COLOUR PLATE I
Section of the Holy Carpet of the Mosque of Ardebil, in the Royal Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington, London. Described on Pages 83 and 84.
SECTION OF THE HOLY CARPET OF THE MOSQUE AT ARDEBIL,
Size: 34 ft. 6 in. by 17 ft. 6 in.
FORMERLY IN THE POSSESSION OF VINCENT ROBINSON & CO., Ltd.,
34 Wigmore Street, London, W.,
And Sold by them in 1892 to
THE ROYAL VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, SOUTH KENSINGTON, LONDON.
ORIENTAL RUGS
ANTIQUE AND MODERN
BY
WALTER A. HAWLEY
WITH ELEVEN FULL-PAGE PLATES IN COLOUR
EIGHTY HALF-TONE ENGRAVINGS
AND FOUR MAPS
NEW YORK
DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY
1927
Copyright, 1913
By John Lane Company
Printed in U. S. A.
PREFACE
INCE the appearance, in 1900, of the excellent work of Mr. John Kimberly Mumford on Oriental Rugs, the public interest in these fabrics has so largely increased that the author feels warranted in offering this monograph, which aims to treat the subject in a way that will not only appeal to the general reader but be of value to the student.
In the chapter entitled “Rug Weaving Before the XVIII Century” is a brief review of some of the notable achievements in this branch of art; and in order that the public may as far as possible have access to the masterpieces described, the carpets on exhibition in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York have been given unusual prominence. The chapters on “How to Distinguish Rugs” and on “Purchasing Rugs” should prove serviceable to those who are collecting or are buying for use; and the chapter on “Weaving” contains many details which have not previously received from connoisseurs the consideration they deserve.
The descriptions of all but the least important classes of rugs in the Persian, Asia Minor, Caucasian, and Central Asiatic groups include not only a general statement of their most striking features, but also a technical analysis that is termed “Type Characteristics.” It should be understood, however, that these characteristics are not invariable, but are remarkably constant. They may interest chiefly those who aim to acquire expert information, yet they will doubtlessly prove valuable to every owner of a rug as