The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-10-29
RUG SYMBOLISM
OF ORIENT TOLD
Shortage Since War De-
prives Collectors of Ro-
nance Weaves
BUYERS C0UNSELED
use Sense" Experts Say,
Pointing to Essentials of
Good Oriental Rugs


--
and then the cauph -It himself
down upon tho m.s.c Jug" said
tae immortal Calpn OF Bagdad,
.aal .,ralghtway he was there"
The fairy tales OF the western
world have magic steods wheroon
the fairy princess or brave prince
Is spirited away to fair realms. But
the old legends OF tho spicy orient
have their rugs. There IS absolute
Iv no limit to what these rugs Of
aro-old lore could do. They could
I Fy like a bird, talk Ike "A human.
reveal hidden treasure and bring
happiness ever after.
There is "A reason for all this. The
rug has always had some part IN
every happening OF the or.entals
lfe. II plays It's part in his domestic,
religious and state life.
The uncOuth barbarian nomaG
woyo his rug in his mountain tent.
He spoke the story Of his whole life
through its glowing warp and wOof
often he would arise from his
weaving to peer over the craggS
ledge for an enemy, and returning
20 his work he wove within his pat
tern his vision OF the enemy waiting
among the rocks below.
The Persian in his adobe hut told
the story OF his fighting ancestors,
OF mythical winged horses and gar
dens OF golden fruit.
The Turkish girl wove a rug as
dowry for her husband. Her pat
tern told OF her glrlhQod and her
fears and dreams for the life before
her.
Chinese. Turkish, Kurd or uumad
woye their prayer rugs. They pu,
within them all the flowing ColOrS
and rich threads that they could
find or money could procure. Deep
est grief was IL FOR one to take TO
the sacred prayer niche a rug put
to shame by all the others.
Prayers Shaped Rugs.
The shape OF the various oriental
prayer inches accounts for many
differences of shape in the rugs.
The buyer OF the oriental prayer
rug can know from just what part
OF the orient his rug comes by COM
pairing it, outer corners with the
prayer niche architecture OF the
shines TO Buddha or Mohammed.
1he beauty of color and designs
OF the true oriental rugs Justifies
anyone who can do so to buy one
for his home. But a knowledge of
some OF the real meaning OF the
rugs makes 1t a much greater
treasure.
For instance, did you ever hest
tate 10 buy Il rug, guaranteed as an
oriental, because OF some imperfec-
ton in the weaving OF the design ?
The imperfcCtlon was Intentional.
II was the voice of the one who
wove 1t ages ago speaking down
through all the centuries to say,
Nothing but Allah Is perfect!"
Did you wonder why tho Arabian
rugs were so full OF flowers --lotu'
iris, lily, poppy and rose? 1t Is be-
cause to the Mohammedan paradise
was a place OF flowers and his rug
spoke OF his future dream.
Did you note the gorgeous birds
and animals OF the Persian and
Chinese orientals and wonder why
the Turkish designs were so bare or
living designs? II IS because the
Turks religion barred him from
making any reproduction OF living
creature. That was idolatry.
Language i'm Color.
There IL n very language in the
color. Green meant immortality 10
al good Mohammcdans. Red Is Joy.
Blue counterocts evil Even today
strings OF blue beads are seen hung
about the necks OF donkeys in the
narrow streets OF Bagdad.
: Blue abounds in Persia and Chi'
nese rugs. TO the Chinese 1t means
truth. To the Persian, air, to the
Mongol, power also.
Chinese rugs glow with yellow
and golden tints. That meant roy
atty.
But the buyer OF oriental rugs
should know other things besides
how to interpret the meaning OF
design and color. In the first place
he should know that q real or!cnta.
antique is a very rara avis and
more than worth It's weight IN gold
The nouveaux riches OF the war
millionaire period were easy marks
for the fraudulent antique rug
dealer. II was only necessary 10
dip newly made oriental into a
chloride OF lime wash and ask
millionaire's price for an antique
Since the war IL has become SUR
prislnEly difficult to find even manV
modern orlentals. The mother
source has almost dried up, tempo
rarily at least. Certain American
factories have gone into the making
OF orientals. II the color ana de-
|. signs are copied accurately, there
Is no reason, barring one or sehu.
\ ment, why these rugs should moi
"
have a great success.
How TO Pick Genuine.
In buying the oriental there are
certain earmarks to look for. FRS,
OF all. remember that good meterla
comes first, dyeinE second, and sooe
workmanship third.
See that the rug lies straight anC
fat, that II Is not moth eaten. tina
the nap is not badly worn, that I'M
warp and woof threads are no
broken, that the foundation thread
are intact. that the warp Is heaFies
ana tightest the pile next In tex
'lrc and the woOf llghtest.
10 not be overly afraid OF th'
shck or dark areas that are wori
low. This very often determines
Yea. antique, as it is a quality har'
TO fake.
The real value OF the oriental !
gauSed according TO the number o
kaots 10 the squape inch, detail Q
! design age, scarcity, and quality o
material and dyes.
Size OF rooms should determln
Just which rugs are selected /
small rugs are used In bedroom
from three-eighths 20 one-ha!t o
me floor should be covered. II
other rooms. small rugs should cove
from five -eighths to three-fourths o
the space.
Tho true oriental, whether an
an Ill a