The sun., 1919-09-21

times OF worldwide war, far from the
peaceful atmosphere of America,
tempting death and counting irretriev-
able disaster? For meay years In
watching the rug MARKETS. of Constan-
tinopie, the Caucasus and Persia as
thoughtful collector have noted that
the finest Oriental rags were becoming
rapidly diminishing commodity. Year
after year fewer and fewer of the
superb old floor coverings of other
days were appearing In the marts OF
trade. Those wondrous textiles that
have made Bokhara, Tabriz, Ispahan.
Kashgar and Samarcand household
words throughout the world have be-
come increasingly difficult to obtain.
Because Of the great difficulty of dis
covering the masterful results of the
Oriental weaver's skill 1t seemed to
me advisable to search for rugs in
those cities of the Near East, where
famous rugs have always been. When
the European war began, the expor-
tation of rugs from Persia and Tur-
kestan seemed ended and the moment
propitious for a venturesome expedi-
ton Of discovery after floor coverings.
The time seemed right for searching
out q few remaining rare master
pieces Of the rug weaver's art that
might still be hidden in the shops ana
warehouses of those little visited ana
far of marts Of trade.
Mr.. Jones decided after some sue
cess in the more familiar markets to
push on to Samarcand.
For those who are not familiar
with the glorious antecedents and re-
nown of this great city in the rug
making world, IL may be well to state
that ancient Samarcand Is some s3e
miles east Of the Caspian Sea, on the
site of the once opulent capital oil
ancient Maracanda, situated near that
mysterious river of Zerafshan. This
once we'll known waterway flows to-
ward Bokhara, only to disappear In the
sands of the Amu-Daria, the ancient
Oxus of classic times. Learned peo-
pie tell us that Samarcand is built
upon the ruins Of a more magnificent
old city utterly destroyed by Jenghis
Khan in 1919. The great city of Aph-
rosiab, in turn, had been built upon
the ruins of Maracanda, that glorious
and almost fabulous centre of Sog-
dianian art and learning. Maracanda,
called by the Chinese Sogda, was cele-
| brated for it's wondrous textiles as
early as the ninth century before the
Christian era In contemporary
Chinese annals 1t is recorded that the
| inhabitants of Sogda were industrious
workers, able traders, adroit weav-
ers of fine textiles, skilful farmers.
but irresolute and tirnid in their mar
tial ventures. The Sogdianians were
| of the white race. and. therefore, their
accumulated riches especially tempted,
in turn, invading armies from China,
I Greece, Persia, Arabia and the moun-
tain Businesses of Tartary.
| In the second century before Christ
| the Chinese ruled at Sogda and ex-
tended their power to the shores OF
the Caspian Sea. The long residence
OF the Chinese Governors, with ther
court of Chinese artists and scholars
accounts for many extraordinary sou-
venirs of Far Eastern patterns at this
ancient centre of Circassian culture.
All through this part OF Asia rarely
beautiful and remarkable rugs are
| found that show an almost pure Chi
nese sense of pattern.
| Through their industry, enterprise
and commerce the original inhabitants
of the Valley of the Sogda Influenced
the arts, trades and learning of the
most distant countries. Long before
the Christian era the rugs and
yottper textiles Of Sogda were trans
ported by caravans throughout Asia
and shipped by Ph9nician galleys to
Mediterranean ports, and even beyond
| to the far Off lands of the open sea
Byzantine, Arabic, Spanish, Romanes-
que and Gothic arts all bear the stamp
! of the glorious patterns created by the
artists of ancient Samarcand. Even
we to-day often adapt our ideas Of
home making to correspond to the dsc-
orative qualities and styles of ancient
Sogdianian designs. These ancient
people of the Zerafshan enriched
themselves by trade and commerce En-
til their prosperity excited the CT
pidity of other nations. The vast
wealth and great magnificence Of Sos-
da, Maracanda, Aphrosiab and Samar-
cand have, each in turn. invited end
less invasions into this fertile land.
The rugs. tiles and pottery of Sam
arcand bear mute evidence Of the sue
ceeding epochs of foreign domination,
| which have shaped the destinies of
the once learned and cultured people
living in the valleys of the ANU
Daria, Syr Daria and the Zerafshan.
The same "mountain pattern" clearly
seen In Figure 8, showing the superb
old rug from Samarcand, appears
again in the Kashgar rug reproduced
in Figure Z. The magnificent decora-
tons on the walls of Samarcand's
great building appear like radiant and
scintillating rug patterns, rendered
permanent and unchanging by the
potter's flawless skill and the glass
workers craft and learning.
The principal architectural monu-
ments of Samarcand are the citadel,
the three colleges. the numerous
ruins OF ancient mosques, or tombs
OF once famous conquerors. Above
all, the modern traveller is enchanted
and bewildered by the astonishing and
superb remains of Gour- Emir, the
| tomb of Tamerlain the Great This
| Of and Q1nriOuS UooOnunapf 70 tho