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Copyright 
 
 Nineteen -Thirteen 
 
Rugs and Carpets 
 From the Orient 
 
 — COMPLIMENTS OF 
 
 Barker Bros., los Angeles, cal. 
 
Who that has once seen them 
 can ever forget the imperishable 
 colors, mellowed but uneffaced by 
 time, the exquisite designs and 
 the predominant grace of the 
 genuine old Persian Carpet? 
 
 Hon. George N. Curzon, 
 
 M. P., 1892. 
 
9//<i/ rfZ 
 
 n i U .‘ 15 
 
 \ia4r 
 
 I T is not the purpose of this monograph to deal more than 
 superficially with a subject upon which many volumes have 
 been written and to which years of close application on the 
 part of the student are necessary to qualify as an authority. 
 The more closely one studies the subject of Oriental Rugs 
 and the Art and History behind them, the deeper veneration he 
 Jacquires for the Ancient Weaver’s Art which has produced such 
 ^marvelously exquisite masterpieces as still exist, chiefly 
 | in the collections of wealthy men and National Museums. If 
 mot actually pre-historic, the weaving of rugs is certainly as 
 °ld as the dawn of civilization itself, for it dates back to B. C. 
 5000, which date strangely enough is also ascribed to the 
 origin of the ^Violin and to the first recording of human 
 thought by hand- writing (hieroglyphics). Some idea of the 
 value placed upon rare Oriental Rugs may be gained from 
 the Table on page 47, which gives some prices paid in recent 
 years for some of the rare and costly specimens. Elsewhere 
 m this edition are mentioned the names of several books which 
 are recommended to those desiring a closer intimacy with the 
 subject of Oriental Rugs and Carpets. 
 
 In addition to the story of Oriental Rugs there has been 
 inserted a number of interesting views of the East, particularly 
 of Constantinople, the great rug market of the world. Some 
 of these are reproductions of celebrated steel engravings, now 
 unfortunately destroyed, and have for this reason an addi- 
 tional value. 
 
 * Tradition has it that the Violin, as we now know it, was developed from the 
 played Ravanastron invented by Ravana, King of Ceylon, B. C. 5000. 
 
 one-stringed and bow 
 
 0 
 
 \' 
 
 1 
 
The sign manual of the Sultans, rudely representing a left hand 
 
“Among the real, good oid Persian 
 carpets there are very few patterns, 
 though coloring and borders vary 
 considerably. A good carpet, if new, 
 is always stiff; the ends when 
 doubled should meet evenly. There 
 must be no creases, or any sign on 
 the wrong side of darning or ‘fine- 
 drawing’ having been resorted to for 
 taking out creases, and there must be 
 no blue in the white cotton finish at 
 the ends. Carpets with much white 
 are prized, as the white becomes 
 primrose, a color which wears well. 
 Our host has given me a rug of the 
 oldest Persian pattern, on a white 
 ground, very thin and fine. Large 
 patterns and thick wool are compara- 
 tively cheap,” 
 
PERSIAN SAROUK 
 
Rugs and Carpets 
 From the Orient 
 
 A MUDLESS, dry climate, the absence of household furni- 
 ture, together with the inherent poetic and artistic tem- 
 perament of the Oriental, brought into existence and 
 developed into perfection the marvelous pictures in weaves which 
 all the Occidental world has tried repeatedly to copy, but in 
 which attempt they have signally failed. 
 
 The strict observance of the Mohammedan laws forbade 
 any representation of the human figure or that of birds and 
 beasts, and while this law was not observed for long among 
 the subjects of the Persian ruler, the laws nevertheless had a 
 great influence in perpetuating the original designs, geometric 
 or floral, and in developing them to a higher degree of perfec- 
 tion. There was a lack of all furniture, and therefore the rug 
 became the wall covering and the all in all for interior decora- 
 tions and utility, not alone for the home, but for palace and 
 mosque. 
 
 The wonderful color combinations, breathing of and re- 
 flecting the innumerable tints of an ever sunny land, the in- 
 tricate and symbolical figures wrought into the product, 
 whether from religious or other motives, demanded a lifelong 
 patience, and could only have been brought to perfection in a 
 land where time was of small account, and where it was not 
 always considered as equivalent to money. 
 
 The influence of climate and religious observance of 
 putting off the foot covering before entering the house, had 
 its part in the development of the beauties and long life of Eas- 
 tern rugs. Where the harsh impacts of sandals or shoes would 
 have destroyed undeveloped charms, the soft caress of 
 uncovered feet brought forth that which was hidden, and toned 
 to perfection the color harmonies. Even where it was custom- 
 ary to wear sandals or shoes within the house a fine rug was 
 prized and admired to such a degree that it was rarely, if ever, 
 walked upon with harsh foot covering. In the Western bustling 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 world, this sentiment could not find a permanent place, but 
 none the less a fine example of Eastern art is appreciated in 
 many other ways. 
 
 To trace faithfully the history of this art would be quite 
 impossible, for the most painstaking research could not 
 distinguish between the clear light of truth and the fogs of 
 legendary lore handed down from generation to generation 
 for ages. The art of rug making probably marks the birth of 
 a human desire to perpetuate and put into tangible form 
 familiar patterns or figures woven with Nature’s colors. 
 
 In the rival claims of the Egyptians and the Babylonians 
 for precedence in the knowledge of the art, Pliny decided in 
 favor of the former, for he held that the goddess Isis was the 
 inventor of weaving, and for that reason was represented with 
 a shuttle in her hand. 
 
 The Persians probably learned from the Babylonians, and 
 so, step by step, over a path which is impossible to trace with 
 any hope of learning the absolute truth concerning the history 
 of this essentially Oriental art. It spread out, however, until 
 at length the Moors made the luxury of Oriental weaving 
 known to Southern Spain, where they also established a dis- 
 tinct manufactory and a style of their own. Sometime later 
 the argosies of Venice brought from the Orient among other 
 treasures, Persian carpets, which were thus introduced into 
 Italy and Western Europe. The small rugs were used as cover- 
 ings or ornaments for tables and other furniture, and the larger 
 for wall hangings and floor coverings. In several examples 
 which we have of Italian paintings of the fifteenth century 
 and also paintings of the Dutch school, Oriental weavings are 
 clearly recognized and employed in the manner described. 
 
 Royal palaces or cathedrals were, at first, the only places 
 in Europe where Oriental rugs could be found, but in the 
 cathedrals especially. The Church dignitaries, quick to add 
 to the wealth and splendor of the establishment, recognized im- 
 mediately the value and utility of this new luxury, and soon 
 possessed the most highly prized of all the rugs that came from 
 the East. The beautiful and bold designs of vaults and walls 
 were enhanced by these rich fabrics, whether laid or hung, and 
 if the circumstances did not admit of a generous display, a 
 sufficient number of rugs was almost always secured to become 
 part of the approaches of the high altar. 
 
 In England and France, about the sixteenth century, 
 Oriental rugs began to occupy in the estimation of those who 
 
 Eight 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 Very Old Persian Carpet 
 
 Notable for the many points it possesses in common with the Persian rugs 
 of the Sixth and Seventh centuries 
 
 had an artistic temperament, the position which, with the lapse 
 of time, has grown stronger. 
 
 The people of America were slow to fully appreciate the 
 charms, some hidden, some apparent, of Eastern rugs and 
 carpets; but having once learned to esteem this wonderful 
 work in weaving, all classes became interested, and, according 
 to resources, purchased in a manner characteristic of the 
 
 Nine 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 American people, so that now some of the most beautiful rugs 
 in the world, very choice antiques, have found a home in the 
 United States, where there are some of the finest collec- 
 tions in the world. 
 
 It is a difficult matter 
 to determine what is 
 and what is not an 
 antique. The extra- 
 ordinary demand which 
 has developed within the 
 past few years for 
 Oriental rugs has had a 
 marked effect upon the 
 supply of antiques from 
 a number of rug-pro- 
 ducing centres. In some 
 it is absolutely impos- 
 sible to secure a real 
 antique rug. Of course, 
 there are many rugs to 
 be had that have been 
 treated with lemon 
 juice, pumice stone, and 
 in the numerous other ways which the Orientals employ to 
 make an antique, but they are soon discovered by the expert. 
 
 To be classed as an antique, the rug should certainly be 
 at least fifty years old. 
 
 While it is true that there was no general importation 
 previous to the Exposition of 1876, it is also true that there 
 were many rugs in the country, some of which were of great 
 value, but these had been purchased almost entirely by tourists 
 in the East, or had been brought into the country in very 
 small lots by speculative Orientals. 
 
 The Custom House statistics prove conclusively the greatly 
 increased demand for Oriental rugs. Prior to 1892, the 
 importation was $300,000. Now, under a tariff of 40 per 
 cent ad valorem, and ten cents per square foot, the im- 
 portation has grown to over $3,500,000. At the same time 
 the domestic rug trade has increased to an enormous extent. 
 Hence we can readily see that rugs as a floor covering are 
 steadily gaining in favor. 
 
 It would be tiresome to quote from Virgil, Homer, 
 Metellus, Scipio, Pliny, Holy Writ and other sources, to prove 
 
 Ten 
 
 Persian Rug Merchant 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 the ancient and honorable position which this art occupied : 
 one or two quotations will suffice. 
 
 An ancient Jewish legend claims that Naamah, daughter 
 of Tubal Cain, was the inventor of weaving threads into cloth. 
 
 Sir J. Gardner Wilkinson mentions a small rug 11 x 9 
 inches, which was discovered in Thebes, dating from 666 to 
 358 B. C. The woolen threads were fastened to linen strings. 
 The ground was green and the border red, white, and blue in 
 lines. There w r as a figure of a boy in the centre with a goose 
 above him (the hieroglyphic of child). 
 
 If the testimony of students of Mexican antiquities is to 
 be depended upon, then the art of weaving rugs is older than 
 the Egyptian civilization; for the Mayas, from Yucatan, 
 crossed the Pacific when Egypt was in its infancy and taught 
 the mysteries of weaving, the patterns being those which adorned 
 the temples of Yucatan. There is no doubt that the stone 
 carvings which w r ere made w r hen Egypt was yet unborn have 
 been reproduced in Oriental rugs. 
 
 Assrhur-boni-pal (the Sardanapalus of the Greeks), mighty 
 monarch of Assyria, is represented in the disguise of a female 
 slave, as carding the 
 wool from which the 
 carpets for the palace 
 w r ere to be wrought. 
 
 The Expediency of us- 
 ing a disguise will be 
 recognized when it is 
 remembered that weav- 
 ing in the East was, 
 and is still, essentially a 
 female occupation. 
 
 Considering the many 
 wars which this king 
 conducted and the 
 great development of 
 art which, under his 
 fostering care, was ac- 
 complished, this story, 
 like many another of 
 more recent date, will 
 stand a discount. There have been writers more zealous than 
 truthful in every age. There have been rulers in the East, 
 however, who did not consider it undignified to enter into the 
 
 Eleven 
 
 Expert Weaver and Inspector of Patterns 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 details of manufacturing and art when it was of interest to 
 their people. Witness the great Akbar, Emperor of Hindostan, 
 through whose far-seeing wisdom the art of weaving was spread 
 throughout all India. 
 
 Notwithstanding the tincture of myth which characterizes 
 many of the ancient stories, the very fact that so much has 
 been written is an indication of the honorable position which 
 these products of united brain and hand occupied. While the 
 history is meagre, the literature on the subject sufficiently 
 proves that, notwithstanding the abundance of cheap labor 
 and the absolute power of rulers, the value of some productions 
 was very great. Pliny mentions a rug exhibited at the banquet 
 of Ptolemy Philadelphus which cost what would be equivalent 
 to $115,000; a very comfortable price if true, even in our 
 day, and the rug with which Cleopatra, knowing that she must 
 disguise herself if she hoped to meet the conqueror, enveloped 
 her superb form when she visited Caesar, and became in one 
 moment conqueror instead of conquered, cost no small sum. 
 
 There are comparatively very few examples that now exist 
 which were produced prior to the fifteenth century. Yet 
 according to Sir George Birdwood and other students, the 
 perfection of weaving was reached in the sixteenth century 
 after many centuries of slow growth, and the value of the 
 ancient rugs and carpets scattered over the world cannot be 
 estimated. One rug in a private collection at Vienna, made 
 in the fourteenth century for the Kaaba at Mecca, toward 
 which all true Mohammedans turn at prayers, is valued beyond 
 a price which could be gauged by dollars. 
 
