in Egira 1326 (or 1908 in the Western tradition). According to the Rippon Boswell catalogue, there are six similar examples, five of them commissioned by Aga Buait Al-Mulk and one by Murtaza Kuli Khan, leader of the Bakhtiari tribe. Four of these are of wool, and another two
GHEREH of silk. This example was previously sold in Copenhagen by the Rasmussen auction house in 2007. The carpet was in good condition, with the original fringes. On the lower edge of this splendid figurative Kerman rug, there is a tree of life comprising three main branches, from which lead off other branches loaded with leaves and fruit that completely invade the field. In the lower part, in a small lake, one can see birds, fish and other animals, including a turkey, a cockerel, a duck, a stork; alongside these are present some fruit alongside the roots of the tree. On the branches of the tree there are other species of birds and the nests of other species. The main border, on a light, almost ivory field, has ten ovals. Four of these are loca-
FRAGMENT OF SPANISH RUG Southern Spain, Letur Early 15th century 68 x 112 cm. (lotto 56)
Of great historical importance, this fragment of Spanish rug, made to hang on a wall, shows clear similarities (in the composition of the field, in that of the borders, and in the decorations) with a carpet conserved in the Textile Museum of Washington, identified with inventory number R44.4.1. The rug in the US capital was probably woven in Letur in the first half of the 15th century. The fragment of Spanish rug offered at auction belongs to the same group. It is marked by a blue field, with a dense network of white lines outlining patterns in the form of octagons and diamonds. The octagonal friezes so-formed contain an eight-pointed star, typical of heraldic carpets. The handsome border is decorated with geometric motifs. Sadly, this fragment has suffered considerable damage, and numerous restorations over the centuries. The areas of brown colour area signs of corrosion. 700 19,520
ted on the corners of the rug, while the others are divided along the border. In each oval, there is a male portrait representing various nationalities, dressed in traditional clothes. The ovals are interspersed with figures of animals representing the variety of species present in nature (monkeys, bears, elephants, insects, horses and more). To conclude, the rug represents a vision of the human, animal and vegetable world: “Jahan�. The ten portraits depicted in the border represent the various ethnic groups of the world, with inscriptions identifying them. 55.000 122.000
KARAPINAR Central Anatolia, Konya region Late 19th century 210 x 130 cm (lotto 32) This rug comes from a village in the area of Karapinar. In excellent condition, the fleece surprisingly still boasts its original height. It is marked by a decoration formed of a showy cross at the centre of the field. This example was probably used as a surface on which to sleep. Many rugs of this kind have come down to us, both in this format and in a longer one. This example is marked by decorations with heraldic motifs characteristic of Konya rugs. The flat weave edge and the fringes are original. 4,500 10,370
74
70-75 ASTE ing
30-03-2012
12:08
Pagina 75
76-83LIBRI ING
30-03-2012
12:09
Pagina 76
BOOKS & CATALOGUES CHANTS FROM PARADISE A selection of Safavid Carpets from the Farjam Collection Dubai The Farjam Collection 2011
The catalogue of the Chants From Paradise – A Selection of Safavid Carpets from the Farjam Collection exhibition has been published. The exhibition is truly a unique event: 20 fine rugs and other outstanding articles have been displayed from what we might dub the Renaissance of Persian arts, the period of Safavid domination (14991722). The Farjam collection is one of the most important private collections in the world. In a period of almost 40 years, Farhad Farjam has collected hundreds of objects from the most wideranging artistic disciplines
and from every corner of the globe. Farjam, of Iranian origin, began collecting Safavid rugs about 20 years ago, when he bought a 17thcentury rug from the Lazard Corporation of New York. It is believed that there are about 200 rugs left in the world made during the Safavid dynasty, and few of these are still in the Middle East; the exhibition has thus been an excellent opportunity to admire so many rare and precious examples in a single venue. The Safavid period is historically recognised as being Iran’s most glorious. The dynasty descended from the founders of a mystical order, the Safaviya, dating from the end of the 13 th century, but it was at the end of the 15th century that the young Ismail, heir to the Safavid dynasty, defeated the Qara Qoyunlu tribe and what remained of Timurid power. An astute strategist and charismatic military commander, Ismail was crow76
