Primitive Rug Research

Seeking and answering questions about rug attributions is fraught with potential hazards even before the journey begins. Opinions can cloud research based on definitive evidence from  sources including photographs and ethnographic research.

When I first began researching primitive rugs Leigh Copeland offered the following. “To make a complete catalogue of the misinformation which the rug fraternity hand on from one to another would need ‘a painful man with his pen, and as much patience as he who wrote the Lives and Deaths of the Martyrs.’” H. G. Dwight. Persian Miniatures. 1912.

Recently James Allen posted a quote on facebook from Max Planck "A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents 
and making them see the light, but rather because its opponents 
eventually die, and a new generation grows up that is familiar with it."

Recent discussions on the facebook pages of Primitive Rug have highlighted the diverse opinions end experiences of readers and contributors to the discussion. With this in mind the aims, goals and objectives of Primitive Rug become obvious. A place to discuss and share the most recent thoughts and research on the topic of Primitive Rugs. The joy is in the journey. The answers will never be absolute.

As a segue to the next post here's an image of a VERY unique rug from James Blackmon. This rug is early (probably late 19th Century) compared to known examples, and smaller, woven in one piece other rugs of this type are two pieces stitched together.

Julkhirs in Mosque Courtyard - Mudaris Samarkand

 

 Julkhirs Bearskin Rug in Mosque Courtyard Mudaris Samarkand Circa 1910

An Uzbek Julkhirs used as a seating rug in the courtyard of a mosque. Julkhirs in Uzbekistan at the beginning of the 20^th century were documented by Prokudin-Gorskiĭ, Sergeĭ Mikhaĭlovich, 1863-1944, photographer. These early Julkhirs images compliment those shot by Dudin and ethnographic data collected by Moshkova, Semenov and Dudin. Julkhirs were sold at the markets of Bukhara and Samarkand. ¹  "Julkhirs served as floor covering near the hearth or cooking/heating brazier. However, the rug collection of the Uzbekistan Museum of Art contains a julkhirs in the shape of a long, wide runnner, probably intended for a rich mehmankhana (geust house). It is thus possible that rugs of this type were produced not only for purely domestic use but for the market as well."² The fabric merchant of Samarkand and the students in the Mudaris courtyard illustrate how julkhirs were used in a domestic setting, the long pile would provide a more comfortable and soft surface when seated for long periods and explains one reason why julkhirs proved so popular. "The distribution of the julkhirs, designated by identical or similar terms in the Samarqand Oblast, suggests that the geographic extent of this rug type was once rather great, although their production apparantly never exceeded the limits of the local market. " ³

Shoes are not worn whilst seated and books are placed on the rug. Used together with other rugs on the ground. This Julkhirs is new and typical of early 20^th century production.

IMAGES:

1 Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Prokudin-Gorskii Collection, [reproduction number: LC-DIG-prokc-21753 - LC-DIG-prok-11753] Views in Central Asia, Russian Empire, LOT 10338, no. 124.

REFERENCES:

1. Moshkova  V. G.  Carpets of the People of Central Asia  George O’Bannon,  Arizona Lithographers Tucson, Arizona, 1996 p.83 (Dudin noted this sometime between 1910 and 1914.)

2.  ibid., p.83.

3.  ibid., p.83.

The Fabric Merchant of Samarkand

 

The Fabric Merchant of Samarkand's Julkhirs ¹

Two Julkhirs in use on the floor of a fabric merchant’s store in Samarkand Circa 1910 silk, cotton and wool fabrics as well as a framed page of the Koran are hung on the wall.

Prokudin-Gorskii employed a unique colour photographic process to capture the image of the Samarkand cloth merchant. Three glass negatives exposed simultaneously, described as triple-frame images made with colour seperation filters. The effect can be seen at the edge of the image. In post production the negatives were sandwiched together to create a colour composite. We are fortunate to have access to these early colour images.

The two Julkhirs shown in this image are typical of early 20^th Century production where Julkhirs were produced using synthetic dyes. In some the dyes are extremely unstable and bright garish colours were used, presumably a shortcut to emulate the deeply saturated naturally dyed 19^th century examples.  Compare the image to the right to the one at the front of the fabric merchants store – this rug has all of the problems associated with the use of these dyes.

See also Moshkova for other example illustrated dating from the beginning of the twentieth century.²

1 Image: Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [Reproduction Number: LC-DIG-prokc-21725]

2. Moshkova  V. G.  Carpets of the People of Central Asia (George O’Bannon,  Arizona Lithographers Tucson, Arizona, 1996 pp,. 78,86