 An expert, in giving his experience, stated that the great 
 carpet in the Chehel Sutoon, at Ispahan in Persia, the Palace 
 of the Forty Pillars of Shah Abbas the Great, was the only 
 essentially Persian type of carpet from the sixteenth century 
 which he had found in Persia. In Spain, he had found over 
 sixty, and in India, at Jeppore, Aurungabad and Bijapur, 
 between thirty and forty, several of which bore labels stating 
 that they were made in India, and showing that the importa- 
 tion of weavers was much easier than the transportation of 
 goods, which, even to-day, is a most difficult problem in some 
 sections. 
 
 It is not expedient here to take up the subject of rare 
 examples of Oriental weaving, which are now preserved in 
 private collections and in such public collections as those of 
 the South Kensington Museum, the Handels Museum, and other 
 
 Twelve 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 Antique Tabriz 
 
 treasure storehouses. The errors of classification, the absence 
 of a uniform nomenclature, and the apparent impossibility of 
 adding more to our knowledge concerning ancient carpet weav- 
 ing, makes the subject one from which little profit might be 
 gained, but from which much controversy would ensue. 
 Thirteen 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 The exhibition of Oriental carpets held in the Imperial 
 Royal Commercial Museum in 1891, and the monographs from 
 the pens of the greatest experts in the world, together with 
 the technical research of Dr. Riegel, exhausted the subject up 
 to that time, and did, after all, add but little to the knowledge 
 already the property of those who were interested in the subject. 
 
 The method of weaving is to-day almost identically the 
 same as it was thousands of years ago, except in some districts 
 where modern appliances have to some extent been introduced, 
 such as the German loom with its ability to keep straight 
 edges and improve in some ways upon the primitive methods. 
 
 Between the various nations, and tribes of each nation, the 
 method of weaving differs in some non-essential features, 
 except where the horizontal loom is employed as with some 
 nomadic tribes, but in the main, the loom is set up by placing 
 two upright, slightly inclined poles, to which are attached 
 horizontal bars at the top and at the bottom, the size of the 
 loom depending in some cases upon the size of the carpet to 
 be made. 
 
 From the top bar a number of woolen strands are wound, 
 the ends being securely fastened to the lower bar, which 
 sometimes is the roller around which is wound the completed 
 portions of the carpet as the weaving goes on. When the 
 loom has all the strands arranged, it looks very similar to the 
 strings of a harp. These strands are kept on a tension by 
 means of levers fixed to the upper horizontal bar, and the 
 number of strands employed depends upon the grade of rug 
 to be produced. 
 
 A rug having 7 strands to the inch would require for a 
 10-foot rug 840 strands. If a quality twice as fine as the 
 foregoing were desired, 14 strands to the inch would be made, 
 or 1,680 strands in all. The number of strands, however, is 
 by no means the only test of quality, for the wool in the 
 7-strand may be finer, the design better, and the colors more 
 perfect. A score of circumstances may combine to make the 
 7-strand rug more valuable than the 14-strand. 
 
 From the top of the frame the balls of colored wool lie 
 within easy reach of the skillful workers, who, taking the wool, 
 pass it between two strands, one over and one under, the knot 
 being then tied firmly and the ends cut with a sharp knife. 
 When two full rows have been made, they are clipped as 
 evenly as possible, the final results forming a plush pile, the 
 final shearing off being done when the rug is completed. 
 
 Fourteen 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 Fifteen 
 
 Moussul Rug 
 

 RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 The tying of the knot is one of the processes which 
 requires extreme dexterity and care, for upon this depends the 
 life of the rug, and one of the chief qualifications of an expert 
 rug maker is the ability to tie knots securely and rapidly, 
 and at the same time select the proper shades and combinations. 
 
 The space usually allowed a weaver under one method 
 is from two to three feet. When the last line has been tied 
 the rug is cut down and taken from the roller for the final 
 shearing, so that no irregularities of surface may be found. 
 
 The workers sit cross-legged, either on the floor or on 
 a raised frame, so that when the knot is beaten down to its 
 proper position on the underlying weft it will be on a level 
 with the knees; this arrangement permits of sufficient force 
 being used to produce good results. 
 
 Throughout Persia the loom is practically the same prim- 
 itive arrangement, but the method of producing the rug is 
 different; instead of moving down the part that is completed, 
 and so continuing, the weavers move upward as the work 
 progresses. Ladders are placed opposite the two upright poles, 
 and on the rungs of these are planks for the weavers to sit 
 upon ; as the work progresses, the weaver moves his seat 
 upward, the limit in upward progress being the roof. 
 
 The Primitive Loom 
 
 Sixteen 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 If the carpet is to be a large one, it becomes necessary, 
 after the roof has been reached, to begin at the bottom again. 
 The rug, therefore, is taken down and sewed on to the floor 
 stretcher, the strands are adjusted and the work proceeds. This 
 practice accounts for the dirt line often seen on the back of 
 large carpets and also for the mysterious threads which have 
 so often puzzled the inexperienced buyers. 
 
 In some sections, where particular care is taken, a roller 
 is used, around which the completed carpet is wound and 
 covered up. 
 
 The weavers are generally divided into two classes ; those 
 who have permanent homes and those who are nomads. The 
 looms of the former are almost always upright; in the winter 
 they are set up in the house, and in the summer they are 
 moved to sheds or courtyards connected therewith. The 
 nomadic tribes carry their looms along with them in their 
 wanderings, and for the most part weave in the summer and 
 winter camps on horizontal looms lying a short distance above 
 the ground. This peculiar loom is universal among the nomads, 
 except in the case of Luristan and a few other sections. 
 
 The Luristan weavers, who are men as well as women, 
 make a coarse carpet, crude in color and design, but they also 
 make on their primitive looms a pileless carpet called “Ghileem,” 
 which is of very fair quality. 
 
 To go deeply into the characteristics of the many tribes 
 and sections, giving in detail the peculiarities of patterns and 
 color, material and workmanship, would prove tedious to any 
 one but a connoisseur, and would require no small volume. 
 
 The weavers, as a rule, are very poorly paid; it is, there- 
 fore, fortunate for them that their wants are not many, and 
 that with patience their souls are possessed, for when one 
 considers that in a fine Persian prayer rug there are sometimes 
 40,000 knots or more to the square foot, and that the price 
 paid per week would scarcely satisfy our cheapest labor for 
 a day, patience is no less needed than skill. 
 
 A fair average of the wages might be based upon those 
 which are paid in the Turkish districts of Koula, Oushak, 
 Ghiordes and Demiodgi-Akhissar, where they get from 15 to 
 20 piastres, which is about 79 cents to $1.58 per week, hardly 
 sufficient to keep up a large establishment in the West. The 
 hired weavers receive considerably less. The hired weavers are 
 employed by those who have the wherewithal to pay for help; 
 they are the plutocrats of the rug industry. 
 
 Seventeen 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 There is small chance of the Western world attempting 
 to compete with the Eastern in originality and variety of designs, 
 for aside from the element of cost, the nervous strain which 
 would be the result of working steadily for a year, or perhaps 
 five years, on one carpet, would kill Western workers, and if, 
 as some claim, the Oriental is devoid of nerves as understood 
 by the Occidental, he should praise Allah night and day that 
 it is so. There is no hope that machinery will take the place 
 of this labor, for the individuality would be lost and the 
 marvelous combinations could never be followed. 
 
 The weaving is chiefly done by the women and girls ; there 
 are, however, districts where the men and boys also become 
 bread earners, for the demand for rugs has grown so enorm- 
 ously that there are not enough women to keep the looms busy. 
 Usually the children at six or seven years of age begin, under 
 the direction of the working mothers, to learn the mysteries of 
 the loom, and after two years of learning, they earn small 
 wages, their work beginning at sunrise. The men and boys 
 frequently spend their time either in idleness or in seeking 
 pleasure, or else occupy that relative position which is known 
 in the Western dramatic world as the “thinking cast.” This 
 does not call for any manual effort, and usually the great 
 thinking part is directed to a concentration of all the passing 
 pleasures possible in the day. 
 
 This condition, however, with the increased demand for 
 the goods, has brought about a change, and there is something 
 like a Western spirit very clearly seen in parts of the Orient. 
 
 The looms are generally owned by the men, and the 
 owner’s wives and children work early and late; sometimes 
 weavers are hired. The hired weavers are scarce, because it 
 is much more profitable to marry a good weaver than to hire 
 her, for then she cannot leave the loom owner or go on a 
 “strike.” 
 
 A most marked and evil result has followed the employ- 
 ment of children at such tender ages as six and seven. It is 
 true that they develop skill, but it is at the cost of the physical 
 degeneracy of the race, and this fact has been commented upon 
 by statesmen and scientists, who have made this subject a study. 
 
 The designing for Oriental rugs has ever been a study for 
 the thoughtful. The infinite variety of patterns, combined 
 with the illimitable chromatic scale, has been a source of ever 
 increasing delight, and yet, with a deeper knowledge of the 
 
 Eighteen 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 subject, the thought, is irresistibly brought to mind that the 
 seemingly infinite variety of design is in reality, only the slow 
 development of original designs, lost many centuries ago, and 
 if the theory be true that the Mayas of Mexico taught the 
 Egyptians how to weave the patterns which were faithful 
 copies of the stone carvings on their temples in Yucatan, and 
 Nineteen 
 
 Antique Shiraz 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 there is evidence to substantiate the statement, then the history 
 of rug weaving goes back almost to the beginning of time. 
 
 The original forms and colorings, full of significance to 
 those initiated, and regarded with awe and surrounded with 
 superstition, were almost always strictly followed, and the chief 
 aim of the weaver was to perfect the forms, make more delicate 
 and numerous the shadings, and in every way improve upon his 
 predecessor’s work without digressing from the original pattern 
 to any extent. There were, of course, changes in patterns 
 differing from the original in some particulars, but these 
 changes were due to the individuality of the weaver, and his 
 family, or to the effect of surroundings, frequent in a migra- 
 tory life. 
 
 These changes, all made with a view to improvement, show, 
 after a critical study, that the original design gave the inspir- 
 ation to the weaver. This theory is the only one which would 
 explain the perfection of the ancient rugs which are now in 
 existence ; they could only have been produced after ages of 
 apprenticeship. The same patterns have been followed for 
 generations by the same families and tribes, with only here or 
 there a slight change due to the particular fancy of an 
 individual, but the original design was always, sooner or later, 
 resumed. 
 
 The most ancient designs are purely geometric, which in 
 time advanced to the floral, copying, it is thought, the mosaics 
 of Assyrian pavements and the forms of gardens of Persepolis 
 and Babylon. Sir W. Morris, in his work published in London, 
 1884, gives three styles of designs. First — Pure flowing, like 
 the early stucco mural reliefs of Cairo. Second — A similar 
 style blended with animal forms. Third — Purely floral, flow- 
 ing in lines and fantastic in pattern. This briefly covers the 
 main styles of designs, without going into the significance of 
 the various animals and patterns in the respective rug making 
 countries. 
 
 The symbolical or mythological patterns, in which the 
 Lion stood for the sun, Phoenix for day, and the Dragon for 
 night, were largely employed until the ninth century, when 
 Mohammed forbade the use of any animals, with the exception 
 of the dog and bird, which have a significance in the faith. 
 All followers of the Prophet, however, did not observe this law. 
 The Shiah sect of Moslems, who number about 15,000,000, of 
 which 8,000,000 are Persians, have employed animal forms 
 constantly. 
 
 Twenty 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 The influence of surroundings has, undoubtedly, a most 
 marked effect upon the design at any period. 
 