ned Shah at Tabriz in 1501, at the age of just 14. A great patron of the arts, he gathered the country’s finest artists in court, creating a setting for cultural development. During his reign, the decorative arts were reborn and miniatures, ceramics and the textile arts attained the highest levels. His suc-
76-83LIBRI ING
30-03-2012
12:09
Pagina 77
BOOKS & CATALOGUES
GHEREH cessor, Shah Tahsmap, was as active as Ismail in protecting artists, and his patronage gave rise to the making of some marvellous illuminated books (the most noted of which is surely the Shahnameh). Some of the finest rugs were made during his reign; certainly, these include the Ardebil from the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, together with the rug with hunting scenes in silk in Vienna, and the hunting rug at the Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan. But it was with Abbas I (15881629), called Abbas the Great, that Iranian arts reached the peak of their beauty, thanks also to a period of relative political stability, which enabled an economic development that benefited much of the population. An enlightened sovereign, Abbas personally invested in the production of rugs, transforming the sector into a national industry; royal manufactories were set up, and some of the most brilliant and skilled artisans produced splendid articles for the palaces and mosques. In the Chants From Paradise exhibition, some of the world’s finest surviving Safavid rugs are on display: from the classic medallion design to the famous Polonaises, together with rugs with a vase design and Herat and Isfahan rugs. The catalogue illustrates all twenty. Among the rugs with medal-
lion design is a marvellous example with vibrant colours, large in size (650 x 240 cm), from north-western Iran, dating from about the 17th century. The central medallion is formed of an eight-pointed star inserted within another medallion of a larger size. Rich floral decoration fills the red field, marked by the absence of corner sections. It is surrounded by a rich border of dark colours, against which 77
contrasts a poly-lobate ivory-coloured decoration. Difficult to overlook, instead, is an astonishing Isfahan measuring no less than 975 x 366 cm, indicating that this masterpiece of the textile arts was certainly made for a royal palace. Coming from central Persia of the 17th century, it presents a red field dominated by a large floral design, while the protagonists of the decoration are two small palms
76-83LIBRI ING
30-03-2012
12:09
Pagina 78
BOOKS & CATALOGUES from which emerge long. Sinuous lanceolate leaves creating broad volutes. Four nut-brown corner pieces with soft forms adorn the field. An elegant dark border, dotted with ivory, nut and red-coloured floral designs complete this splendid carpet. Another, but smaller, Isfahan (208 x 140 cm), dated to around 1650, and in part woven in cotton, is striking for its intense, bright colours and for the decoration of the field and border, filled with floral designs. The border comprises a design of large palmettes, emphasised by blooms of flowers enclosed within a line of small white dots. The thin outer border is instead characterised by tiny flowers. The field has a series of symmetrical decorations. This rug might be a prayer rug, as the floral decorations, combined with the cloud decoration, form a very discreet mihrab. The field has a red background, but is perceived as polychrome because of the complicated decoration: curving vines chase elaborate, colourful khatai flowers, and bands of clouds form ovals that criss-cross yellow and green palmettes, forming broad spirals that betray a Chinese artistic influence. The exhibition includes another Isfahan datable to around 1650, made in central Persia and larger in size (409 x 180 cm). The rug,
GHEREH which has maintained its fine fleece almost intact, has a decoration marked by large patterns rendering the decorative structure particularly lively. It has an original border with cypresses alternating with finely-executed palmettes. The central quatrefoil pattern dominates the red field, comprising orange v-shaped clouds, and is accompanied by four palmettes whose stalks combine to form a rosette. The Farjam Collection is already noted for having organised exhibitions of considerable importance in the past in its spaces at Dubai, and in 2010 Farhad Farjam received the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Maktoum Patrons of the Arts Award in the category dedicated to patrons and protectors of the arts. 130 pp., 131 colour and black and white illustrations. Paperback.
