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  • The princes of Persia

    The princes of Persia

    James Cockington

    March 31, 2010

    The Sydney Morning Herald

    "I wonder if an oriental carpet has sold anywhere for full price?" a
    reader asks, commenting on the tendency of rug merchants to offer "up
    to 80 per cent discounts" at all times.

    The exception is antique carpets, where prized specimens are full
    price and generally increasing in value.

    The earliest known example of a sophisticated pile carpet is the
    Altai, or Pazyryk, rug from southern Siberia, found in the tomb of a
    warrior prince who died about 500 years before the birth of
    Christ. Water flooded the grave and it turned to ice, deep-freezing
    the rug. When found by archaeologists in 1949, it was surprisingly
    well-preserved. Anything approaching this age would be valued in the
    hundreds of thousands of dollars. It's believed some rugs have changed
    hands for millions.
    More readily available are fragments of ancient rugs, such as the
    16th-century Indian Moghul shown here. It's of great interest because
    the colours and textures are intact.

    Oriental rugs are basically of four types: nomadic (tribal), village,
    city (urban) and court rugs. These are classified by such things as
    the type of loom used, the type of knot and the nature of the dye.

    The oldest rugs used only organic dyes or stains derived from local
    plants, insects and animals. Yellow traditionally comes from saffron,
    pomegranate, onion skin and camomile flowers. Red comes from the roots
    of the madder plant or the cochineal insect.

    By the 1880s, chemical dyes were used in most carpet regions but never
    quite captured the colours of nature. Rugs featuring organic dyes are
    generally considered more valuable and an expert can tell instantly if
    the dye is chemical or organic. Serious collectors like to inspect the
    carpet before they buy. Antique carpets are rarely bought online.

    Wool quality varies depending on the sheep. The best wool comes from
    the first clip and from around the neck and shoulders. Again, this
    requires an expert eye.
    Where they were produced is also a factor. Nomadic or tribal rugs are
    usually made from wool while village rugs are usually cotton-based,
    because the villagers could establish farms. City rugs are mainly
    based on a standard pattern. Court rugs are usually of a more
    sophisticated design. These were made for the elders, kings and
    community leaders by master designers and weavers.

    Court rugs are the most prized, with mint examples valued at $100,000
    and up.

    By the end of the 19th century, the European influence was evident.
    Magnificent carpets were produced in Persia by the Anglo-Swiss firm
    Ziegler & Company from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries. They
    set up offices and a workshop in the town of Sultanabad to make
    carpets suitable for European and American tastes. Zieglers are still
    in demand today, featuring prominently at Sotheby's specialty textile
    auctions in New York and London.

    Recent prices for Zieglers in fine condition range from $US50,000
    ($55,000) upwards. Even a faded Ziegler, circa 1890, "with moth
    damage", fetched US$21,600 in 2003.

    Bakhtiari rugs are among the finest of the Persian tribal rugs. These
    were hand-woven by the semi-nomadic Bakhtiari tribe from Iran. The one
    shown here was made for the Hessamedin Khan Bakhtiari. It bears the
    date 1320 of the Islamic calendar, which translates to AD1902. This
    carpet was made for a "tallar", a special room where the khan would
    entertain honoured guests.

    These carpets are considered works of art in the same way as a poem or
    piece of music. In this case, the design is separated into four even
    sections. The typical Bakhtiari design incorporates a chequerboard of
    patterned squares representative of the Persian garden.

    Another important category is the Afshar horse saddle cover, a style
    based on the tradition of using animal pelts on early wooden
    saddles. More recently in Persian society, saddle covers became purely
    decorative, reserved for special occasions. In the nomad tradition,
    the saddle cover was part of the dowry, woven by the bride.
    Afshar weavers favoured bright colours. Their work tended to be small
    because they were woven on transportable horizontal looms. These rugs
    are very collectable and, in the oriental rug scale, a good starting
    point. Because of their size and shape, most collectors would mount
    them on a wall.

    The main reference for this article is Oriental Carpets: from the
    Tents, Cottages and Workshops of Asia, by Jon Thompson.

    MY COLLECTION


    Born in Tehran, Behruz Alligorgi first worked for a local rug merchant
    when schools were closed during the Iran revolution. He became
    fascinated by tribal Persian rugs that sometimes appeared in the shop.

    When he migrated to Melbourne he started his own collection of antique
    rugs, some of which are displayed in his showroom, Behruz Studio, at
    1509 Malvern Road, Glen Iris.

    He conducts regular courses on the history of oriental carpets for
    others interested in the subject.

    Behruz began collecting seriously by travelling to places like
    Armenia, Turkey, Iran and Pakistan looking for the antiques that are
    now very hard to find.
    He's been surprised to find some fine examples in Australia. His
    oldest piece, a fragment from the 16th century, was found in Brisbane.
    His advice to collectors is to do your research so you can identify
    rugs by their colour and design style. "It is imperative to see them
    first," he says. "Unless you can get a very good condition report."


    This story was found at:
    http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2010/03/30/1269711 058816.html
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