Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-16
FROM LOOMS OF PERSIA
RUG MAKING CARRIED ON UN-
DER MODERN METHODS.
Trade of the United States With the
orient-Art Coverings for
American Floors.
From the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune.
One of the mos, remarkable aspects in
the development OF American commerce has
been the growth and progress of the trade
In the floor coverings of the orient. partic-
ularly in those coming from the rug prov
inces of Persia. which have been famous
since the most ancient days for the prod
ucts of their looms. Only few years ago.
well In the memory of lovers of oriental
art, American trade in oriental rugs was
confined to few houses in the larger cities
1t was dependent, moreover. upon the peri
odic arrival of invoices of old rugs collected
In Turkey and Persia, together with some
modern rugs in bright colors.
Coming from the regions far distant from
one another and totally different in condi-
lions and surrounding. these products of
the eastern weaver's art presented a med
ley of weave and coloring from the crude
and shaggy strips that had covered the
tent floor of the kurdish chief in his noun
tain retreat to the exquisite gems of most
delicate color and perfect workmanship that
the master weavers of Ispahan had woven
for the gaze of royal princes.
Beauty Of Color.
The standards of true art being universal,
1t was natural for lovers of art In America
to be attracted by the quaint yet marvel
Gus beauty of color and design in the
choicest of oriental rugs, which before long
found their way to the homes Of the edu-
Gated and refined people throughout the
country. The European markets. however,
had also their demand for these collections
from the mansions and shrines of the
orient, and soon the streams began to run
dry, first here and then there. Within
decade the oriental rug trade has under
gone a remarkable revolution, in conse-
Quence of it's peculiar character.
From accidental beginnings with ham
hazard shipments and a course of trade
without any apparent foundation for devel-
opment, the importation of oriental rugs
has come to have fixed and prominent
place as an established and important
branch of American commerce with the
orient AT the outset new collection of
antique rugs reaching the American mar
ket would create new demand, and forth
with collectors would ransack all the I'M
frequented corners of the oriental provinces
to secure the choicest pieces of the kind
and for a time there would come shipments
of rugs that delighted the lovers of orien-
tai art with their beautiful sheen, gorgeous
color schemes and the soft tints of sunset
skies. And then, when the collector had
done his work, 1t was the end. Thus it is
that what ten years ago were articles of
commerce are today to be sought as curiOsi
ties, and antiques Of Bokharas. KAYAKS,
Karabaghs and Trans Of all grades are pass
Ing into the same category.
Persians' Matchless Dyes.
To bring out Of this situation a stable
condition Of trade that would be suscepti-
BILE of development in proportion to the de-
mand was the problem that had to be
solved. The foundation of this modern en-
terprise was the faith and the foresight that
what had been done once could be done
again; that upon the same soil, amid the
same beauties of nature, where orchard and
rose garden lie In repose, and with the in
SEPARATIONS of the same romantic life, but
with the added advantages of modern means
for reaching the distant markets, the artist
weavers Of Persia could be aroused to re-
Spond to the call to accomplish what their
fathers had accomplished before them 1t
was believed they could be brought again
to reflect the subtle charm Of nature in
wool and fadeless dyes and moreover, to
do 1t in harmony with the most refined
standards of western art.
There, in Persia, were the same unrivaled
masters of the loom In possession of the
secrets of the matchless vegetable dyes of
weavers who, beginning from childhood,
develop keen appreciation of the intricate
and ever unconventionaliZed designs and
color schemes that follow nature in the
beauty of suggestive forms and combina-
tons.
The result of this venture is that over
1900 weavers are now at work on the
numerous looms of American firm in
Tabiz and Meshed, Persia. weaving eXclu-
sively for the FIRMS shipments to the
United States, and producing rugs from the
smallest prayer Sedjades to the largest
carpet sizes. forty to fifty feet long, equal
in texture and coloring. as we'll as in de-
signing to the choicest of the antiques
woven by the earliest masters Of the art