ORIENTAL CARPET & TEXTILE STUDIES VII International Conference on Oriental Carpets Thomas J. Farnham, Daniel Shaffer (Editor) Selected Papers from ICOC X, Washington 2003 & ICOC XI Istanbul 2007 This catalogue collecting the most significant papers of the two ICOC congresses – Washington in 2003 and 78
Istanbul in 2007 – is dedicated to the memory of Robert Pinner. In order to preserve the quality of the essays published as much as possible, a careful selection of the articles and studies proposed has been made. Robert Pinner charged Tom Farnham (former lecturer in American History at the University of North Carolina and currently member of the board of directors of the Textile Museum of Washington) to select the material received by the president of the ICOC, in order to publish only the most significant documents offered, sent by experts in the field of carpets and textiles. The text, published for the 12 th edition of the ICOC conference held in Stockholm, contains eight essays looking back to the Washington conference of 2003. The subjects are of the most varied, from an analysis of antique Syrian textiles to a study of the prayer rugs conserved at the Topkapi
76-83LIBRI ING
30-03-2012
12:09
Pagina 79
BOOKS & CATALOGUES
GHEREH
from both China and ancient Rome. From Chinese sources, he shows how silk articles were considered on a level with precious metals and jewels, and how the Romans loved to dress in silk fabrics from the East. Palmyra has proven to be a particularly precious archaeological resource for textile articles in that the hot, dry climate of the desert has preserved a considerable number of items from funerary sites. Eiland wanders how textiles and decorations from Roman and Byzantine times passed down to the Bedouin and then to the Mameluk culture. The author compares the friezes present on stelae dated to the first centuries after Christ and the decorations of Bedouin textiles, describing the similarities and seeking out fascinating affinities of design.
Palace and an analysis of images showing hunting scenes in the kaitags of Dagestan. The Istanbul conference of 2007 resulted in 14 essays of great interest, which analyse the world of textiles and rugs, from a study of Polonaises in baroque Rome to an analysis of the famous Marby rug and an interesting excursus into the use of carpets in artists’ studios
in late-19th-century Munich. Among the essays collected in 2003, it is worth noting the interesting text by Murray L. Eiland III, archaeologist and lecturer at the University of Damascus, who analysed the fascinating history of Palmyra, the important caravanserai and town that was a crossroads of culture between the 1st and 3rd century AD. The city saw people and goods coming 79
AimĂŠe Froom takes us instead to the Brooklyn Museum of Art to discover a precious Spanish carpet of the 15 th century. Woven at the time of the Arab domination, this important example of the textile arts is characterised by a field decorated with a pattern of polylobate red, large pomegranates standing out against a bright blue background. Through an analysis of the fringes on the edge, Froom examines the transmission of decorative motifs characterising the tradition of the Spanish carpet in the 15 th century.
76-83LIBRI ING
30-03-2012
12:09
Pagina 80
BOOKS & CATALOGUES The rug conserved at the Brooklyn Museum is associated with Anatolian rugs preceding the Holbeins, a feature that according to the scholar can be evinced thanks to the pseudo-Kufic designs of the borders. Moreover, the unusual configuration of two patterns (again of pseudo-Kufic manner) within the border does not seem characteristic of Holbeins. According to Froom, Spanish carpets are the demonstration of the great influence exercised by the decorative forms of Anatolian rugs. Made in the 15th century by weavers from Mudéjar in southern Spain, these carpets reflect the importance of cultural exchanges in the Mediterranean basin. Sumru Belger Krody, curator at the Textile Museum in Washington, leads us into the fascinating world of Ottoman embroideries. Embroidered textiles were an integral part of daily life in the Ottoman empire; they were used for clothing but also for furnishings and were also an important tool for social affirmation for the elite, always keen on showing their degree of prosperity. The designs of textiles in the 17th and 18th century comprised pleasing compositions with well-executed motifs. Few bright colours were used, and all in all, the resemblance with decorations in other art-forms is considerable. Before the
GHEREH
mid-18th century, embroidered textiles were generally made from one or two motifs combined frequently, with broad, fluid forms covering the entire area of the fabric. The compositions of this period gave the impression of continuing to infinity, and the floral motifs were not realistic but depicted highly stylised plant forms. However, flowers similar to tulips and carnations were common; with their varied petals, they fascinated the Ottoman craftsmen. Not many colours were used during this period: red, green, blue, white and yellow were pre80
dominant. After the middle of the 18th century, the patterns began to change: the decorations were no longer repeated infinitely and borders were added instead; roses took the place of the much-loved tulip. The patterns became more numerous but smaller. Under the influence of what was defined “Turkish rococo”, far more colours were adopted (no less than 15 at times). The most radical changes took place in the early 19th century, when the influence of European fashion was at its peak and there was a “Westernisation” in clothing.