 When Henry IV. of France invited Persian weavers to 
 Beauvais, the individuality of the weavers was lost, and with 
 improved looms they forgot their skill. An investigation as 
 to the cause of the depreciation in the designs of certain 
 carpets from Khorassan which were popular with Persian 
 officials led to the belief that the apparent lack of taste among 
 the upper classes in modern Persia was due, in no small part, 
 to the ugly semi-European official dress. Peculiar black coats 
 and more peculiar brimless stove-pipe hats were entirely out 
 of harmony with ancient or medieval Persian art, and a 
 demoralization among the weavers followed. Happily, the 
 importance of purity in design and coloring is now generally 
 understood, and through the earnest efforts of some of the great 
 importers of America, England and France there will be less 
 innovation and a more faithful following of the ancient styles 
 which were perfected only after centuries of thought and work. 
 Yet the demand for Eastern made rugs with the design purely 
 Occidental is rapidly growing. In many cases these designs 
 are furnished by the Western importer, but in some cases the 
 weaver furnishes them himself. In any event, they are guarded 
 with the most jealous care to prevent them being copied by 
 some rival. 
 
 Skill in weaving figures largely in the social life. An 
 expert weaver can always find a husband. (Judging from 
 our Western standpoint, she would be better without one.) 
 Among the Turkomen a young girl on her first marriage costs 
 her husband 100 tomans, a variable money value, equal on an 
 average to about $2.00. If she becomes a widow and marries 
 again, her second husband pays double for the privilege of 
 marrying her, and the advance is 100 tomans each time up 
 to the tenth marriage. It is not very frequently that the limit 
 of ten is reached, even with all the vicissitudes of a nomad 
 life, but provision is made for contingencies. The bride’s 
 father receives the price, and in the event of his being dead, 
 her brother; then her uncle, then the uncle’s son, or her nearest 
 paternal relatives. The reason for the advancing scale is that 
 it is presumed that her skill as a weaver and her experience 
 as a housewife increases with her growth in years, up to the tenth 
 marriage. If this theory is correct, why stop at the tenth? 
 She might reach perfection. There is no illustration which 
 could more clearly show the position which some of the women 
 Twenty-one 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 of the East occupy than this custom among the tribes of the 
 Turkoman. 
 
 Antique Shirvan 
 
 The wool of sheep and goats, among which the Angora 
 goat forms no inconsiderable part, is the chief material from 
 which Oriental rugs are made, although other materials are 
 
 Tiventy-two 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 also employed. Camel’s hair wool, with silk, is used in a com- 
 paratively small quantity, and also “Kurk,” which combines the 
 softness of silk with a stability that is entirely its own. It 
 is exceedingly rare ; it comes from Kurdistan, the source of 
 the best carpets and rugs of Persia. “Kurk” is the winter 
 combings of the live sheep and that soft wool lying at the 
 root of the ordinary wool. Rugs woven from this material 
 are very rare, and they differ from the ordinary Kurdistan 
 carpets in that they are so soft and delightful from the 
 beginning, whilst the ordinary Kurdistan weave is remarkably 
 hard at first, but grows marvelously soft and beautiful with 
 time. 
 
 The extravagance of luxury introduced silk as a material 
 for rugs at a very early age. And yet, notwithstanding the 
 qualities which this queen of materials possessed, it was not 
 satisfactory in comparison with the camel’s hair or fine wool. 
 The beautiful lustre was lost to a large degree when made 
 into a pile carpet, for the gloss was seen at best on the side, 
 and not on the end ; moreover, in addition to the greater 
 expense, there was less durability. Silver and gold threads were 
 frequently woven into carpets. The troubadours carried such 
 carpets and sat upon them while singing or relating more or 
 less marvelous stories. (Our modern troubadours appear to 
 be satisfied without the carpets, provided the police do not move 
 them on.) These gold and silver embroidered carpets were 
 also carried on poles as a canopy over the Host, and over 
 distinguished personages in procession, and over the tombs of 
 notable persons. 
 
 The natural conservatism and the scarcity of money were 
 important elements in preserving the purity and the lasting 
 qualities of Oriental colors. Until recent times no mineral dyes 
 were used. All the multitude of shades were the result of 
 home-made dyes, produced from vegetable matter, the result 
 being a lustre and gloss not to be equalled. 
 
 The secrets of the article used and of their manipulation 
 were jealously guarded from alien tribes and foreigners, and 
 even to-day it is a subject which to investigate presents in 
 some sections insurmountable barriers, for the native is afraid 
 that the means of livelihood will be taken from him if he 
 reveals to the encroaching and aggressive foreigner any of the 
 secrets which have been handed down from generation to 
 generation. It is no doubt true that the water in which the wool 
 is washed and boiled exerts an influence on the tone and 
 Twenty-three 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 development of the color which is not understood by anyone, 
 native or alien, and the same is true of the influence of sun- 
 light. The facts and results are recognized, but as yet there 
 is no explanation. One fact is admitted: no dye can be matched 
 exactly, even when the same process is followed absolutely, and 
 therefore care is taken to have a sufficient amount of yarn dyed 
 to finish a given run or number of rugs with the same coloring ; 
 the innumerable shadings which one sees in rugs from some 
 sections is due to the fact that while dyeing, the dyer smokes, 
 
 and the immersion of the yam in the pail is longer or shorter 
 
 as the puffs on the cigarette are longer or shorter. 
 
 In old examples of rugs, a very small amount of black 
 
 was employed in the design. This was due to its dull and 
 
 depressive tone, and to" the fact that no vegetable coloring 
 was known that would produce a good black that would retain 
 its color. When black formed a part of the pattern, the 
 material was usually the fleece of black sheep, which were rare. 
 Nothing else took the place, and while we have black sheep in 
 our own Western world, as they had in the East, it appears 
 that they were quite as difficult to secure. 
 
 Each nation used, to a large extent, its favorite color: 
 red for the Turk; for the Persian, green; blue for Greek and 
 Armenian; but all nations and tribes used indigo blue, yellow, 
 orange, turquoise, ruby, red, crimson and green, except in 
 the case of the Turk, who regarded green as a holy color, not 
 to be profaned by believer’s or unbeliever’s feet. 
 
 Color has always held a prominent place in the East, 
 and is of great significance. Each country, however, does 
 not give the same meaning to colors alike, but white was 
 Purity; black, Evil; blue, Truth, Virtue and Sincerity; also 
 symbol of zeal for the faith; yellow, in China, Royalty. A 
 good-size book might be written on this interesting subject. 
 
 The water in which the wool is washed has so definite 
 an influence on the beauty and life of the rug that certain 
 streams have, for generations, held a reputation reaching over 
 a wide territory. 
 
 The water must be soft, for hard water would make 
 necessary the use of potash, and that has a tendency to cut 
 the fine hair or wool. The washing is scarcely less important 
 in the eyes of the weaver than is the art of the dyer. It is 
 a wonderfully tedious operation, varying in different localities 
 very greatly, one section condemning the methods employed 
 in another, but after generation upon generation has worked 
 
 Twenty-four 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 Twenty-five 
 
 Symbolic Antique Tabriz 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 to produce the best results, it is only reasonable to assume 
 that each section knows what is best suited for its particular 
 case. Difference in climate and wool would probably account 
 for difference in treatment. 
 
 May is the shearing time, and these skillful workers 
 quickly assort the poor from the good wool, after which it is 
 washed in running water many times, and is not allowed to 
 dry between the washings. It is then placed in a stone vessel 
 and mixed with a flour starch ; then with a heavy instrument, 
 it is thoroughly pounded, after which it receives many other 
 washings to take out the starch. It is then spread out to 
 dry, provided the sun and wind are in proper condition. It 
 must dry evenly, and the weaver considers this a very important 
 matter, and will sometiJnes wait for days until the conditions 
 are right. 
 
 When the wool has been thoroughly cleaned of dirt and 
 animal fat, there is a depreciation of about 60 per cent. 
 
 When the Eastern weaver, wishing to please his Western 
 customer; tried to improve upon what had only been made 
 perfect by ages of constant application, animal coloring and 
 the coal-tar colors entered then into competition with the 
 home product. Cochineal was first employed, and later the 
 coal-tar product. While the object was worthy, and the theory 
 that duller skies needed different colors from those of the East, 
 the result was at first disastrous ; so serious became the 
 demoralization in the rug industry, that the late Shah, upon 
 his return to Persia, after his travels in Europe, and after 
 having had the situation explained to him by London 
 merchants, ordered that all rugs and carpets manufactured in 
 his land should conform in pattern and colors to the ancient 
 system, and this action no doubt did much to preserve an 
 industry which was fast going to ruin. 
 
 However, with the improvement of Western dyes and the 
 scientific application of the same, coal-tar and the improved 
 chemical dyes soon occupied a position from which they will 
 never be moved. It is claimed the improved chemical dyes, 
 which are “fast,” are affected no more by sunlight or air than 
 the best of the vegetable dyes, and the coal-tar tints are 
 infinitely more numerous, but this claim is stoutly objected 
 to by those who believe in the older method of dyeing. 
 
 The change will surely come, but like all changes in the 
 East, it will be gradual, especially as applied to Oriental rugs, 
 but prejudice will finally be subdued because of the pecuniary 
 
 Twenty-six 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 Antique Ghiordes 
 
 Twenty-seven 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 advantages and the easier methods of preparation. Before the 
 advent of coal-tar colors, alazarin sold for $20 per cwt. It 
 now sells for about $3. In 1860, analine blue was put upon 
 the market. In less than a year it took ten factories to supply 
 the demand. 
 
 At the great fairs which are held once a year at Baluk- 
 Hissar in May, at Yaprakli in August, and at other places, 
 there are gathered every nation, kindred and tribe, no distance 
 being too great to travel for the opportunity of barter. Here, 
 for weeks, a scene of intense activity prevails. It is at these 
 chief fairs that the great rug collections are gathered together, 
 and they come from every part of the East, each with its 
 individual history. Was the rug honestly purchased at one of 
 the smaller fairs which' are held weekly in many districts, was 
 it a clean purchase, or did the life of the weaver go out when 
 he tried to protect his property against the assaults of the 
 man who now offers it for barter? Did it come from the 
 land of everlasting snow, from the high mountains that over- 
 look the world, or was it created in some sunny, bird-loving 
 spot in Persia or India? Has it a history? Part of the story 
 will be known when the rug is examined, for then one may 
 say whether it came from the land of snow or sunshine; but 
 the intimate history concerning its birth and development will 
 ever remain a mystery. 
 
 The trading at these fairs is almost altogether by barter. 
 The plain and printed cloths from the United States and 
 Europe, together with the thousand and one other articles from 
 the Occident which are dear to the heart of the Oriental, are 
 exchanged for goods which interest the Western buyer, and 
 Oriental goods are exchanged for other Oriental goods, and so 
 the trading goes on. Very little money is passed in the transac- 
 tions, and few checks. The obligations agreed upon are as 
 a general rule faithfully carried out, and the transactions are 
 considered sacred by simple word of mouth. Nevertheless, the 
 followers of the Prophet are also close followers after the 
 profits every moment of the day and never fall asleep. 
 
 These great fairs afford an opportunity to the student 
 of ethnology which could be experienced under no other 
 conditions. The people from Kurdistan, in Western Asia, 
 concerning whom so little is known, come from their mountain 
 homes, bringing their bloodthirsty natures subdued, but their 
 pride as pronounced as ever. After the fair the Kurd will 
 go back to his mountains, some peaks of which are 13,000 
 
 Twenty-eight 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 Antique Kermanshah 
 
 Twenty-nine 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 feet above sea level. There he will watch with jealous eye 
 every mountain pass leading to his fastness, and woe to him 
 who enters unless protected. The Kurd may be a subject of 
 Tuikey or Persia (for the country is divided between the two 
 nations), but no one would suspect him of being the subject 
 of any one. He raises the magnificent horses employed by 
 the Turkish cavalry. He makes rugs, and his pride is some- 
 what justified, for he can trace his pedigree back to the Medes 
 and Chaldeans, with hundreds of generations unbroken. 
 
 Mongols and Tartars from Central Asia compete for trade. 
 Afghans and Beluches, East Indians, Tekkes from Merv, with 
 the braided hair down each side of the face, Syrians, Arabs, 
 Anatolians, Greeks, Jews from all quarters, Armenians, and 
 even from far-away China caravans arrive. When the business 
 of the day is over the busy scenes change, and everything is 
 laid aside, and pleasure predominates. Wizards perform in 
 a manner never seen outside Asia. The Dervishes sing and 
 improvise, as was the custom centuries ago in Europe. These 
 festivities are kept up at the highest pitch every night for 
 weeks, and the next fair is looked forward to with eager 
 anticipation. There may be more profit and greater entertain- 
 ment than at the one just ended. 
 
