Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-06
FASCINATING RUGS
A Chapter on These Charms
of the Orient.
VALUABLE TO OWN
IN TURKEY THEY ARE CLEANED
ONCE A YEAR.
Takes Long Time for the Best to Ac-
quire a Soft
Luster.
VALUABLE TO OWN

Almost every woman at some time in her
life has or Is apt to have the rug mania.
1t is one of those inevitable things which
attack one like the measles or the ping
pong epidemic: but, unlike most Affections,
1t is more difficult to get over, and in
number of cases the disease has been
known to become chronic. That this rug
disease is both contagious and infectious
is a weH-authenticated fact The conta-
gious part lies in the Inability to avoid the
rug. Dodge 1t as we will. one Is sure to
stumble over 1t on the floor of almost every
house. In desperation, we buy one Of the
pesky things. and it is after catching a
breath Of the rugs beauty that the infec-
ton gets in its fine work 1t is all up with
one then.
Never have these. beautiful fabrics from
the looms of the east been more popular in
America than they are just now. Looking
at the wonderful silk rugs imported from
glossy surface, close. even pile and noting
their exquisite glow of color, one Is no
longer surprised at the reverence with
which these carpets are held In the east.
The origin of rug weaving Is difficult to
trace. The oriental nations have always
been the great rug makers of the world
A well-knoWn authority says 1t Is probable
that Abraham when resting in the cool
summer evenings at the door of his tent
sat on an oriental rug or carpet. His de-
scendants Of the desert do the same kind
of weaving in the same way at the pres
ent day. 1t is wonderful how these rude
tribes work out with few primary colors
artistic creations which are the envy OF
all cultured people. The art has been In
herited as well as acquired; In Turkey
and Persia most Of the work is done by
the women and children. In very primitive
places in the mountains whole families
weave the same kind of rug. 1t is In this
way that perfection has been reached In
one particular design which has been work
ed over by generation after generation
Sometimes the weaver makes his own pat.
term but often the whole idea is traced out
in sand and after that it is carried In the
mind of the maker. The Turkish rugs are
woven Of wool grown on particular KIND
of sheep. Almost every hamlet carries on
the industry of weaving in the homes, as
there are no factories.
Work Pretty Cheap.
The workers get very small pay, but they
fortunately can live on almost noth1ng-a
small quantity of rice and bit Of NUT
ton occasionally. Curiously enough. the
person who wins most distinction In this
art is not the weaver, but the thoroughly
competent dyer. In each village of work.
ers he is the bright and shining light; a
light not hidden under bushel either, as
this village celebrity walks abroad In gar
ments expressive of his calling. He is re-
splendent in his dye spots"-green, red
or purple-which he regards as marks OF
honor The dyes used are all Vegetapie
with the exception of cochineal. Flower ef-
fects are the rule in Persian designs. as
there Is law forbidding the representation
of animal life, but this law is evidently
made to be broken as the "menagcrie' rug
is one of the show Persian patterns. :. 8.
The choice in rugs is infinite, ana IL Is
merely a question of taste as to which IS
finest, the Turkish, Persian or Indian. The
mode of manufacture is the same for each,
the essential difference being in the style
of the pattern. Turkish rugs are arabesque
in design, while the Persian carpets show
geometric figures. preferably the eight
pointed star, clearly defined on both sides
and woven quite smooth. The India fabrics
are more intricate in general scheme. To
the Initiated these figures have distinct
meaning but the western mind finds the
historical part a difficult proposition. 1t
Is for their artistic beauty that we love
them.
What Makes for Value.
Color, pile and quality have much to do
with the price Of rug. One showing
bright red and green Is not as valuable
as one In which dull colors predominant.
After all, old Father Time Is the greatest
artist, for he mellows and brings into har-
mony all discordant tones. The different
shades of the same color in design so
often noticed when the idea evidently was
by the carelessness Of the worker. She
ha, probably run out of the exact shade
or the dye was exhausted. The gloss
which adds so much to the appearance of
rug is obtained only by constant wear-in
fact a rug does not acquire the soft after
gloss until it has been IN use fifty years
or more. This is the reason why new
ones are cheaper; like new wine, they have
no age.
If one has not an unlimited sum to in
vest in rug let the purchase be Daghes-
TAM This is a Turkish variety, cheap only
by comparison with the Bokhara. which is
very expensive. Red is the predominant
color of the Bokharas When blue is the
tone scheme, the purchaser Is obliged to
dive far down into her pocket book Ivory
white on a rich red ground Is combina-
ton also very common to the Bokhara.
An exquisite specimen of this kind was
bought by Mr.. ]. D. Rockefeller at the
worlds fair.
The Persian Khorassan silk rugs are the
aristocrats of the orient. In the dining
room of Mrs. Ogden Goelet Of New York
Is a Khorassan carpet for which she Is
said to have paid the tidy sum Of $4,000
One Of the largest and handsomest rugs
ever made was woven several years ago
in honor Of the sultan's birthday. Most OF
the silk prayer rugs are enviable posses
sions. These were evidently used for the
purpose Of providing worshipers with one
absolutely clean place on which to offer
prayer 1t being unlawful for a Moslem to
pray on any pldCe HOT perfectly Cleau.
These rugs are distinguished by places
marked off in the center for the body OF
the devotee, a point at one end being re-
served for the forehead. which Is rever-
entially touched TO the ground.
Bagdads Are Cheapest.
A camer.s Hair rug is always known by
the natural oqloring on the edge and in the
center. The Bagdad is the most inexpen-
slve of the real rugs. 1t usually comes in
mosque designs carried out In red and
green. These Bagdads are better when used
as a portiere or couch covering. They are
intended to be first. being corridor rugs by
adoption, and are commonly seen in wine
red color. Smyrna rugs are made from
the coarse hair of the Angora goat They
are woven in irregular designs. Yurak rugs
are so called from the nomads who dwell
among the mountains Of Anatolia. The
colors are very good. the field often being
of dark brown ornamented with large fig
ures. Both the Smyrna and Yuraks are
also inexpensive and extremely durable,
though hardly artistic in the true sense.
In this country we do not appreciate the
tvoporfop re Of shin ho rnU hut In, T,,,r