76-83LIBRI ING
30-03-2012
12:09
Pagina 81
BOOKS & CATALOGUES
GHEREH Among the papers from the Istanbul ICOC of 2007, Michel A. Hann takes us back to one of the most significant archaeological discoveries since the war. In the Altai mountains in southern Siberia, Sergei Ivanovic Rudenko and his team discovered what is still believed today to be the oldest rug in the world: the rug (from the name of the valley in which it was found). Part of some grave goods, it was found in a tumulus tomb (kurgan), and is in extraordinary condition thanks to the extreme cold of the Altai mountains, which literally forze the items. The grave is conventionally dated to circa 380 BC, and this superb work of art is now conserved at the Hermitage in Saint Petersburg. Hann analyses one of the most famous rugs in the world, seeking to unravel its provenance, following the caravans that travelled the first ventures of the Silk Road. Ivan Maktabi, instead, analyses the production of Khorashan carpets in the wake of the fall of the Safavid empire. Khorashan was not only an important rug manufacturing centre during the Safavid era but also a place in which designs were produced to decorate other textile articles. The production of Khorashans also included the famous “Portuguese�. A British source of 1618 commented how these rugs, woven enti-
rely of wool or silk, were made in various parts of Persia, but how most and the best came from Khorasan. It is a common opinion that the rug production almost ceased in Persia during the 18th century because of the difficult political and economic situation, and that its tradition was confined to rural areas, only expanding once more towards the 1870s.
200 pp., colour and black and white illustrations.
UNDISCOVERED MINIMALISM. GELIMS FROM NORTHERN IRAN Parviz Tanavoli Werner Weber - Hali Pubblications Limited London
Recent studies have established instead that, even after the fall of the Safavid dynasty (which happened in 1722), rug production continued in a few town workshops: the weaving of some of the examples examine can only be attributed to town workshops, because of the complexity of the decorations, formed of elaborate curvilinear patterns. As Farnham himself ironically admits, he and his staff have taken far more than those five years Tolstoy needed to write War and Peace to prepare these texts for the press. The result of this long labour is an easy-to-use catalogue of refined appearance, richly illustrated and offering excellent reproductions rounded off with accurate, comprehensive captions. It offers a stimulating, curious text with many and often very different subjects that will win over expert readers and enthusiasts of the textile arts. 81
Parviz Tanavoli, one of the most highly esteemed Iranian contemporary artists, takes the author on a voyage through the region of Mazandaran in north-western Iran, a traditional holiday area for the inhabitants of Teheran, thanks to its subtropical climate, but also one that is full of history and legends. For sure, it is a region with a fascinating and also mysterious history: famous for having being the birthplace of the Pahlavi dynasty, for being the last place in which tigers and
76-83LIBRI ING
30-03-2012
12:09
Pagina 82
BOOKS & CATALOGUES
bears were hunted and the last part of Iran to convert to Islam, three centuries after the rest of the country. It was a common belief until a few years ago, that rugs and kilims could be found in every part of ancient Persia except in this region, set between the blue of the Caspian Sea and the Eburz mountains (whose highest peak rises to a height of 5700 m). The few textile articles that were known were wrongly attributed to the Bakhtiari tribe of Lors. A journey undertaken by Werner Weber in the mid1990s finally revealed that the kilims of simple banded patterns that were believed to made by the Bakhtiari,
GHEREH
had actually been woven by women from the area of Khalil Mahhaleh in Mazandaran. The Swiss gallery owner was given hospitality in the houses of the local population; here he was able to admire kilims measuring from 50 centimetres to seven metres, used as rugs, blankets, table rugs, room dividers. Rendered curious by this discovery, he ventured into the mountainous region of Hezar-jerib, a harsh area often covered by a metre of snow in winter, and here he found evidence of an extraordinary weaving tradition. One of the most famed of Iran’s sculptors today and an authoritative expert in Ira82