 When the fair is over, the caravans are arranged, and, 
 when ready, depart, leaving, in many cases, a wild waste where 
 the fair was held, but carrying, together with other articles, 
 the best carpets and rugs from the section; and, in course of 
 time, these products of the Orient are offered to the buyer 
 from the Occident. 
 
 It would be impossible to go into the story of the Head 
 Merchant of a town, and his absolute power. The most concise 
 and thorough statement on this subject is given in the work 
 of John Kimberly Mumford, entitled “Oriental Rugs,” published 
 by the Scribner’s of New York. 
 
 This work, together with that of Rosa Belle Holt — 
 “Rugs : Oriental and Occidental, Antique and Modern,” pub- 
 lished by McClurg & Co., Chicago — furnish a vast amount 
 of information on this interesting subject, making it unneces- 
 sary to consult the rare works to be found in only a few great 
 libraries. 
 
 A very large proportion of the caravans which carry rugs 
 and carpets are sent to Constantinople, for this is the central 
 point to which the large dealers send their stocks. 
 
 Thirty 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 Shirvan 
 
 In this great market the result of months, and sometimes 
 years, of careful buying is exhibited in khans or trading 
 bazaars. When the rugs arrive they are thoroughly impreg- 
 nated with the dust of many lands. So great a cloud does 
 this raise at times when the selling is going on that sometimes 
 
 Thirty-one 
 
rugs and carpets 
 
 
 
 &M 
 
 r tU 
 
 '* **&!«)*' 
 
 g%€ 
 
 
 smi xmynsrn : ssgrogn ^ mMiVfwrr rr-tg 
 
 
 
 Antique Meles 
 
 Thirty-two 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 sponges or dampened handkerchiefs are kept over mouth and 
 nostrils. No attempt is made at cleaning until they reach 
 the Occident. 
 
 The method of transporting rugs is primitive to a degree, 
 and the expense proportionally great. Centuries ago the 
 same means were employed as at the present time, and the 
 same difficulties experienced, and this frequently led to the 
 moving of large families to distant countries, for it was less 
 costly to move the weavers than to pay for transportation, 
 and indeed, in the case of large carpets, there was no means 
 of moving them long distances, even with the aid of elephants. 
 Thus it was that in parts of the East the art of weaving 
 carpets was introduced. 
 
 Some few buyers advance into the Caucasus and into Persia 
 in search of rare weaves, but this movement is attended with 
 danger, even though the buyer is familiar with the numerous 
 tribes and has a thorough knowledge of their peculiarities, 
 for in some sections the natives do not take kindly to 
 strangers. 
 
 It was Bret Harte who pointed out with no uncertain 
 voice that the heathen Chinese had a smile which was childlike 
 and bland, and yet: “That for ways that are dark and for 
 tricks that are vain the heathen Chinee is peculiar.” If the 
 great American poet had been versed in Oriental lore or had 
 come in contact with Oriental rug makers and brokers, he 
 would, without doubt, have given the palm for ways and tricks 
 to the Armenian or Persian. 
 
 The sharp Western buyer, therefore, never attempts to 
 hurry the seller or show any haste himself. He may chafe 
 and gall, but his outward appearance indicates that he is 
 extremely happy and contented. He knows that the price 
 asked is from six to ten times more than will undoubtedly be 
 accepted, but he never hints at such a fact, he gently intimates 
 it is plainly evident that the rug merchant is doing himself 
 a business injury in naming so low a price, and while he looks 
 with favor upon the collection or bale of rugs and would 
 purchase immediately, his position at present is so unfortunate 
 that he blushes to even think of the price which he could 
 afford to pay, and, therefore, to preserve the friendship which 
 he prizes so highly, will make no offer. Each is perfectly happy, 
 and enjoys more talk, more smoke, more refreshments. 
 
 Finally, as a matter of curiosity, the buyer is requested 
 to name to the rug merchant the price which he had in mind, 
 
 Thirty-three 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 Bokhara 
 
 Antique 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 which is usually about one-half the amount the buyer is willing 
 to give. 
 
 At the mention of the price offered, the rug merchant and 
 broker, for all transactions of any amount are usually made 
 through a broker, fall into a state of deep melancholy at the 
 sad position of the buyer, who cannot secure this rare lot, 
 and the buyer sympathizes with them upon having given a 
 mental shock when he named what he could afford. Then there 
 is a really sad state of affairs, and a large quantity of tea or 
 coffee is drunk to drown the sorrow and much tobacco is 
 smoked to calm the nerves, and the bluff goes on, not for 
 hours only, but sometimes for days. It is essentially an 
 American bluff, but so long drawn out that the man from 
 the Western world who did not understand it would be driven 
 to drink or murder before a sale was consummated. 
 
 The peculiar feature of this long trading is that you 
 cannot convince an Eastern merchant that the Western buyer 
 does not take as much pleasure in prolonging the transaction 
 as he does himself. It is very like the faithful Kaffir servant 
 who never could understand why his English master insisted 
 upon the tenderest part of the meat, for, said he, the pleasure 
 of eating was in the chewing of the food, therefore the toughest 
 part must surely be the most desirable. 
 
 The buying is consummated by the touching of hands, 
 a ceremony regarded as sacred. Sometimes the broker will 
 lay one hand upon the beard, as in the case of the Caucasian 
 merchant in the illustration. This act no doubt refers in some 
 way to the oath taken by the sacred beard of Mohammed. 
 
 Notwithstanding the hand clasp and beard hold, which is 
 without doubt a most sacred contract, it sometimes happens 
 that an inferior bale has, by mistake, been shipped to Europe 
 or America in place of the actual purchase, therefore the 
 wise buyer, when the transaction is completed, has his porters 
 carry the rugs away for the proper shipment. 
 
 These remarks concerning buying have, of course, no 
 reference to the high class merchants, many of whom are 
 found in Stamboul, which is the Turkish name for Con- 
 stantinople. 
 
 Happily, there is now a strong sentiment against buying 
 any rugs or other art treasures of the Orient from any but 
 a reliable and thoroughly established importer. 
 
 Time and again has the writer been appealed to by those 
 whose artistic taste and ability to satisfy the same have induced 
 Thirty-five 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 Thirty-six 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 Serapi Carpet 
 
 Thirty-seven 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 Persian Hall Strip 
 
 them to use this most beautiful 
 and hygienic floor covering. 
 Doubts have arisen as to the 
 authenticity of the rug, as to 
 its age, as to its purity of 
 design, color or material, and 
 a satisfactory answer could be 
 given only after a thorough 
 examination, for the tricks were 
 many, and it was always a 
 test of Eastern and Western 
 brains. There is no reason for 
 solicitude on account of the 
 Western brains — they will hold 
 their own with any of the 
 Eastern, and give them a few 
 tricks when they are thoroughly 
 alert. 
 
 Rules without number have 
 been laid down and methods 
 devised for the testing of the 
 genuine qualities of Oriental 
 rugs, but it is a fact that 
 a number of these rules were 
 devised and introduced by cer- 
 tain Eastern merchants who 
 brought to this country, to 
 England and France large 
 quantities of inferior work and 
 worse material. 
 
 The truth remains that there 
 is no arbitrary test for the 
 genuine article. The burning 
 coal is just as good, under 
 certain conditions, for the 
 genuine as for the bogus. 
 The knots and strands mean 
 nothing except in connec- 
 tion with other important 
 elements. The washing of 
 the rug to discover the 
 places which have been painted 
 over with brush and water 
 Thirty-eight 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 color leads only to the discovery of the deception practiced 
 on a part of the rug, which in all other respects may be as 
 aged and worthy of respect as the hills. 
 
 The product of to-day may, with experienced manipula- 
 tion, look to all appearances like a genuine antique, but these 
 “antiques,” made, as are the “Souvenirs of Waterloo,” cannot 
 possess the individuality, the essence or soul of the weaver, 
 and to an expert these essential points are missed at once, 
 and it is for these reasons that the wise purchaser trusts to 
 no one save the expert, and the experience and reputation of a 
 house of national importance. 
 
 The shades and spots are imitated by unscrupulous traders. 
 The Eastern dyer lives and dyes as he pleases and not 
 according to any set rules. Between the puff of the cigarette 
 and a few words of gossip he dips his tuffs into the pail 
 containing the dye. It is rarely that two bunches of material 
 dyed have exactly the same shade. The time of immersion 
 differs, the density of the dye is not the same, and as a result 
 the weaver is furnished with an almost endless variety of shades 
 which he utilizes with his inborn artistic feeling to produce 
 that incomprehensible infinity of shades, one blending into the 
 other, no one can point out where. Is it then a matter for 
 wonder with the ever-changing color picture, as varied as the 
 rays of light, that an Oriental who loves his art will sit for 
 hours in silent contemplation. Does he see as Western eyes do 
 not? Is he not like Dickens’ “Barnaby” in one respect, who 
 was ever seeing such marvelous pictures, such “brave pictures,” 
 in the fire, which to ordinary eyes were invisible? How, then, 
 can one successfully imitate the shades of nature by a machine; 
 can one paint the lily or produce the beauty of the rose with 
 a loom? It has been impossible from the earliest days, and it 
 is equally so now. 
 
 One of the rules laid down as nearly infallible for testing 
 a genuine Oriental rug is the weight. A rug of the first class 
 should weigh a given amount or close to it. This is a matter 
 easily overcome by “weighting,” a process well known in the 
 West and practiced with great success in the East. 
 
 All the rules laid down for testing Oriental rugs amount 
 to nothing without an expert knowledge on the subject. 
 
 It is self-evident that if the supply is not equal to the 
 demand, which is absolutely true concerning fine goods, there 
 can be no good reason for auction sales. These sales are only 
 Eastern tricks adapted to Western methods. The plans em- 
 Thirty-nine 
 
ass 
 
 RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 Lelihan Rug 
 
 Forty 
 
 
Antique Arab Rug 
 More than 1,100 years old 
 
 ployed to deceive might be dwelt upon for so long a time 
 as to tax the interest of every reader. 
 
 The one point which should be made clear is this: that 
 
 if it is hazardous to purchase diamonds from any but the most 
 reliable house, it is not the less hazardous to purchase Oriental 
 rugs from any house not having an established reputation. 
 
 The experienced buyer from the Occident knows the 
 peculiarities of Oriental trading. He can recognize between 
 the faithful broker and merchant and the one not to be trusted, 
 but for the inexperienced traveler trading with the Oriental 
 merchant, who is born, dyed, and double dyed in the art of 
 dissimulation is, at best, dangerous. When a bargain is finally 
 Forty-one 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 Forty-two 
 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 struck, and the traveler, verdant as the hills in May, has paid 
 three times what it could be secured for by one who knows 
 the business, the affable merchant will make the purchaser feel 
 that he is bestowing a personal favor, and that body and 
 soul are parting because he was obliged to see his antique 
 go out of his possession. The traveler usually finds that 
 the kindly and benevolent gentleman has sold him what might 
 in time become an antique, but which certainly was far from 
 being one at the time of buying. 
 
 It has been estimated that from the time an Oriental rug 
 leaves the weaver’s hands until it reaches the final buyer, there 
 are at least six profits to pay. 
 
 Our plan of purchasing obviates all this immense and 
 unnecessary profit to middlemen. We 
 bring the rugs direct from weavers’ 
 agents in Constantinople to our cus- 
 tomers, and the saving of so many 
 intermediate profits enables us to sell 
 at such comparatively low prices. 
 
 However extensive one’s reading 
 and research may be there is only 
 one royal road which leads to 
 a knowledge of Oriental rugs, 
 and that is to learn through 
 actual contact with the article. 
 
 To write descriptions of the 
 weave, color scheme, pattern, 
 pile, and all that information which 
 together would constitute a work of 
 authority requires no small amount 
 of study and investigation ; yet this 
 may be accomplished without visit- 
 ing the Orient. The only way, how- 
 ever, to gain the most clear apprehension 
 of the subject is to visit Barker Bros.’ 
 display frequently, and to have direct 
 communication with the people who make 
 and the people who sell. Even for the 
 buyer who goes over twice a year and 
 purchases enormous a Constantinople Porter 
 
 minntitips of everv These men carry bales of 
 quantities 01 eveij rugg to the custom hoU se, 
 
 class of ruff, it is and thence to the dock where 
 _ they are placed on shipboard 
 
 only after years OI for Europe and America. 
 
