The Story of Carpets [antikvár]

CHAPTER ONE IN THE BEGINNING When you buy an oriental carpet, you are not just choosing an object of great beauty to enhance your honne, you are buying part of a great tradition which stretches back to before recorded time. Academics have argued long and hard over precisely where and when the first carpets (or, more accurately, simple floor coverings) were made. Some favour the early Egyptians, others the Chinese or even the Mayas. Others argue that all these people and more probably began to make carpets at about the same time. Though they had no contact with each other, they were driven by the same impulse to make themselves warm and comfortable. Woven carpets were softer than animal skins, and therefore more suited to their purpose. At this stage carpets were unlikely to have had any artistic pretensions, they were simply functional items. It was only as the life of these early peoples became easier that they were left with the time to ornament themselves and their surroundings. We know that this began many centuries before Christ - the many cave paintings which still remain around the world indicate that early man very quickly began to explore his artistic talents. It is likely that the earliest carpet designs were similar to these cave paintings, depicting stylized scenes of hunting, animals and people. Opposite - Ziegler, Arak (Sultanabad), north-west Persia, wool on cotton, late nineteenth century, 24'1" x 18'4" (Ref. 1631) The firm of Zeigler & Co., of Swiss origin and based in Manchester, England, was one of the largest exporters of printed textiles to Turkey and Iran in the second half of the nineteenth century. It began to import Persian carpels to England and then in 1876 set up its own factory at Arak (then Sultanabad) in north-west Iran. It remained in production until the firm closed in 1934 and much is known about its history and products. Given their enormous popularity as furnishings in wealthy homes throughout Ziegler's active life as a manufacturer and importer, it is not surprising that very many have been badly worn or destroyed. The present carpet is a splendid example of Ziegler weaving at its best, although the green used for the vast open field is quite rarely found and is a very splendid feature. During the last ten years, Ziegler carpets have once again become very popular in Western homes. Tekke ensi, central Asia, wool on wool, second half of the nineteenth century, 4'11" X 3'11" (Ref. 1555) This weaving is an ensi by the Tekke Turkoman tribe. Eitsis were used as coverings for the tent entrance and were previously known to Western writers by the name hatchii after their cross-pattern. Despite their apparent resemblance to prayer rugs, there is no evidence that they were ever used as such. The design and colour of this piece is typical of Tekke weaving in the late nineteenth century and it is a very handsome example of this famous type.