nian textile traditions, Parviz Tanavoli accompanied Weber on another voyage through Hezar-jerib in 2009. As he writes in this book, he was profoundly struck by the extraordinary modernity of the kilims produced in this area. Indeed, the patterns characterising these articles seem to belong to contemporary textiles. Single colours and slender, elegant lines are often used, and with the right tones, these highlight the graphic composition of the designs. The resemblance to the works of art of Western artists such as Mondrian, or to the projects of Rationalist architects, is extraordinary. It is not hard to sense to what extent the patterns
76-83LIBRI ING
30-03-2012
12:09
Pagina 83
BOOKS & CATALOGUES
GHEREH created on the looms by the agile hands of the women are inspired by the surrounding nature. The views they can daily see from the windows of their homes, the view of the cultivated land on the soft slopes of the hills, divided harmoniously and lovingly taken care of, clearly provided the inspiration for their designs. Describing the landscape of Hezar-jerib, Tanavoli does not hesitate in comparing it to Tuscany. The distance from any main roads, the presence of high mountains and dense forest have all made communications difficult, and this is probably why these articles have not made it to the marketplace. The kilims of Hezar-jerib, which is defined as the most important region for the production of these rugs, are made using wool from local livestock, and the dyes used are all natural. They are often large and far broader than those of the neighbouring Turks, Turkmen and other Iranian regions. Every article is formed of two or more kilims sewn together, each of which measuring from 45 to 70 centimetres, according to the size of the loom on which it is made. They are used as table rugs, curtains or to divide up an interior space. The kilims made for mosques are generally very large, sometimes measuring five metres wide and seven long. But there are also kilims used for collecting barley and others
which are placed on a table and, thanks to their size, keep the legs of warm of those sitting around it, protecting them from the extreme temperatures of this mountain region. With regard to the pattern, these articles from Hezar-jerib have been divided by Tanavoli into four types. The first is that comprising horizontal stripes: this is the group with the largest number of articles, and given the relative simplicity of execution, are also woven by less expert women. However, the size of the coloured stripes forming the decoration is a secret passed down from generation to generation. The second group comprises kilims marked by a single colour. This group has no patterns, or at least those that are present are very small. Often, the variations in colour arise from variations in tone deliberately created using the abrash technique; that is, using wool dyed in different baths of colour. The third group has been defined as minimal by Tanavoli, in that, even though it has striped patterns or abrashi technique, it is characterised by tiny, minimal designs. The fourth group includes kilims that bear a strong resemblance to ikat textiles. Unfortunately, however, all memory has been lost of this 83
type of weaving, and no kilims of this sort have been produced in recent times. These marvellous articles still hide many secrets, however: it is not certain, for instance, for whom the most refined kilims were made. The floors in the homes of shepherds and peasants were often covered in felt mats and kilims woven with rough, poor-quality wool, but many of those found were well-made and of fine wool, as well as being of a size for large, rich houses. It is probable that they were woven for the homes of landowners in the Hezar-jerib region, and were used to embellish the houses – now ruined – of the leading noble families of the area. Another unanswered question concerns the dating of these kilims: many of them are in perfect condition and have probably never been used. We may hazard a guess that they were made between the end of the 19th and start of the 20th century, but their perfect state of preservation makes their dating an unresolved question. This book may well be defined an art book. Published with splendid images of kilims and photographs of the people of Hezar-jerib, it is perhaps a fundamental text for textile lovers.
256 pp., 131 colour illustrations.