 Forty-three 
 

 
 RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 
 
 Cabistan 
 
 Forty-four 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 faithful study that he will be able to tell by a look and a touch 
 to what class the rug surely belongs and its approximate value. 
 
 This subject is one that is practically without limit, but 
 as this little book was designed for a single reading much 
 technical matter has been treated necessarily very briefly. 
 
 Two works which have recently been published should be 
 in the library of everyone interested in buying or selling rugs 
 of any description — “Oriental Rugs,” by John Kimberly 
 Mumford, and “Rugs, Oriental and Occidental,” by Rosa Belle 
 Holt. The works are full from cover to cover of informa- 
 tion useful and interesting, and the cost is very moderate. 
 
 Rugs will undoubtedly continue to grow in popularity 
 the next twenty-five years as they have during the past 
 quarter century, for without doubt they make the most beautiful 
 as indeed the most hygienic floor covering conceivable. 
 
 There is not sufficient space in this simple book to discuss 
 the mysticism so closely identified with Oriental rugs. The 
 two works to which reference has been made will prove equally 
 entertaining as instructive. 
 
 To one who has the ability to properly interpret the sym- 
 bolical figures woven into the fabric, the rug’s value becomes 
 greatly enhanced, for aside from the intrinsic value there are 
 the associations; and the intimate knowledge of these make 
 it possible to weave, not alone on the loom, but also in the 
 mind, a thousand delightful stories. 
 
 Rosa Belle Holt in her very valuable work on Rugs makes 
 mention of several inscriptions which have been worked into 
 the rugs of various countries. A Persian rug owned by Baron 
 Nathaniel Rothschild has an inscription which has been trans- 
 lated : 
 
 Honored may thou he in the world, among the clever and wise. 
 May no sorrow he allotted thee hy an unfavoring heaven. 
 And may no care torment thy heart. 
 
 May the earth he all to thee that thou would’st have it and 
 destiny prove thy friend. 
 
 May high heaven he thy protector. 
 
 May thy rising star enlighten the world. 
 
 And the falling stars of thy enemies he extinguished. 
 
 May every act of thine prosper, 
 
 And may every year and every day he to thee springtime. 
 
 This is rather longer than any other inscription of which 
 the writer knows. As a rule the words are few. 
 
 Forty- jive 
 

 
 RUGS 
 
 AND CARPETS 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 T HE importance attached to Carpets may be indicated by 
 quoting some of the prices which fine examples have 
 realized in recent years. This Table is taken from 
 “ORIENTAL CARPETS” by Sydney Humphries, published 
 by Adam and Charles Black, London, 1910: 
 
 1888 Goupil Sale, Paris: 
 
 Persian Rug, size 7x6 $6,500.00 
 
 Persian Rug, size 7x6 4,000.00 
 
 Three small Persian Rugs 7,500.00 
 
 1893 *The Ardebil Carpet: 
 
 Persian, dated 1539; size 34-6x17-6; 380 
 
 hand-tied knots to the square inch 12,500.00 
 
 This carpet, which was first exhibited in 
 England by Messrs. Vincent Robinson & Co., 
 
 Ltd., was purchased for the nation at the price 
 
 named, the sum of $3,750.00, being contributed 
 by A. W. Franks, C.B. ; E. Steinkoppf, William 
 Morris and J. E. Taylor. 
 
 1903 Henry G. Marquand Sale, New York: 
 
 Royal Persian Rug of the Fifteenth or Early 
 Sixteenth Century; size, 11-10x6-1^; 600 
 
 hand-tied knots to the square inch 36,000.00 
 
 Persian Carpet of Middle Sixteenth Century; 
 size, 16-2x7-1; 195 hand-tied knots to 
 
 the square inch 15,000.00 
 
 Sixteenth-Century Ispahan Carpet; size 22-8 
 x 9-5 ; 156 hand-tied knots to the square 
 
 inch 15,000.00 
 
 Old Rug of Middle Persia; silk; size 6-11 x 4- 
 
 10; 780 hand-tied knots to the square inch 14,100.00 
 Old Carpet of Middle Persia ; size 9-9 x 8-5 ; 
 
 400 hand-tied knots to the square inch. . 7,000.00 
 
 Old Persian Prayer Rug; silk; size 5-5 x 3-8; 
 
 468 hand-tied knots to the square inch. . 7,000.00 
 
 Antique Persian Prayer Rug; size 5-6 x 4-3 ; 
 
 323 hand-tied knots to the square inch. . 4,100.00 
 
 Antique Rug of Western Persia; size 8-1 x 
 6-5; 168 hand-tied knots to the square 
 inch 4,000.00 
 
 *See page 51. 
 
 Forty-seven 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 Antique Kabistan 
 
 Forty -eight 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 Antique Sehna Rug 
 
 Forty -nine 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 Fifty 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 THE "ARDEBIL CARPET" 
 
 Sometimes Called “ The Holy Carpet ” 
 
 The world’s most famous Oriental carpet, still in existence, 
 is the “Ardebil,” a Persian masterpiece made in the year 1539 
 by the weaver Maksoud for the Ardebil Mosque, in which for 
 many years it was the Mosque carpet. 
 
 This Persian masterpiece was acquired a generation ago 
 by the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington, 
 London, where it is now on exhibition. Its purchase price was 
 $12,500, but in view of the prices paid by collectors of rare 
 Orientals in recent years it is doubtful whether $100,000 would 
 purchase it to-day. 
 
 It represents the labor of the best part of the life of its 
 creator, measures 34^2 x 17f4 feet and contains 33,037,200 hand- 
 tied knots, (380 knots to a square inch). 
 
 The ground is of a rich blue and is covered with the 
 most intricate of old Persian floral designs. It has a central 
 medallion in pale yellow with corners to match. There are 
 three border stripes, one wide one with a narrow one on either 
 side of it. The ground of the outer stripe is of a tawny yellow 
 with small floral designs ; the ground of the inner stripe is 
 cream colored and that of the main stripe is of a rich brown 
 with round and elongated panels alternating and surrounded 
 by a profusion of floral lines. Within these panels is found 
 in Arabic the following inscription: 
 
 “I have no refuge in the world other than my threshold; 
 
 Mjr head has no protection other than this porchway ; 
 
 The work of the slave of the Holy Place, Maksoud of 
 
 Kashan, in the year 942.” 
 
 This date corresponds to A. D. 1539. 
 
 It must not be inferred from this unassuming inscription 
 that Maksoud was as insignificant a person as his self-designa- 
 tion would suggest. His work on the “Ardebil Carpet” must 
 have covered not less than thirty consecutive years, and 
 probably much more. No person of even ordinary station, 
 much less a slave, would have been allowed to weave a carpet 
 of such importance. Grandiloquence and humility are, from 
 the view point of language alone, alike very misleading in the 
 East, and Maksoud’s modest rating of his station in life is 
 not true according to our idea of slavehood. 
 
 This rug is beautiful in color and design, though of 
 course, much faded with age and use. 
 
 Fifty -one 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 Fifty -two 
 
 Bergama Rug 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 PERSIAN RUGS 
 
 RUG 
 
 WARP 
 
 WEFT 
 
 KNOTS TO INCH 
 
 Horizontal 
 
 Perpen- 
 
 dicular 
 
 Tabriz 
 
 Cotton, sometimes 
 
 
 
 
 
 Linen or Silk . . 
 
 Cotton, single-strand 
 
 
 
 
 
 Wool and Linen . 
 
 10 to 20 
 
 10 to. 20 
 
 Herez — w h i c h in- 
 
 
 
 
 
 eludes Bakhshis 
 
 
 
 
 
 Gorevan .... 
 
 Usually Cotton . . 
 
 Cotton, at times 
 
 
 
 
 
 Brown Wool . . . 
 
 5 to 12 
 
 7 to 14 
 
 Kara Dagh .... 
 
 Wool 
 
 Wool 
 
 8 to 11 
 
 9 to 12 
 
 Sehna 
 
 Cotton, Linen or Silk 
 
 Cotton, single-strand 
 
 
 
 
 
 Wool, Linen . . . 
 
 10 to 20 
 
 10 to 20 
 
 Kurdistan — proper . 
 
 White or Gray Wool 
 
 Wool, also extra filling 
 
 
 
 
 
 between warp threads 
 
 8 to 11 
 
 8 to 11 
 
 Kermanshah . . . 
 
 Wool or Cotton . . 
 
 Wool, Natural Brown 
 
 
 
 
 
 or Dyed 
 
 8 to 12 
 
 8 to 12 
 
 Saraks or Bijar . . 
 
 Wool 
 
 Wool 
 
 7 to 10 
 
 8 to 10 
 
 Koultuk or Zenjan 
 
 Cotton, sometimes 
 
 
 
 
 
 Wool 
 
 Wool 
 
 7 to 9 
 
 8 to 10 
 
 Souj-Bulak .... 
 
 Wool 
 
 Wool 
 
 7 to 8 
 
 10 to 11 
 
 Feraghan 
 
 Cotton 
 
 Cotton, rarely Wool . 
 
 5 to 12 
 
 6 to 14 
 
 Sarouk ...... 
 
 Cotton, sometimes 
 
 
 
 
 
 Li nen 
 
 Cotton, sometimes 
 
 
 
 
 
 Linen 
 
 9 to 20 
 
 9 to 20 
 
 Saraband 
 
 Cotton 
 
 Cotton, sometimes 
 
 
 
 
 
 colored 
 
 8 to 12 
 
 9 to 14 
 
 Selvile 
 
 Wool, sometimes Gray 
 
 Wool, usually colored 
 
 7 to 9 
 
 8 to 10 
 
 Hamadan — which in- 
 
 
 
 
 
 cludes rugs from 
 
 
 
 
 
 the districts of Kara- 
 
 
 
 
 
 Geuz, Oustri-Nan, 
 
 
 
 
 
 etc 
 
 Cotton 
 
 Cotton or Wool . . 
 
 7 to 9 
 
 9 to 11 
 
 “Jooshaghan” or 
 
 
 
 
 
 Djushaghan . . 
 
 Wool 
 
 Wool 
 
 8 toll 
 
 9 to 12 
 
 Kirman 
 
 Cotton 
 
 Wool 
 
 10 to 20 
 
 10 to 20 
 
 Shiraz 
 
 Wool, sometimes 
 
 
 
 
 
 coarse Goats’ Hair 
 
 Wool 
 
 6 to 12 
 
 7 to 14 
 
 Niris 
 
 Wool 
 
 Wool 
 
 6 to 8 
 
 7 to 9 
 
 Khorassan .... 
 
 Cotton 
 
 Wool 
 
 8 to 11 
 
 9 to 13 
 
 Mesched 
 
 Wool or Cotton . . 
 
 Wool 
 
 8 to 11 
 
 9 to 11 
 
 Herat 
 
 Wool or Cotton . . 
 
 Wool 
 
 8 to 10 
 
 9 to 11 
 
 For a complete description of Oriental Rugs consult the Textile Tables in Mumford’s 
 Work entitled “Oriental Rugs,” from which work this information is mainly derived. 
 
 Fifty-three 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 
 Kazak Rug 
 
 Fifty -four 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 CAUCASIAN 
 
 RUG 
 
 WARP 
 
 WEFT 
 
 KNOTS TO INCH 
 
 
 
 
 Horizontal 
 
 Perpen- 
 
 Daghestan .... 
 
 Generally Gray Wool 
 
 Wool 
 
 8 to 12 
 
 9 to 15 
 
 DeRBEND’ 
 
 Brown Wool or Goats’ 
 
 
 
 
 
 Hair 
 
 Wool 
 
 6 to 9 
 
 7 to 10 
 
 Kabistan 
 
 Wool or Cotton . . 
 
 Usually Cotton . . . 
 
 9 to 14 
 
 12 to 15 
 
 Tchechen or “Tzitzi” 
 
 Usually Fine White 
 
 
 
 
 
 Wool 
 
 Wool 
 
 7 to 9 
 
 8 to 10 
 
 Tcherkess or Circas- 
 
 
 
 
 
 sian 
 
 Wool 
 
 Wool 
 
 7 to 9 
 
 8 to 10 
 
 Karabagh 
 
 Stout Wool .... 
 
