The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-04-14
ORIENTAL RUGS
By F.sd.s;e J. Ilaskin.

Indus makes in the plain of Upper
 Cashmer.
 To the average purcAass< of Esnu-
 inc Oriental rug 1t is only an excellent.
 piece of work, representing . fine art.
 and being an acquisition to we'll ap-
 pointed room. To the weaver and his
 people. 1t is often . chapter of general
 and local history. into which are wov-
 en traditions of tribe and family, re-.
 ligious formulas and the names of the
 makers. Not long ago . western wo- man, who had acquired several antique
 rugs for the fitting of her new home.
 was visited by some orientalagents
 who wished to offer her more. No sooner had the leader of the party reached the drawing room. where he had been Invited to look at an espe- ciaily handsome square, than he threw himself on his knees on the floor and began sobbinR and kissing the odd de- signs. An interpreter explained that he had recognized 1t as piece of work done by his own family.
 The MohammeJans are opposed on religious grounds to the representa- tions of animals. and their patterns arc, floral but the Mosiem Ehirites of Per- sia. having no such scrup}eA seized upon animals from the early Chtnese and they from . quaint and p1eAsiug addition to many of the old ret de- signs. Besides the various geomstrioal floral and animal figures, very curious hferoglyphics are sometimes seen A close scrutiny deciphers Arabic script. which lends itself beautifurly to de- sign. The inscription may be line from the Koran or an exclamation. as Cod is great.~ as
 An American win point with pride to his Meccaf rug. Every year half q million Moslsms make . pilgrimage to the sacred city. bringing their offer- ings of jewels, rugs. shawIs. etc. The how a Shiraz sedjakeh of blue cast came to be known as . Mecca rug. ! The rugs are all sent to Cairo to bs sold to the American tourist. Thou sands not nearly so good are labeled with the magic word and peddled in the same city. 8% .lsg
 When the western world. especially the United States. began to realize the beauty and value of the Oriental rug. the issue was easily foretold. Tn few years. every available antique was In the hands of . private owner or in museum. By 1909 a New York importer who had returned from the East. confessed that he was unable to obtain one single valuable antique. The spirit of commercialfsm has inl vaded the rug-weaving countries and tu0 WoEA EouSr&tiy IS run by certain firms. either native or European Sometimes it Is piece work but oftener done in large manufactories, Constantinopie is the great commer- cisl center. handling rugs from Asia Minor. Persia. Caucasia and elsewhere. smyrna fs the next largest point of export. though it has never been d town.
 India fs essentially . modern rug producer. The work is done in large factories from patterns traced on talim sheets and given to the weavers. usually boys. who. sitting side by side copy their own little sheet. A muiti- tude of sheets forms a complete whole. The boys work under a pad rome. and each receives about five cents day. Rug weaving Is carried on In the jaiis throughout the whole of India, proving e source of revenue. as well as an employment for the prisoners.
 Copyright. 1908. by Frederic J. Has lkin.)
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