St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-01-17
Some Pertinent and Practical
Advice From a Persian
EX-Minister.
The Genuine Rug Is Largely
Initiated Throughout East
ern Countries.
True Oriental Rugs Are In
variably Made by Hand
Process.
Khorassan Rugs Have a Su-
periOr Texture to Those of
Feraghan.


i There Is scarcely any article OF for
eign manufacture more fashionable in
the United States than the Oriental rug.
This is partly because the rug is not only
a decorative. but also a useful, article.
1t has been incorporated into recent
styles OF house furnishings. and has evil
IDENTITY come to stay. Indeed, the high
est form of fiattery has been shown to-
ward the Oriental rug by the limitations
extensively made on European looms
and to be seen everywhere. They bear
the same relation to the genuine Turk
ish or Persian carpet that a chrome does
TO the original painting.
the selection of Oriental rugs-the
method of manufacture. Invariably
made by hand, the warp consists of
linen or cotton strings, and the wool Is
formed by weaving tufts of WOODEN
yarn on the warps with the fingers.
Each row is pressed down with wool
shot, giving compactnesS TO the mate
rial. OF late the Persians have taken
| occasionally to using cotton strings in
the warps. Some very handsome rugs
| are made by this means. But they can
| hardly prove as durable as the linen
| Strlnged rugs. In judging OF rug,
| therefore. the buyer should examine the
| ends of the strings, which are either
braided into fringe OF hang loosely.
Chief Points in Selecting a Rug.
Next to the above principle the pile
and the design are the chief points to
consider in selecting rug. 1t is by
these that the quality, value and dis
f.io = l,.
imately ascertained. The pile, or nap,
is sometimes deceptive. however, be-
cause the cunning Oriental dealer often
shaves down the velvety pile of an old
or shOp-WOrn rug. thus making the car
pet much thinner and apparently with a
closer texture than at first. In this way
one may sometimes mistake a
Shiraz rug for one of Feraghan.
The herman rugs resemble the
best velvety pile carpets. although
with shorter nap. The wool used in
them is the finest in Asia. excepting
that of cashmere. to which it is allied.
The designs of the Herman carpets are
often quite, realistic, includingti overs,
and sometimes rude figures of men and
animals.
The texture and style of Kurdistan
rugs are superior to any made i'll either
Turkey or Persia. The pattern gen
orally represents flowers, but not as if
thrown up lii relief on q uniform ground
as in SO many European designs, but
resembling rather layers of flowers
|. thrown over the ground work, as if the
maker allowed prolific fancy to have
unlimited expression in his own lively
way.
The Kurdistan rugs, such as in text
ure resemble other Oriental rugs, are
closely woven, with short, velvety
pile, and they average higher III price
than most carpets. TO carpet room
with the better grades would cost SIS to
$50 the square yard in Asia and proper
tionately higher here.
The Gh1Ieems Rug.
Besides these rugs there is another
style made in KurdiStan called Chill
Gems. They seem more like knit goods,
are thin and pliable like tablecloth,
and the design not only appears on
both sides as IN all good Oriental
that either side may be used with equal
effect. Ghileems are also made in West
ern Persia. At Teheran the prlce is
from $57 to $40 or $50 per rug, according
to quality or design. The Ghileem is
generally long and narrow. like hall
carpet, and rarely over ten feet long.
The rugs of Feraghan resemble the
Kurdistan rugs.although of lOoser text
ure. The groundwork design is gen
orally mixed pattern, suggesting no
special object and surrounded by a fig
ured border. Good Feraghan carpets
cost from So to $3.50 the square yard.
KhOraSSan rugs have a superior text
ure to those of Feraghan, but the design
often contains realistic representations
of objects in nature, especially flowers.
In this respect they represent the stiff
patterns of European carpets. Some of
I the finest Khorassan have the center of
| superb single color, black, white OF
crimson. surrounded by a rich border.
These carpets bring, when new, S. to
$40 the square yard.
Carpets are made all over India, and
are of the greatest variety of texture,
quality and material. Velvet carpets
are made at BenareS with gold en-
broidery, resembling those of China.
The prevailing colors of Indian rugs are
a deep red, relieved with foliage and
flowers of an orange line mingled wit h
greens and blues. The creamy white
which at one time enriched them has of
late given place to a cold bleached white.
Those carpets have only lately become
an important article OF import to the
United States. Magnificent silk rugs
with a pile nearly an inch thick are
made in Cashmere equal to those of
Persia. There is nothing more magnif.
cent among textile fabrics than such a
rug. n silk rug six or seven feet long
is worth on the spot $3.50 to $500. Some,
of course, are worth more than that
The Celebrated Turkish Carpet.
There are no carpets more celebrated
than those of Turkey, perhaps because
they were the first to be imported in
large quantities to Europe. Persian
carpets, even when of large size, are
almost Invariably oblong, following the
shape of Persian rooms. But it is
almost rule for Turkish carpets of
large size to be square. The texture of
Turkey rugs is looser than of those of
Persia or India, but the length of the
pile gives them thickness and soldity
that is almost imperishable, and renders
them exceedingly luxurious. White
is a color rarely found in Turkey car
pet. The designs are simple and with
as little regard to absolute symmetry as
if inherited from a rude period, but the
general effect is agreeable and often
very rich. The usual grounds are green !
Ifor crimson, relieved in the borders with
blues, greens and blacks, the center
often diamond-shaped, and the subordi-
mate designs grouped like clusters of
Jewels. Turkey carpets are made from
Armenia to Algiers, chiefly by the peas
antry. The finest exported grades are
those Of Ushak and Kulah. A good
Turkey rug is worth IS to 81 a square
ward whore If ic made