 Wool 
 
 6 to 9 
 
 7 to 10 
 
 Soumak (Flat Weave) 
 
 Wool 
 
 Wool 
 
 12 to 20 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Warp | 
 
 1 
 
 
 
 
 
 Threads 
 
 f 
 
 6 to 12 
 
 Shirvan, with warp 
 
 
 
 to inch J 
 
 
 
 and weft centre 
 
 Wool. In Antiques — 
 
 
 
 
 
 White. In Moderns 
 
 
 
 
 
 — Brown, Gray and 
 
 
 
 
 
 sometimes parti- 
 
 
 Antiq., i 
 
 | 
 
 
 
 colored 
 
 White Wool in 
 
 7 to 9 1 
 
 
 8 to 1 1 
 
 
 
 Antiques, Wool or 
 
 Mod. 1 
 
 
 6 to 8 
 
 
 
 Cotton in Moderns 
 
 5 to 7 J 
 
 I 
 
 
 Kazak 
 
 Wool 
 
 Wool 
 
 6 to 8 
 
 7 to 9 
 
 Moussul 
 
 Generally Wool, some- 
 
 
 
 
 
 times Cotton . . . 
 
 Generally Wool, some- 
 
 
 
 Turkoman or 
 
 
 times Cotton . . . 
 
 6 to 8 
 
 8 to 9 
 
 Genghis 
 
 Dark Wool or Goats’ 
 
 
 
 
 
 Hair 
 
 Gray or Brown Wool 
 
 6 to 8 
 
 7 to 8 
 
 Moussul Kurds . . 
 
 Dark Wool or Goats’ 
 
 
 
 
 
 Hair 
 
 Gray or Brown Wool 
 
 6 to 7 
 
 6 to 7 
 
 TURKOMAN RUGS 
 
 Bokhara or Tekke . 
 
 Wool 
 
 Wool 
 
 8 to 20 
 
 8 to 20 
 
 Yomud 
 
 Brownish Wool or 
 
 
 
 
 
 Goats’ Hair . . . 
 
 Wool or Goats’ Hair 
 
 7 to 12 
 
 9 to 14 
 
 “Afghan” or Bok- 
 
 
 
 
 
 hara 
 
 Goats’ Hair or Dark 
 
 
 
 
 
 Wool 
 
 Black or Gray Wool 
 
 
 
 
 
 or Goats’ Hair . . 
 
 6 to 9 
 
 7 to 10 
 
 Samarkand .... 
 
 Coarse Cotton or Silk, 
 
 
 
 
 
 occasionally Wool . 
 
 Cotton or Wool . . 
 
 6 to 8 
 
 5 to 7 
 
 Beluchistan .... 
 
 Wool 
 
 Wool 
 
 5 to 12 
 
 6 to 10 
 
 Yarkand and Kash- 
 
 
 
 
 
 gar 
 
 Coarse Cotton . . . 
 
 Cotton 
 
 5 to 7 
 
 5 to 7 
 
 TURKISH 
 
 Konieh 
 
 Kir §hehr 
 
 Kaba Karaman 
 Yuruk . . . 
 
 Anatolian or Caes- 
 areans 
 
 Ghiordes — Antique . 
 
 Ghiordes — Modern 
 Kulah — Antique . 
 Kulah — Modern . 
 Demirdji .... 
 
 OuSHAK .... 
 
 Bergamo 
 
 Ladik 
 
 Ak-Hissar and other 
 
 Mohairs 
 
 Meles or Carian . . 
 
 Antique fine Wool. 
 Modern, Coarse 
 Wool, parti-colored 
 
 Fine Wool 
 
 7 to 9 
 
 8 to 10 
 5 to 7 
 
 Wool 
 
 Wool 
 
 7 to 10 
 
 7 to 8 
 
 Coarse Wool .... 
 
 Wool or Cotton . . 
 
 4 to 6 
 
 7 to 10 
 4 to 6 
 
 Brown Wool or Goats’ 
 Hair 
 
 Brown Wool or Goats’ 
 Hair 
 
 6 to 7 
 
 7 to 9 
 
 Generally Wool . . 
 
 Generally Wool . . 
 
 7 to 10 
 
 9 to 12 
 
 Fine Wool, Cotton or 
 Silk 
 
 Cotton, Linen, or 
 sometimes single- 
 
 strand Wool . . . 
 
 9 to 12 
 
 10 to 12 
 
 Coarse Wool .... 
 
 Usually Cotton . . . 
 
 4 to 8 
 
 4 to 9 
 
 Fine Wool 
 
 Fine Wool 
 
 8 to 10 
 
 8 to 12 
 
 Coarse Wool .... 
 
 Cotton or Wool . . 
 
 4 to 7 
 
 4 to 7 
 
 Coarse Wool .... 
 
 Coarse Wool .... 
 
 6 to 8 
 
 6 to 8 
 
 Wool 
 
 Wool 
 
 4 to 9 
 
 4 to 9 
 
 Fine Wool 
 
 Wool 
 
 8 to 10 
 
 10 to 12 
 
 Very fine Wool . . 
 
 Wool 
 
 10 to 12 
 
 10 to 12 
 
 Coarse Wool .... 
 
 Coarse Wool .... 
 
 6 to 9 
 
 6 to 9 
 
 Wool 
 
 Cotton or Wool . . 
 
 5 to 9 
 
 5 to 10 
 
 Fifty-five 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 Hamad an 
 
 Fifty-six 
 
mm 
 
 FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 IW9 
 
 aim 
 
 Fifty-seven 
 
 Antique Kislaiak Bokhara 
 
Constantinople 
 
 Any book on Oriental rugs, however humble, would not be 
 complete without frequent references to the “City of the 
 Sultans,” Constantinople, called by the Turks Stamboul or 
 Istamboul. 
 
 The city of Constantinople was founded by the Emperor 
 Constantine in 328 A. D., upon the site of Byzantium, which 
 town dated back to 658 B. C. 
 
 Constantine, seeking a new Roman capital in the Orient, 
 founded New Rome, which later became known as Constanti- 
 nople. His choice of this site, so admirably situated at the 
 junction of two seas and two continents, was, as Dean Stanley 
 puts it, “The most convincing and enduring proof of his real 
 genius.” 
 
 Constantinople has ever been the great central distributing 
 market for Oriental rugs. To it the products of every Eastern 
 land go, and from it the Eastern world draws its largest 
 supply. 
 
 It would be quite impossible to give here even a cursory 
 history of this city, with its centuries of romance, mystery 
 and bloodshed; but, after consultation with friends who are 
 familiar with the Orient and the rug trade, it was decided to 
 add to the story of the rugs a few views of Constantinople, 
 which it was believed would prove of interest. 
 
 The illustrations and reading matter upon page 72 
 and the succeeding ones are more closely identified with a 
 generation ago than the present day, and, because of the 
 impossibility of ever reproducing the original steel engravings, 
 are of more than ordinary interest. 
 
 While it is true that the mode of life in the East changes but 
 little in centuries, it is also true that many innovations have occurred 
 in the Capital and its environments in the past twenty-five years. 
 The European and American influences have made a great differ- 
 ence, and the Constantinople of to-day is not as it was a generation 
 back. 
 
 The merit, if there be any, in pages 72 to 84, lies in the fact 
 that the scenes delineated can never be so viewed again for they 
 are of the past. 
 
 There are a thousand places of interest in the Capital which 
 have not been referred to lest the subject become tiresome and the 
 reader, who expected Oriental rugs, should feel that he was receiv- 
 ing too long a story concerning Constantinople. 
 
 Fifty -nine 
 

 In a Stamboul Coffeehouse 
 
 Turkish coffee is to be obtained everywhere in such places 
 as this, or from the “kafedji” who sets up his little stall at the 
 corner of the street and presides over it in his picturesque garb. 
 
 Dancing Dervishes 
 
 One of the religious sects that divide Islam. These Der- 
 vishes perform a peculiar whirling dance gradually working them- 
 selves up into a frenzy of excitement, their hope being to apprehend 
 the Divine in their ecstasy. Sixt 
 
The Galata Bridge 
 
 Crossing the Golden Horn and linking Stamboul with Galata 
 (the shipping district of Constantinople), and Pera (where the 
 European and American Consulates and Embassies are located). 
 
 The Grand Bazaar 
 
 The Department Store of the Orient. The far Eastern mer- 
 chant displays his wares in vault-like passages like that illustrated. 
 
 Sixty-one 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 CHURCH AND MOSQUE OF ST. SOPHIA 
 
 The most celebrated in Constantinople ; was originally built 
 by the Emperor Constantine in 325-26, on the occasion of the 
 translation of the seat of empire to Byzantium; and was so called 
 as being dedicated, not as commonly supposed, to a saint of that 
 name, but to the “Hagia Sophia” (Holy Wisdom), i. e., to the 
 Eternal Wisdom of God, or the Logos, the second person of the 
 Trinity. The building of Constantine was subsequently rebuilt 
 
 Exterior— Mosque of St. Sophia 
 
 and enlarged by his son, Constantius ; and this second church of 
 Constantius having been destroyed in 404, was rebuilt by Theo- 
 dosius the Younger in 415. It lasted unaltered until the cele- 
 brated Nika Sedition, or Battle of the Factions of the Circus 
 under Justinian in 532 in which it was totally destroyed. 
 
 The present building is substantially that which was erected 
 by Justinian in expiation of that sacrilege. It occupied no less 
 than seven years in its erection, and the history of the work and 
 of the details of its material and construction are full of marvels. 
 Ten thousand workmen are said to have been employed upon it. 
 The materials were supplied from every part of the empire, and 
 
 Sixty-two 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 comprised remains of almost every celebrated temple of the ancient 
 paganism. The dome of the tabernacle was of pure gold and was 
 surmounted by a gold cross weighing 75 pounds and incrusted 
 with precious stones. All the sacred vessels and other apparatus 
 were of gold. The altar-cloths were embroidered with gold and 
 pearls ; and the altar itself was composed of a mass of molten 
 gold, into which were thrown pearls, sapphires, diamonds, onyxes, 
 and every other object which could raise its costliness to the 
 highest imaginable degree. In the center rises a dome which is 
 supported by two great semi-domes, the whole presenting a scene 
 
 Interior of St. Sophia 
 
 of unexampled beauty. The height of the dome is 175 feet. The 
 building is approached by a double porch, which is about 100 
 feet in depth. The whole of the interior is richly decorated with 
 sculptured marble and mosaics. On the occupation of the city 
 by the Turks in 1453, St. Sophia was appropriated as a mosque. 
 All its purely Christian fittings and internal structures were 
 swept away. The Christian emblems were either mutilated or 
 covered up from view by a coating of plaster. 
 
 The most pronounced effect upon one who visits St. Sophia 
 for the first time is its vastness. After becoming familiar with 
 this feeling, one visitor may become interested in the richly 
 
 Sixty-three 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 mosaiced floors, or the Imperial closet that faces the pulpit and 
 which is of marble most wonderfully worked, or one or more of 
 the thousand interesting matters, but the first impression on a 
 visitor is the vastness of the structure. 
 
 The building is very peculiar in many respects. Its vastness 
 is exaggerated by the fact that there is no furniture, as in 
 Christian churches, and because of the wonderful dome. The 
 visitor is usually impressed because of the magnificent and 
 gigantic pillars. There are eight, of porphyry from the temple of 
 Heliopolis. There are verd antique from Ephesus, Egyptian granite 
 and rare marbles — and aside from any sentiment, the effect upon 
 the visitor is profound. The blue doves sometimes fly from place 
 to place, the descendants of the birds which the Turks found 
 there when it was a Christian church instead of a Moslem mosque, 
 one of the particular features of the spot, and they are watched 
 over with care, and woe betide him who would injure one. 
 
 The legends connected with St. Sophia would be sufficient to 
 make volumes. The Bishops’ Gate, the Sweating Stone, all are 
 intensely interesting, but the court is, after all, the place of 
 interest for those in business. 
 