84-86 cHAIKANE 50 ing
30-03-2012
12:10
Pagina 84
CHAYKHANÉ THE HOUSE OF STONE RUGS
I
n 1071, following the defeat of the Byzantines at Mantzikert, the Turkish hordes spread through Asia Minor, pushing as far as the Bosphorus. The former Byzantine lands adopted the new name of Turkey, the land of the Turks. Originally from the arid steppes of Central Asia, the Turks were the protagonists of a rapid and cruel advance: the blue waters of the Aegean stopped them and one by one the great Asian cities fell to the descendants of Seljuk, the Seljuk kings. The use of warm and enveloping knotted rugs, flexible and easy to carry, was part of their tradition as nomads; like the ancient Scythian populations, they considered rugs and felt articles to be the most important items in their movable homes and they decorated them with geometric motifs, in which each motif had a precise meaning helping to declare identity and rank. Having arrived in Asia Minor, their produc-
tion of rugs underwent an extraordinary evolution, as noted in the words of Marco Polo in 1270 (“here they make the finest and most beautiful rugs in the world”), and as evidenced by many precious fragments found amongst the treasures of the mos-
84
84-86 cHAIKANE 50 ing
30-03-2012
12:10
Pagina 85
CHAIKHANÉ
GHEREH
their sense of rhythm and horror vacui to the compositions typical of the Byzantine textile arts, which were both antique and highly refined, and in turn closed linked to the Roman world. The nature and decoration of Byzantine textiles are known to us through only a few fragments – for the most part from reliquaries – and for the illustration of them in mi-
ques: the rugs of the Seljuk TUrks in the 12th and 14th century reveal enigmatic geometric decorations over the whole field, formed of dense repetitions of steles, hook motifs, infinite knots and small lobate medallions. These articles, which document an excellent technical skill and decorative faculty, are undoubtedly associated with the Turkish tradition, but they owe much in
85
84-86 cHAIKANE 50 ing
30-03-2012
12:10
Pagina 86
CHAIKHANÉ
GHEREH work on a building site in the centre of Ravenna, in an area enclosed within the late-antique walls. Here, atop other earlier buildings was found the palace of an aristocratic Byzantine. In terms of richness of decoration and design, it may be compared with the buildings of the Eastern Empire rather than with Italian ones. Each of the 14 rooms forming the palace is decorated with polychrome mosaics organised like rugs, enclosed by cornices and formed of repeated motifs, which only in some cases are arranged around central emblemata. Dating from the 6th century, from a phase immediately after the Byzantine conquest of the city in AD 540, the palace was probably the residence of senior figure who had his residence built by workmen and artists sent over from Byzantium. The ordered repetition of geometric motifs, each penetrating the next, the lines of the pattern recalling those used to decorate textiles and rugs, the presence of infinite knots, of steles and lozenges might suggest that the houses of Byzantium were adorned with rugs containing geometric motifs over the whole field, not unlike those that centuries later decorated the Seljuk palaces. More evidence of the rugs used in Mediterranean palaces in the 6th century comes from Egypt: a partial fragment of the 5-6th century – today in the Metropolitan Museum of New York – was found at Fostat. The fleece, which is made not of knots but rings of wool, reveals an appealing compartmented design, with squares decorated with geometrical motifs repeating the patterns of the Ravenna domus.
Seljuk rug from a mosque in Konya, 13th century, TIEM Istanbul.
