The age-herald., 1897-12-28
HAIlG AlD MEIl498lGS
Talk. With and American Re-
 stofer of Antiques,
MEANING OF TIE PATTERNS
A Queer L1tIe Shaw in Naa Yor6-A New Vosaiioa Specimens Ta3t hr9 4aI-
 0sd at .20a09o.

From tbe- New York Post,
 Genuine silk antique rugs, of rare pat term ara worth $2a,o00 each, maybe mope, declared q rus importer yesterday What is termed a 'modern-made' antique rug sells for 500. At first to person unac- quainted with such articles, the genuine antique does not seem to be worth the money. The soft sheen and the tone of the rug are not apparent, and the colors seem too unobtrusive, almost faded, in contrast with those dyes just turned out from the factory. On closer observation however, the real handmade heirloom grows upon you, and you admire it more and more the longer you look. There IS In a genuine antique rug a charming glow that only age and exceeding fineness can give. A fine old rug is like beautiful painting constantly disclosing unsuspeeted beauties"
 Many persons in New York own antique rugs, and prize them highly This fact has created vocation new in America. u 10 rug-mending. The sign of gilt crescel. and star, recalling the ancient stahuaro ol the east arrests attention in one Of the uptown streets A laundry shop occupies the ground floor, but up stairs, in a marrow little room, an Armenian rug-mender phes his trade. Six years ago, when at nome III 
 Il number of antique rugs were exported to America He determined to take his loom and his knowledge of artistic weaving 10 Americas foremost city. Ills imperlect knowledge of the language when he nfSl came and of the customs of the country have been against him; but he has some rich patrons now. Occasionally ne menus or alters rugs that are not always genuine antiques, for the importers ana TOT the large carpet dealers.
 He Is a middle-aged man, and his wire and himself both have the dark eyes pale complexion. and regular features when are associated with the land of the olive and palm. He illustrates his conversation with expressive gestures
 "some of the rugs that come to this country 15O and 200 years old, maype older," he asserts, Rugs have different usage here. The chairs, the tables, are movable. The people wear shoes, while in our country they wear soft sandals Here the rugs wear into holes; In Turkey they last long. But l mend them SO that no one to look would know that they had been patched"
 He brings a warm-toned Persian rug, the back of which shows the measured even ness of the weaving. Every one ot the threads in these rugs are knottetd in by hand .separataely. Just so l knot in the new threads, and the rug is as good ana will last as long as when first made. Then know about the dyes, These harsh ayes got from minerals. not so soft. so rlch in color as our vegetable dyes. They are made by secret process We do not tell 1t in this country. Sometimes the rugs brought to America are damaged Rugs belong to a. mosque 2or to the palace or a prince in the old country, and 1t IS against the law to sell them. If any person taxes @ them for sale he might lose his mead TOT the act. So the sly ones cut fine rug un- derneath where 1t won't show on top. The rug threads rart in that place, and soon 1t wears out; then they get a chance to sell it, ,,.a ,4 cor rich American. After it comes here l mend it. so neat that even the fine pattern looks the same. But 1t is with much care that it is done. The saddle bags of horses and camels make fine rugs They use them here to hang upon the walls or to make the fronts of newspaper racks, after cutting in half. No fine saddle bag is ever sold in the old country until after It Is much used. Some are three-quarters Of yard square and are often very valuable. When it is wear out, mend it to look just as well before."
 What are the people paid who make these antique rugs?" he was asked
 Maybe half a cent, maybe cent day" replied the mender. "But one cent will buy as much bread in the old country as much as 10 cents will buy in New York. Here there is more civilization, more trans- portation. the people are better. they wear better clothes. but across the sea the peo- pie do not need so much as they do here. A mans wife takes maybe one year. maybe
 
 be doing that like the American women do fancy work-when they want to-.
 '"In Turkey people do not treat thelr rugs as they do here," continued the mend- CT when asked to explain why the rugs lasted so long. 'They wash them care fully with fine soaps and sand to get out all the dust, They take care of them. There Is only q long divan around the sides of the room, and there arc no chair legs and sharp heeled shoes to grind holes in them. In this country, maybe once a week. maybe oftener, the servant hangs the handsome rug over lno and beats it very hard: so after while it goes into holes. The American business man, he goes to the old country and sets up fac tory and makes rugs that look almost like the antique rugs. He hires the native people to work in his factory, and they all work by hand and the rugs look fine; but they are not the same thing Maybe he pays them to tell the superintendent that that secret process of the dye; but they do not tell all, because they dare not and some of them ignorant"
 Has the pattern in these ancient rugs a meaning?'
 "Often. Some national event a proph- cts coming, the edct of prince, or some religious symbol, will be worked out in the pattern with great care When the rugs are designed to be thep roperty of mosque, the knotting of the threads is looked upon sacred task, a privilege, and is undertaken only by men and women of a devout and pious mind The prayer rugs invariably have a meaning. Those prayer rugs intended for the of a high potcntatet, or prophet, are made in a spe- cial design with reference to his calling Rugs used about the altar are of another pattern. Those used in thep rivate bed chamber and in the homes of the rich, and in palaces, are often interwoven with gold and silver threads, and are precious. They are of silk; but wool rugs, particularly those made of the finest grade of wool by the wandering tribes of Bokhara, Cara baya, Anatolia, and other provinces, are most beautiful, and will last to the end of time, If not abused. These wool rugs, woven by nomad tribes. are woven in a peculiar manner which they alone under stand, and which admits of the fibre be- coming matted together that centuries of ordinary wear does not destroy them"
 An Arbitrary Fee.