 The red-capped soldier, the tall and slim Effendi, turbaned 
 in cashmere, will be found there, and here also will be seen the 
 Emir in green robe, proud to announce to the world that he is 
 a descendant of the Prophet; the Dervish, with his conical hat 
 of grey felt; a Santon, or saint, with more supposed gifts from 
 the gods than the gods ever dreamed of having themselves, and 
 more filthy than a depraved Kaffir ; all these and many others 
 will be found in the Court. But the ones of most interest are 
 the merchants. The pilgrim merchant, or had j is, will spread his 
 mat and offer for sale all sorts of relics from Mecca — charms 
 against snake bite, against the evil eye. If he were wise and 
 had a Western partner, he would come to America and do a 
 power of charming to more purpose. 
 
 These merchants will go to any extremity to prove the value 
 of the goods offered. The dye will be thrown upon a piece of 
 cloth, or rubbed freely into the beard to show that it is as good 
 as claimed. The chaplet of Arabian wood is rubbed through the 
 hands in a brisk manner and the perfume developed. If the 
 stranger purchases, he probably pays five times the value of the 
 article, but has the problematical satisfaction of having been 
 taken in by an adept who had the power to cause his mind to 
 become absorbed with the article offered for sale. 
 
 When the sale is concluded, the one who made it and the 
 other merchants who have taken a great interest in the transac- 
 tions will murmur or say aloud, “Allah buyuk der” (God is 
 great), after which the pipes will be resumed and the story con- 
 tinued from where it left off. 
 
 Sixty-four 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 The Imperial Palace of Dolma-Baghtche 
 
 The residence of the present Snltan. The water in the fore- 
 ground is the Bosporus. 
 
 Yildiz Palace and Hamidieh Mosque 
 
 The residence of the late Sultan Abd-ul-Hamid until his 
 abdication in 1909. It has been the scene of many a dark tragedy. 
 Illustrating the cruelty of its late tenant, the story is told of a 
 gang of workmen who were summoned from a distant city to dig 
 a hiding place in the grounds of Yildiz in which Abd-ul-Hamid 
 desired to bury some treasure unknown to others. The work was 
 satisfactorily done under his own eyes, and he had a good meal 
 provided for the men. Then, in a freak of his fiendish humor, he 
 ordered double pay handed them on the spot. They never spent it. 
 A few minutes later they were congregated into an outhouse in 
 another part of the grounds, and suddenly the flooring gave way 
 beneath them. This was the late Sultan’s method of insuring their 
 secrecy. No one will question its effectiveness. 
 
 Sixty-five 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 Ahmedieh Mosque and the Hippodrome 
 
 The Ceremony of the Selamlik at Dolma-Baghtche 
 
 Here is shown Sultan Mohamed V, leaving his palace at Dolma 
 Baghtche for the Mosque on Friday (the Mohamedan Sabbath). 
 The Bosporus is just visible in the I background. 
 
 Sixty-six 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 Beggars in Stamboul 
 
 Members of a privileged class pursuing their chosen vocation 
 
 Sixty-seven 
 
RUGS' AND CARPETS 
 
 The Seven Towers 
 
 On the old wall of Constantinople at the entrance into the 
 City on the Stamboul side. The railroad passes through this wall. 
 
 Prinkipo or Princes Island 
 
 A summer resort of the wealthy residents of Constantinople. 
 In the Sea of Marmora about one hour’s sail from Stamboul. 
 
 Sixty-eight 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 Sixty-nine 
 
 The Stamboul Fire Department 
 Looks somewhat strange to Occidental eyes 
 

 A Scene Along the Bosporus 
 
 The Bosporus is the strait which connects the Sea of Marmora with the Black Sea 
 
 Turkish Rapid Transit 
 A Traveling Baker in Asia Minor 
 
 Seventy 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 An Oriental Cake Vender 
 
 Seventy-one 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 THE BOSPORUS 
 
 T HIS is one of the great historic bodies of water. It connects the 
 Sea of Marmora with the Black Sea, and separates Europe 
 from Asia. The view presented is opposite the Genoese 
 Castle and is one of the most delightful in the world; unique, 
 for there is only one “City of the Sultans” and one Bosporus. 
 Byron describes the situation simply and beautifully: 
 
 “ ’Tis a grand sight, from off the Giant’s Grave, 
 
 To watch the progress of those rolling seas 
 Between the Bosporus, as they lash and lave 
 Europe and Asia.” 
 
 The length of the Bosporus is about 17 miles and its breadth 
 varies from a third of a mile to two miles. The name signifies 
 Ox-ford or Cow-ford, for it was here, legend says, Io, transformed 
 into a cow, swam across. The depth of the stream varies from 
 
 about 148 to 
 388 feet and 
 the rapid 
 currents from 
 the Black Sea 
 to the Sea of 
 Marmora pro- 
 duce a counter 
 current along 
 the shores, 
 which at 
 times makes 
 a commotion 
 not quickly 
 forgotten. 
 
 The stream 
 
 is one so closely identified with the history of Europe and Asia, 
 and so often written and spoken of, that to dwell upon the subject 
 in this monograph would be time wasted. 
 
 The palaces along the banks form not the least interesting 
 feature. If the history of each were told many volumes could 
 be filled. 
 
 From the palace a most charming view of the Bosporus is 
 obtained, together with Scutari and the bald and white Mount 
 Olympus. This beautiful scene combined goes to make up the 
 grand and imposing city of the seven hills and its suburbs. 
 
 Seventy-two 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 There is no palace or mosque in the East that is not closely 
 associated with traditions more or less interesting, and the palace 
 of Beshik-Tash is no exception. 
 
 One of the stories connected with this edifice is interesting, 
 even though greatly abridged. Sultan Mahmoud, in his youth, 
 was prevailed upon to consult certain astrologers, and among 
 other words of wisdom and folly given, he was informed that 
 so long as he 
 continued to 
 build palaces 
 his success 
 would be as- 
 sured. 
 
 Firmly 
 believing in 
 this message, 
 he built 
 about fifty- 
 seven kiosks 
 in the neigh- 
 borhood o f 
 the Capital, 
 which were 
 more or less 
 
 elaborate. The last one, Beshik-Tash, was the largest and the least 
 worthy of commendation. 
 
 An Armenian was selected to build the palace, but he would 
 not admit that any of the Padishas (sovereigns) of Europe 
 occupied so grand or imposing palaces as those of Constantinople. 
 The Sultan, who had the plans of every palace in Europe, asked 
 the architect if he was a liar, or were all the people in Europe 
 from whom he had received the plans liars ? The end of that 
 architect was sudden. 
 
 The Armenian architect who was finally selected to build the 
 palace produced a thoroughly European structure (as Mahmoud 
 ordered) at a cost of about five million dollars, but the result 
 was far from satisfactory. If the magnificent and well propor- 
 tioned columns that support the open peristyle were removed, the 
 huge pile would look like a factory. There are many interesting 
 stories which might be written concerning Beshik-Tash did space 
 permit. 
 
 If one is familiar with the affairs of the East, he might tell 
 to one unfamiliar, from the comfortable caique as they floated 
 along, the history of many of these dwellings. This was the 
 residence of a court favorite. This was the former home of a 
 
 Seventy-three 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 Bey or Minister now dead or disgraced, but every one sadly going 
 to ruin. The heavy hand of time has fallen, and what was once 
 the grandest now looks poor and delapidated; but, notwithstand- 
 ing all, the 
 ancient gran- 
 deur will re- 
 main until 
 there is not 
 one stone left 
 upon another. 
 
 The homes 
 of those who 
 have power 
 and wealth is 
 all that poet 
 or painter 
 could deline- 
 ate. A volume 
 
 Turkish country houses on the Bosporus might be 
 
 written about 
 
 the summer houses on the Bosporus, and it would not prove 
 uninteresting. 
 
 The scene below depicts two famous fortresses about half way 
 up the Bosporus, where the channel is usually narrow. They have 
 been used as prisons and were the scenes of many executions 
 
 in bygone 
 days, of which 
 many grew- 
 some relics 
 may be seen. 
 On the Euro- 
 pean side the 
 ground - plan 
 is formed by 
 the characters 
 of the pro- 
 phet’s name, 
 and it was 
 this fortress 
 that held the 
 J anissari e s 
 the execution 
 
 had marked for death. A history of these 
 story from the “Arabian Nights.” 
 
 Seventy-four 
 
 The Castles of Europe and Asia 
 
 and the large gun which announced to the Sultan 
 of those whom he 
 castles reads like s 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 Yenikeui is situated on the European side of the Bosporus, 
 about two miles from Therapia. It is most delightfully located; 
 in many places the waters of the strait beat against the founda- 
 tions of the houses and overflow the narrow terraces from which 
 the caiques are taken for a sail either on business or pleasure bent. 
 
 If o n e’ s 
 mind is at 
 rest, the de- 
 lightful life 
 which can be 
 spent in and 
 near Yenikeui 
 has few coun- 
 terparts in the 
 world. 
 
 Some of the 
 houses over- 
 hang the sea, 
 a novel situa- 
 
 ation, particularly on a stormy night. The heights above are thickly 
 wooded, and many beautiful homes have been built, which are 
 occupied mainly by the wealthy Greek and Armenian merchants 
 during the hot months, and, did space permit, some very interest- 
 ing stories might be told concerning them. Dooz Oglue was a 
 mighty power as a banker and diplomat; he was not alone wealthy, 
 but talented as well. In, for him, an evil moment he decided to 
 build a palace at Yenikeui, and at a fabulous sum secured the 
 sites of thirty-five houses. An enormous sum was spent to erect 
 the structure, and the cupidity of the Ottoman court was excited. 
 The banker was accused of usury — which was probably true — 
 of treason, which was a myth ; but there were sufficient crimes 
 charged against him to cause his hanging from his own threshold. 
 He probably did not “see” the police commission in time to receive 
 the protection of which so much is known in the United States. 
 Notwithstanding that the East and the West are far apart, there 
 is almost always for him who has money a way out, if he only 
 finds the right door. 
 
 Yenikeui on the Bosporus 
 
 Seventy-fiz,e 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 Almost all the fountains in Constantinople are worthy of note. 
 The fountain at Galata is perhaps one of the best examples 
 
 of the pure 
 Moorish style. 
 Here all 
 gather who 
 long for a 
 little rest. 
 The khamal, 
 or porter, 
 will drop his 
 heavy load 
 and refresh 
 himself with 
 drink which 
 God gave to 
 Fountain in Galata man pure 
 
 and sparkling 
 
 water — and at this rendezvous, at all times, there will be found 
 numerous merchants plying their trades. 
 
 From this point a magnificent view of the Bosporus is ob- 
 tained. Nearly the entire length of this grand body of water 
 
 can be seen 
 
 and the snow- 
 covered 
 Mount Olym- 
 pus flashes 
 out through 
 the clear blue 
 sky like unto 
 a pearl set in 
 a cluster of 
 sapphires. 
 The palace, 
 although it 
 cost a vast 
 
 Scene from above the new palace of Beshik-Tash, etc. 
 
 sum (about 
 five million 
 
 dollars) and is enormous nr its proportions, amounts to compara- 
 tively nothing. It is the beautiful situation that appeals to one. 
 
 Seventy-six 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 Eyoub, one of the most sacred spots to the Mohammedan, 
 is delightfully situated. It commands a complete view of the 
 Golden Horn and a long distance up the Bosporus. The beauti- 
 ful mosque of 
 pure white 
 marble has a 
 court glori- 
 ously shaded 
 by gigantic 
 trees, and 
 paved with 
 marble. The 
 mosque is 
 never entered 
 by an un- 
 believer and 
 even the court 
 is reluctantly 
 allowed to 
 those not of Eyoub with its Mosque Cemetery 
 
 the faith. Upon this spot, tradition says, that Abu Eyoub, who 
 was the companion of the Prophet during the siege of the Saracens 
 in 668, was slain, and it is in this mosque that every Sultan 
 is invested with the sword of sovereignty upon his assession. 
 The grand mosque and the interesting cemetery abound with historic 
 interest. 
 