niatures, paintings and mosaics. We thus learn that textiles played an important role in the homes and palaces of Byzantine aristocrats, but little is known of their being used laid out on the floor as carpets. A recent archaeological find gives us an exciting comparison between the motifs of the latest rugs of Seljuk Turkey and those decorating the mosaic floors of a patrician Byzantine house of the 6th century, genuine “stone rugs”. This is the name given by Federico Zeri to the domus that emerged by chance between 1993 and 1995 during the 86
87 ing
30-03-2012
12:10
Pagina 85
GHEREH IS AVAILABLE USA: THE TEXTILE MUSEUM
INDIEN: INT. PUBLICITY SERVICE
2320 Street NW Washington DC 20008-4088 Tel. +1 202 6670441
c-27/279, 2nd Floor, ‘Nirmal Complex’, Maldanhiya Varanasi 221 002 Tel. +91 542 511126 Fax +91 542 334436
MYRNA BLOOM THE EAST WEST ROOM 3139 Alpine Drive, Dresher Pennsylvania Tel. 215 657 0178 - Fax 215 657 66885
DENNIS B. MARQUAND P.O. Box 1187, Culver City, CA 90232 Tel. +1 310 3130177
SOBHE 1655 South La Cienaga Blvd. Los Angeles, California 90035 Tel. 310 7709085 Fax 310 8600462
IRAN: THE CARPET MUSEUM Karegar Street 14154 Theran
AUSTRALIA: BERUZ STUDIO
JAPAN: ALI SOLEYMANIEH Nogizaka Park Front 1F Minamioyamal1-15-15, Minato-ku, Tokyo 107-0062 Tel. + 03 5772 9391 caspy@airos.ocn.ne.jp
471 High Street, Prahran Victoria 3181 Tel. + 61 3 95102282 Fax +61 3 95104809 info@behruzstudio.com
ITALY: THE CARPET STUDIO
DEUTSCHLAND: GALERIE AZADI Deichstrasse 24 - D-20459 Amburgo Tel +49 40363620
MUSEO POLDI PEZZOLI via Manzoni, 12 Milano Tel. 02 794889
Via Santo Spirito, 11 50125 Firenze Tel. 055 21423
CLASSICO Teppich Galerie Bleidenstrasse 6 - 60311 Frankfurt am Main Tel +49 6913389595 / djurabchi@web.de FRANCE: LIBRAIRIE DU MUSÉE DU LOUVRE Service Commercial 75058, Parigi Cedex 01
To subscribe, send an e-mail to: sabahi.collection@gmail.com Europe 8 issues
USA and Rest of WORLD by Air MAIL € 155,00
8 issues
€ 250,00
•Cheque/Eurocheque payable to: Taher Sabahi s.r.l. UNICREDIT BANCA IBAN IT 63 S 02008 01136000040361008 c/c 40361008
Should a copy not arrive through fault of the post, please contact our secretarial office by fax or e-mail: Tel. ++39 011 817 23 86 - Fax ++39 011 817 07 09 ghereh@fastwebnet.it 87
88 alternativa copia
30-03-2012
12:11
Pagina 1
www.taher-sabahi.com
Sabahi collection Carpet and Textile Gallery
Tappeti Decorativi e Design
A pochi passi dalla sede storica abbiamo creato un nuovo show room: per chi ai tappeti classici, preferisce un gusto contemporaneo. Un punto di riferimento per gli interior designer. A richiesta, produzioni e colori personalizzati.
TORINO - C.so Vittorio Emanuele II, 38 Tel. +39 011 817 23 86 - +39 011 817 80 93 - Fax +39 011 817 07 09 e-mail: sabahi.collection@gmail.com
COP GH50 1-2-3-4 ing
6-04-2012
17:35
Pagina 2
WELCOME TO TH
OUR 20 YEAR
www.taher-sabahi.com Since 1961
Sabahi Gallery Tappeti Antichi e Classici Laboratorio di Restauro e Conservazione Scuola di Tappetologia fondata nel 1984 Ufficio Peritale - Perizie Legali ed Ereditarie Ghalibaf Museum (Museo del Tessitore) Biblioteca
The first issue was published in February 1993 TORINO - C.so Vittorio Emanuele II, 40 Tel. +39 011 817 23 86 - +39 011 817 80 93 - Fax +39 011 817 07 09 e-mail: sabahi.collection@gmail.com
50
50 20 th Year
17:35
In this issue: Transylvanian rugs. S. Ionescu. The Mulberry. T. Sabahi. The ICOC Conference. R.J. Howe.
6-04-2012
N. 50 - Euro 22,00 - ghereh@fastwebnet.it - Poste Italiane s.p.a - Spedizione in abbonamento postale - D. L. 353/2003 (Conv. in L. 27/02/04 N. 46) art. 1 comma 1 DCB - Torino N. 1/ 2012
COP GH50 1-2-3-4 ing
Pagina 1