Evening star., 1942-09-27
Art
Tapestries Added
To Design Display
At Textile Museum
By Florence S. Bergman.

by FlOfenCe %. DeI' yW""'
The Textile Museum reopened
the middle of this month with sew
eral new accessions on view along
with a number of other things not
heretofore exhibited. The museum
is source of inspiration for de-
signers and students. as well as a
treasure house for all who appreci-
ate textiles. Additions to the col
lections have been sought for their
intrinsic beauty, and conscious
effort has been made to avoid buy
ing on basis Of rarity or of purely
archaeological interest.
The collection began with rugs
and was subsequently enlarged to
include other textiles of the East,
together with earlier pile carpets.
The similarity in design between
Southwestern American Indian
blankets and Kurdish Kelims led
to the acquisition of a few fine
pieces of American Indian weaving.
Similarly, comparisons between
Egyptian tapestries and those OF
Peru interested the museum in ac-
quiring fine group of pre- -Colum-
bian Peruvian textiles. But, al
though the scope of the museum
has continually broadened since it
was founded in 1925, it has remained
consistent to the extent of avoiding
the European field of art. Every new
field within the range of Eastern
stuffs has been explored, but not
those leading to paintings, sculpture
or other arts.
Undulating Design.
The Textile Museum has we'll
rounded study collection of Persian
rugs, Northwestern, Central and
Inio-Persian types. There are also
Caucasian, Chinese and Cairene
rugs, and Spanish, of which several
new examples are to be seen. One
of these is HiSpano-MoreSque
Voolen rug; its field is a strong.
rich yellow, with a bold typically
Spanish design in bright blue, soft
gray-blue, olive green, pale yellow
and faint crimson. (The general
color effect is blue and mustardD.
Its border is an undulating design
composed of widely spread, inflor-
cited ribbons or conventionalized
branches, each ending in cluster
bf leaves and flowers supporting
formal vases. Another Spanish rug,
late 18th century, also is blue on
yellow, and third, about the same
period, has design of three wreathS
IN dark green on light green
ground.
Another group of new accessions
comprises Peruvian tapestries of
the 18th and 18th centuries, with
eolors as fresh as though they had
Just been taken of the looms. One
Of them, Spanish Colonial tapes
try, has design of crowned lions,
birds of paradise, dragons, flowers
and parrots so realistic that one
would scarcely be surprised to hear
them speak, all woven in q bold
scheme Of vivid colors.
Over the balcony railing are hang
ing eight Mexican serapes of the
a7th and 18th century, not pre-
viously exhibited here; they are
finer, softer and more beautiful
than the modern products of that
name brought home today by tour
lists, One of them has silver clasps.
exquisitely wrought in the form Of
monkey heads.
Other Woven Fabrics.
The museum possesses, in addi-
ton to the objects mentioned, many
other woven fabrics, including
needlework on loom bases. Its
collection of Greek Island en-
broideries is one of the finest in the
United States. It has, too, en-
broideries from Asia Minor, from
the Caucasus and Northern Persia.
Every country from the 9th to the
10th centuries is covered by its ex-
amples of matchless Persian textiles,
while the series of Egyptian tapes
tries is complete from the I'd (Grae-
co-Roman) to the 14th centuries.
Chinese Ko sseu or miniature tapes
tries and a few japanese temple
silks round out the collections.
The beauty of textiles is not re-
vealed to the average person so
quickly as that of paintings. sculp-
ture and prints. But the time given
to study of this field of art is rich
" rewarding. The museum is open
to the public at the hours and un-
der the conditions given in the
AGuide," printed elsewhere on this
page.