The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-06-10

terry. Their strange Sounulnb nAtnr-
and their distant origin have cast
such 4 spell Oh the POPULAR piifa mat
they have CONG e. be regasaed IS
outside lhs paie d ordinar3 cpnrio
lditie 81 life says the New York
Times. ghtie II has raid shFewd
dealers not 10 disturb this, 10 them
ID favorable; condition Of public mind.
the iayefage buyer himself y sln Q
measure responsible for its eontinu 9;
ance. II tsS
The question o. antique ~ ORR
entail rugs should be dismissed from
lthemtnd 81 purchasing rugs forsordt-
nary uses. Among recent importa;;
lions. in carpet sizes, there are hard
II any antiques In the true sense Of
the word. Red antiques that have
found their way 70 this country have
been secured by private collectors
who were alive to the worth OF such
pieces, long before the general pub
lie showed any sign OF approaching
the beauty and the charm Of the pro-
ducts OF the Oriental looms. Il
1t must be understood that IN the
countries where Oriental rugs are
made they are treated with more con-
sIderation and care than we accord
to them in existing conditions otour
modern life. First Of all the number
Of rugs used on walls, sofas, etc, far.
exceed those used on the floor and
the latter do not get any harder wear
than those on couches, from the fact
that in the Oriental countries peo-
Die Invariably walk over the rugs
with soft slippers or bare feet. The
native method OF cleaning the rug,
which is very simple, also has much
to do with proving the truth Of the
statement that Oriental rugs do not
wear. out" Within the last ten years
4hgi IMPORT of Oriental rugs has
grown from "a few hundred thousand
/ dollars TO, over four millions, and 1t
is Indicative of the advanced stats
Of our peoples taste no less than
their. prosperity that there are more
orlentala rugs in the United States
to-day and Of far better STANDARD
Of grade than in the entire Continent
Of Europe.
Some Of the best,known Persian
rugs in this country are Kerman,
Goeravan. Tabriz and s|utanabad.
Kermans-The principal features
OF these rugs, which distinguish
them from others, are their soft,
neutral dainty colors, the prevalence
OF floral designs in their pattern, a
glossy sheen, and shortcut pile.
These rugs represent the highest
standard of the art Of rug weaving
ever achieved.
Goeravan-Next in popularity IN
Persian rugs come Goeravan or Sc
rapl. It is easy to recognize this
type A bold medallion, bright col.
ors, and lack OF detail work in the
pattern are their characteristic
marks.
Tabriz-In point Of texture. and
durability Tabriz are probably the
best rugs made, but from decQra-
tive point of view they lack all the
desired features Of Kermans. Col
ore are crude, designs too exact, and
outlines too sharp; the very nrm
ness Of the weave and formation Of
the pile preclude the wool from TAX.
ing on gloss.
Suntanabad-Th rug is called Of
ter the city by that name, one of the
principal rug centers Of Persia. Rugs
woven here are known in our coun-
try under the names Of Sultanabad,
Mushkabad. ad savalan. There is
no apreciable difference between
them.
The present practice of washing
rugs with preparations of lime, etc.
to reduce the bright colors of the
modern rugs has done much to shake
the faith of the informed public In
thee goods, of once undoubted merit.
It Is argued that II an application
of such chemical solutions is strong
enough to affect the surface OF the
pile, 1t may be strong enough to pen
citrate its warp and welt, which
once affected, will sooner or later re-
suit In the decay Of the textile fab.
rio. Thus the life Of the rug Is en-,
dangered for the sake of bringing It
into q stf4cter harmony with the re.
qutT6ments Of a modern decorative
scheme. n
Another ingenious practice often in.
F1dulged' III by certain dealers is that
ofjdtehg them with paint and brush,
.mtrbducingl desirable hues and sub
stitutag certain common tints with
eolors more sought after, such as
green, rose, etc. These practices are
too recent to furnish sufficient data
for form an opinion as to their ultl'
mate effect on rugs so treated. But
they emphasize the need Of extreme
care on the part Of purchasers in the
selection Of their rugs, The wisGst
as we'll as the safest course would
be, especially when costly pieces are
under consideration, to secure the
services Of n dlslnterested party
whose knowledge can be relied upon.
There is no doubt that with due
care both in buying AMI in ustns
them Oriental rugs will still be found
worthy OF the high reputation which