 The beauti- 
 ful mosque of 
 Yeni D j ami. 
 known also as 
 as Sultana 
 V a 1 i d e, was 
 built by the 
 mother of 
 
 Mohammed 
 IV., and is es- 
 teemed one of 
 the most mag- 
 nificent in the 
 capital. The 
 minarets are 
 peculiarly ele- 
 g a n t , each 
 
 being encircled by no less than three galleries, of the most 
 minute and thickly-perforated sculpture in the Saracenic taste. 
 The portal is of ponderous size, and the brazen gates are 
 
 Seventy-seven 
 
 Yeni Djami 
 
 ‘ Lightly tread, ’tis hallowed ground ” 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 The Mausoleum of Suleimanie 
 
 thickly stud- 
 d e d with 
 m o t h e r-o f- 
 pearl ; three 
 lofty arches 
 enclose an 
 open peri- 
 style, terraced 
 in, and suffi- 
 ciently spa- 
 cious to ac- 
 commod ate 
 more than one 
 hundred per- 
 sons. The 
 double range 
 of exterior 
 
 galleries, running along the facade of the temple, are of fine and 
 delicate workmanship, and the arches by which they are formed 
 are chastely and beautifully designed. The principal dome springs 
 majestically from the centre of the spacious roof, and rests upon 
 
 four lesser ones, which appear 
 to lift it to the clouds ; while 
 the tomb of the illustrious 
 founder nestles beneath the 
 more lofty edifice, compara- 
 tively minute in size, but 
 equally elegant in construc- 
 tion. 
 
 After passing through the 
 beautifully covered way from 
 the outer court of Suleimanie 
 you reach the tomb of Sulei- 
 manie, a light and elegant 
 sex-angular structure. There 
 is little to suggest a house of 
 death, even when one steps 
 across the rich carpet to the 
 sarcophagi. 
 
 The two daughters of the 
 great Sultan are close by and 
 only a few paces away lies 
 the favorite wife of Sulei- 
 manie, the beautiful and 
 
 Interior of the Mausoleum of Suleimanie, Povnlann wlinsp 
 
 Sultan Achmet and Roxalana biOOd-tUirsty ttoxalana, wnose 
 
 In the foreground, on a stand, there is a model H£ e was more like that of a 
 of the mosque at Mecca and the Prophet s , . 
 
 tomb, with pilgrims arriving and departing, woll than that ot a woman, 
 altogether a beautiful miniature. 
 
 Seventy-eight 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 The mosque 
 of Sulei- 
 manie is re- 
 garded by 
 many as the 
 most elegant 
 religious edi- 
 fice in Con- 
 stantinople. 
 
 The wonder- 
 fully painted 
 windows, 
 which have, 
 for their style, 
 no rivals in 
 
 the world Mosque of Suleimanie 
 
 , , From Sebraskier’s Tower 
 
 were taken 
 
 from the Persians, so it is said, by Suleimanie to decorate the 
 temple which he founded. 
 
 The beautiful and graceful 
 but well-proportioned pillars, 
 the capitals that the support 
 stamps this building as one of 
 the most interesting in the 
 world, and quite distinct from 
 any other edifice in Constan- 
 tinople. One might write pages 
 concerning the architecture of 
 the four columns of prophyry, 
 the relics of an ancient temple, 
 which now are at the angles, 
 or of the delicate Arabian 
 architecture of the arches, or 
 a thousand and one matters ; 
 but the chief feature, after all, 
 which distinguishes Suleimanie 
 above all mosques is the fact 
 that for hundreds of years it 
 has been a storehouse of the 
 faithful, and of the unfaithful 
 as well. 
 
 The beautiful and richly 
 decorated gallery which ex- 
 tends along the entire northern 
 
 dome is supported by four slight 
 The dome rests so lightly upon 
 appears quite unnecessary, and 
 
 Interior of the Mosque of Sultan Suleimanie, 
 the Magnificent 
 
 Seventy -nine 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 face of the edifice is filled with chests of all sizes and 
 descriptions; the coarse cypress, painted a dull green and 
 adorned with mammoth flowers, quite as coarse as the box; 
 the fine cedar, with clasps, each having the sign manual of 
 its owner; the chests of nobles, iron clamped and sealed again 
 and again, alongside of which may be the treasures of the “Kaitab,” 
 the reader of the Koran, or that of an official courier ; but, what- 
 soever your faith may be, you can be assured that you will receive 
 any package, at any time, just as it was received, and if you die, 
 as all must, your heirs will have no trouble in securing the 
 property. 
 
 Each package is marked with a sign, or hieroglyphic, which 
 is known only to the owner and the custodian. There is no tax, 
 and many cases have been in this mosque for over a century. 
 Wars may rage, but this place is never disturbed. It is sacred 
 to the living and to the dead. 
 
 The posi- 
 tion of the 
 Mosque of 
 Sultan Ach- 
 met is very 
 grand. It 
 occupies one 
 of the most 
 elevated posi- 
 tions in the 
 city, and has 
 the distinc- 
 tion of hav- 
 ing six min- 
 arets, which, 
 it is said, 
 were erected 
 
 by the Sultan to rival the temple at Mecca. When these 
 minarets were erected after the sanction of the Mufti, reluctantly 
 given, the Mufti added one other minaret to the mosque which 
 was sanctified by the Prophet so that it might have more distinc- 
 tion than that of any other. It is less spacious than St. Sophia, 
 and less elegant in its details than other mosques, but in exterior 
 effect far superior. There are many interesting associations con- 
 cerning this mosque in connection with the refusal of the Janis- 
 saries to submit themselves to the Sultan. 
 
 The mosque occupies the site of the Atmeidan, or Place of 
 Horses, and is separated from the ancient Roman race-course by 
 a marble wall and gilt railing. 
 
 Court of the Mosque of Sultan Achmet 
 
 Eighty 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 In the near vicinity of the mosque there are many interest- 
 ing and historic spots. One, the monument to Constantine, a 
 square pillar ninety feet in height, occupies a space at the upper 
 end of the Atmeidan, but to which of the fourteen Constantines 
 it was originally dedicated no one can tell. 
 
 Everything, however full of interest in the City of the Three 
 Seas, gives way before the charms of the bazaars. The con- 
 stantly shifting groups, the 
 innumerable costumes and 
 races of people, together with 
 the endless variety of articles 
 offered for sale, make the 
 bazaars of Constantinople a 
 scene ever to be remembered. 
 
 Each avenue is devoted to a 
 particular line of goods, and 
 if the complete story of the 
 Tchartchi is ever written, it 
 will make a most interesting 
 volume. 
 
 Here is the central point, 
 the rendezvous for all those 
 who desire to gossip or in- 
 trigue. Here also gather the 
 Turk, Armenian, Persian, 
 
 Greek and the Jew, with many 
 other nations and religions, 
 each on money-making bent. 
 
 The bazaars and the baths 
 are probably the most important features of life in Constantinople, 
 where the gossip or news of the day is to be received or given. 
 
 The bazaar is like a cluster of streets, each devoted to a 
 particular branch of trade, and on the whole resembles a small 
 covered town supported by arches of solid masonry. 
 
 The street known as Bezenstein is the one devoted to jewel- 
 ers. The plain, rug covered, wooden counters, fixed on a raised 
 platform, affords a place for the display of such articles as the 
 merchant desires to exhibit to the public, and a glance into the 
 glass cases on the counter would make one believe that the stock 
 was particularly small and poor ; but let the real buyer come along, 
 and the Armenian (almost all the dealers are Armenians) will 
 quickly open the doors of the inner apartment and a collection 
 of jewels sufficient to satisfy anyone and suitable for every pur- 
 pose will be offered for inspection. 
 
 Eighty-one 
 
 Scene in the Tchartchi or Bazaar 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 The Seraglio Point has been so often described that it is merely 
 necessary to introduce the present beautiful sketch, by explain- 
 ing that it is taken from a height, and, consequently, com- 
 presses and 
 embraces a 
 greater num- 
 ber of objects 
 than have yet 
 been intro- 
 duced into 
 one view of 
 this celebrated 
 spot. The 
 Serai Bournou 
 is more fully 
 revealed, with 
 its clustering 
 domes and 
 kiosks; St. 
 Sophia lords 
 
 Eighty-two 
 
 The Armory Bazaar is one 
 of the most interesting, for 
 here one may be supplied 
 
 in a few minutes with the 
 most ancient arms or armor, 
 or with the latest and most 
 improved products of the 
 
 W estern world. One may, 
 when the price is settled 
 upon, be, like the ghost of 
 
 Hamlet’s father, “Armed from 
 top to toe,” but with this 
 difference: he can be accom- 
 modated, with any kind of 
 
 armor and of whatsoever 
 age. 
 
 There are so many in- 
 teresting bazaars that it 
 would be impossible to men- 
 tion them here, but all are the 
 scenes of intense activity — the 
 spice, tobacco, porcelain, shoe, 
 
 The Armory Bazaar 
 
 and so on. 
 
 The Tchartchi of Constantinople offers to the student a 
 constant and most interesting study. 
 
 The Seraglio Point 
 
FROM THE ORIENT 
 
 it more majestically over the Seven Hills; and the glimpse 
 of the harbor is shut in by a portion of one of the quaintly- 
 fashioned houses so peculiar to the locality. In the distance 
 rises Mount Olympus, pale with its eternal snows ; with one 
 fantastic rock looming out of the blue waters immediately 
 beneath it, like a huge marine monster sleeping under the 
 still sunshine. To the left, still stretching along the same line of 
 coast, cluster the nests of islets, once known as “Demon Islands,” 
 and said to have been haunted by a foul spirit. 
 
 The cooling room of a 
 Hamman in a Turkish bath 
 is a most delightful place. 
 
 No luxury which the East 
 affords is so thoroughly en- 
 joyed as the baths, whether 
 private or public. The bath 
 house is the center for social 
 gossip or political intrigue, and 
 is a very important factor in 
 Oriental life. An unabridged 
 history of the baths would 
 be equivalent to a history of 
 the Turkish Empire. 
 
 In the private baths especi- 
 ally, all that wealth and art 
 can conceive is concentrated 
 to make the spot a fairyland. 
 
 The cooling room is one of 
 the three apartments which, 
 combined, make up the Turkish 
 bath. 
 
 Unless one has had the op- 
 portunity to visit one of these 
 establishments, no conception can be formed of what they are like. 
 The bather, upon leaving the outer hall, is supplied with shoes or 
 sandals which are raised several inches above the floor, because 
 the inner apartment is so hot that, until one becomes accustomed 
 to the sulphurous vapor and the peculiar conditions, it would be 
 impossible to touch the floor with naked feet. The dense vapor, 
 the shrill cries of the slaves, the murmur of their mistresses in 
 conversation, while they refresh themselves with sweetmeats and 
 drinks, all combined make up a picture never to be forgotten. 
 
 The old women who hawk the sweets and drinks frequently 
 carry as many love letters as articles for sale. 
 
 Eighty-three 
 
 The Cooling Room 
 
RUGS AND CARPETS 
 
 The Ocmedian is an extensive plain, beautifully situated, and the 
 view from which is very grand. The plain is studded over with 
 columns of stone or marble, and each one bears an inscription, 
 some in gold. They are the records of the archers; not always 
 
 View from the Ocmedian of Place of Arrows 
 
 truthful. 
 Sultan Mah- 
 moud was pas- 
 sionately fond 
 of the sport 
 o f archery, 
 and made re- 
 cords which it 
 is scarcely nec- 
 essary to say 
 were never 
 beaten in his 
 Empire. His 
 records are 
 wonderful 
 even for Tur- 
 key, but there 
 
 is a story, as there usually is, with all the affairs of the East. 
 
 The Sultan never allowed a week to pass without practice. 
 The Court was ordered to attend God’s anointed one. After the 
 ruler had “sped the winged arrow,” the members of the Court 
 were invited, and it would have been a sad mistake if any in his 
 Court had gone a greater distance than he. In one instance the 
 Sultan shot three hundred yards, and the closest to that was two 
 hundred, and that shot was made by the chief archer of the Court 
 (wise archer). 
 
 It was the custom for the pages of the Court to rush forward, 
 in pursuit of the arrow, and to hold it up when secured, so that 
 if the shot was a long one, the spot might be marked by a suit- 
 able stone. A prize was given to the page who first secured 
 the arrow, and this race w r as a peculiar one, for, wise in their 
 day and generation, the pages learned to run very low, and, with 
 experience, contrived to pick up the arrow while at full speed, 
 without being discovered. Carrying it for some distance beyond 
 the spot where it fell, one would hold it up in triumph, and if 
 the distance was sufficiently great, a stone was erected. 
 
 Eighty-four 
 
CHART SYSTEM SHOWING THE RUG-MAKING LOCALITIES 
 
 VO M fO fO ^ to 
 
 
 Eighty-jive 
 

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