Evening star., 1940-02-24
Suggestions Given
On Selection Of
Oriental Rugs
Bidjors Recommended
Among Large Types;
Lost Lifetime
By KRIKOR KRIKORIAN.

BY KRIKOR KRIKORIAN.
As most rug-lovers know, Oriental
rugs may be divided into six prin-
cipal groups: Persian, Caucasian,
Turcoman, Indian, Turkish and
Chinese. Persian, Turkish and In
dian rugs are generally floral in
design and come in room sizes.
Caucasian and Nomadic rugs rugs
made by wandering tribes, such as
Kurds) are generally geometric in
pattern and come in small and odd
sizes. Turcoman rugs are fiat and
octagonal in design with red shades
predominating their color scheme
Chinese rugs are, as a whole, plain
and come in many unusual and
delicate shades of colors
Persian rugs are the best known
Of the group and it is an acknowl-
edged fact that at one time hun
dreds of towns and villages wove
carpets there. Today, however, most
carpets are woven in the Sultana-
bad-Hamadan area, near the Irak
border and at Kirman in South
eastern Iran (Which is the official
Persian name for the country. In
the Standardization district
are produced our familiar Persian
carpets known as Mush-Kabad, Ma
hal, Arak, Lillihan, Hamadan and
Saruk. OF these Hamadan and Sa-
ruk are the best-known grades.
Saruk rugs at one time were excel
lent carpets, but the demand for
rich mulberry and blue colors as
well as lustrous sheen" has re-
duced their rank to third or fourth
in quality. the best being the car
pets known as Kashan, Bidjar and
Kazvin. Even Teheran and Tabriz
are often superior to modern Sa-
rouks.
Kashan carpets are produced in
Central Persia, not far from where
Sarouks are made. Although IA
NOUS for her scorpions, this town
has produced exquisite silk textiles
in the past as we'll as pottery and
one of her sons wove the famous
Ardebil rug in the Victoria and AL
bert Museum in England, a mate
of which is now in the United
States. AS for Bidjar rugs, the dis
trict where they are made is known
as Kurdistan, land of the fiery
Kurds, whose capital town, called
Senna. is noted for a rug of the
same name, valued for its exquisite
designs and extremely close weave
Modern SIENNA rugs, however, are
much inferior to earlier examples
and are eXcelled by the carpets
woven at Bidjar, nearby, and SIM
ilarly named. Bidjar rugs are board
like because of the abundance of
good materials used in their max
ing and the wool warp and weft
they once used proved so inadequate
to hold their body from breaking
that cotton warp and weft are
now used. In my opinion, if a
large rug that will wear a life
time is desired, Bidjar is the ideal
answer. Small Bidjars are also OBJ
tainable. A comparatively new rug,
known as KaZvin, is also known for
Its sturdy qualities and may be con-
sidered an ideal medium priced car
pet.
Tabriz Creative Center.
Those who know early Persian his
tory are familiar with the important
part northwestern town called
Tabriz has played as a textile and
creative arts center of Iran. Some
of our most exquisite museum rugs
were made there, and today occa-
sionally this town sends us some
rugs which are closely woven with
short pile but made with wool yarns
which are very much alive" The
capital of Persia, Teheran, too. sends
us some carpets which are close in
quality and style to Tabriz, although
Tabriz rugs are better generally. AS
for Kirman rugs, they are produced
In Southeastern Persia CONNER
cially and have no connection with
KirmanShah rugs woven some SO
and more years ago by Kurds.
Kirman rugs compare favorably with
Sarouk carpets and because of their
specially drawn patterns and soft
colorings are highly adaptable to
present decorative schemes.
Yet, when the homemaker desires
an Oriental rug of room size, reason
ably good quality and moderate
price, the carpets produced in
Northwestern Persia, known as
Heriz, Serapi and Gorevan, are
probably the best which may be
recommended. The quality of work.
manship in these carpets, however
varies unusually and before buying
them an assurance should be gotten
by the dealer.
Too often the rug lover is con-
9ronted with offers of such early
Persian rugs as Ferahan, Serabend