Film | Gabbeh 1997

Post by: Katrina Mauro

Beyond the physical labor that is put into weaving a rug, is the story that is told through the art.  This film, while not a documentary, does document both of these aspects of rug making, interweaving the processes and materials of creation with the stories and events that aid in their artistry.

To introduce this story, an elderly couple argues over who will clean the Gabbeh rug on the way to the stream.  the woman admires the beauty of the Gabbeh and asks it’s story.  With this question a young woman appears, Gabbeh, she begins to tell her (the rugs) story.  This forshadowing is explained by the elderly man who wants to wash the Gabbeh.  “As soon he sees you he forgets me”, his wife says to the Gabbeh.  His response to this comment is, “Miss Gabbeh she is jealous of herself.”

Her people are of the Ghashgaie tribe, who never stay in one place long.  She tells how she fell in love w a horseman, a reference to the horseman on the carpet.  As the story continues the link is made between the elderly couple and the young woman’s story.  She is the weaver of the Gabbeh, the elderly woman.  She and her husband both admire their story still, through the piece of art that tells it.

The film takes a strange turn in some parts, where it is as though the viewer becomes incorporated in it.  A teacher tries to teach you the importance of color and where it comes from.  He pulls the colors straight from natural elements as children call the name of the color.  A quick explanation of primary and secondary color through nature follows.  There is an obvious connection of this tribe to nature, color, and life cycles – all of which can be seen through the continuous weavings seen throughout the film.

Gabbeh style blankets, carpets, and kilims are shown in the tents the tribe erects at each camp ground, as well as while traveling.  Most seen have typical diamonds or checkers in crude repetitive patterns and bright basic colors.  An unfinished carpet can be seen on a loom which is constructed like a tripod made of branches, with a stretcher across the front 2 legs where the weaver would sit.  A woman quickly weaves the fields in front of her.

The viewer in this film really does get a feeling for the work it takes to produce a complete carpet from beginning to end, starting with the sheering of the sheep and spinning of yarn.  In this clip flowers are collected , boiled, and wool yarn put in the pots to soak in these colors.   Afterwards, the piles of colored yarn are laid out in the sun on the beach to set the nautral dyes (women run to collect it when rain begins to fall).

Later into the clip a marriage ceremony is prepared for.  Piles of colorful wool surround women as they weave and stamp down their work.  Drums begin the ceremony, and the rhythm of this music imitates the stamping noise as images of dancers are woven into the rug.

The importance of color to life (love, emotions, man, woman, child, birth, death, etc) is emphasized throughout the film in the weavings of the people.  New colors are introduced to the yarn, and new elements to the carpets, as the story unfolds.

By the end of the movie, the connection of the elderly couple to the carpet’s story is fully realized, as they are the couple woven into the rug, riding away on horseback.

*To view these rugs on Rahmanan Antique & Decorative Rugs website, please use the following links:

http://www.rahmanan.com/inventory/show/19182/

http://www.rahmanan.com/inventory/show/19196/

http://www.rahmanan.com/inventory/show/19202/

http://www.rahmanan.com/inventory/show/18898/

*Original post by Katrina Mauro can be viewed on DOTS.connected

#20319 French Tapestry: circa 1900

Rug #: 20319

Tapestry, Gobelins Factory, France

9’0” x 6’4” (2.77 m x 1.92 m)

Circa 1900

“The Air” or “Aurora & Cephalus”, from a set of The Four Elements

From a design of Francois Boucher

Structure:

Slit tapestry weave.

Warp:   linen, natural, beige, Z-2-S, 25/in

Weft:    silk, Z-2, 90 wefts/in² , or

Wool, Z-2-S, plain tan edge and various small details

No marks of origin

Subject:

This panel is the first of a series of four depicting classical allegories of The Elements (Air, Earth, Water, Fire).  Francois Boucher created the original paintings around 1770 and the first edition of the set was woven between 1772 and 1776.  “Air” was the first woven and was 3.0m x 1.85m, a taller and narrower format than our example.

The figures are: male, Cephalus, dressed as a hunter; female, Aurora; and Cupid (Eros), all within a tall, airy pavilion supported by four thin colonettes and topped by a garlanded baldachin.  The figures rest on a garden seat and there are trees and flowers in the background.  A dog chases some birds in the foreground.  In the other tapestries in the series, there are similar male/female pairings (Vertumnus and Pomona for Earth, Neptune and Amymone for Water, and Venus and Vulcan for fire).

Remarks:

1. The series was copied several times between 1894 and 1897 from the original cartoons in the Louvre.  Our example is not copied exactly and is not one of the late 19^th Century copies.
   1. The design is reversed: in the original Cephalus is to the left and Aurora to the right;
   2. The proportions differ, the original is narrower and taller (3.5 m x 2.56 m);
   3. Elements are added or changed, e.g. the long vertical hanging garlands along the rear colonette of the pavilion; the dog (reversed in position) has changed his coat; the bases of the colonettes are more visible in the later version;
   4. The faces are sweeter and softer with Cephalus given a more youthful and feminine look;
   5. The background landscape has changed and the tree has been moved behind the rear upright; many other minor compositional changes are evident.

Now this process alone is not sufficient to imply a later date since as early as 1779 the models were modified in their details and the sizes were reduced in the case of a particular order.

This implies that our tapestry was not copied from an original cartoon but from another tapestry.  Most important, the entire composition is reversed and this occurs when a tapestry is copied from another: the original is placed face up behind the warps, but the weaver works from the back of the new piece, thus reversing the sense of the finished work.

The border in early pieces from this series is a brown, tone-on-tone mosaic imitating a picture frame while here it’s a plain brown band.

Date:

The quality of weaving is extremely high and is fully comparable to the best early work.  The soft tonality in beige-gold-rust tones differs from the fully colored period examples.  This panel is not of the dimensions of the 1894-97 series discussed by Fenaille (1906 and later).  He does not mention later editions.  The tonality is popular from the later 19^th century and appears on many late copies of earlier panels.  One may reasonably conclude that this panel is an early 20^th century reproduction.  The other three panels have not been recorded.  The Gobelins source is clear as the excellent quality of workmanship is not approached at Beauvais or Aubusson, and the designs have always been associated with Gobelins.  The shorter height indicates a smaller room, possibly in an urban context rather than in a country chateau.

To view this tapestry on our website use the following link:

http://www.rahmanan.com/inventory/show/20319/

*Written and researched by Peter Saunders, edited by Katrina Mauro.

Film | People of the Wind (1976)

*Post written by: Katrina Mauro

In my quest to learn as much as I could about the rug world, I came across this 1976 documentary of the Babadi, a branch of the Bakhtiari tribe in Iran.  Narrated by Jaffar Qoli, Kalantar (chief) of the Babadi at that time, the film (not re-enacted) brings the viewer on an authentic nomadic migration from winter to summer pastures.  Beginning in the plains of Khuzistan, the Babadi’s trail brings them through the Zagros mountains in Western Iran and over the summit of Sardoh Kuh before arriving in their seasonal home.

An introduction to the nomadic ways of a tribal people, the film sheds light on the importance of the migration to the health of the sheep and the strength of the tribe.  Kalantar Jaffar talks about the political, technological, and cultural changes he has seen over the years and how these changes have affected his people.  He speaks of how his people had been force to settle and how their flocks suffered, how when new government came into power they knocked down their housing, wove new tents, and continued to migrate; of poorly paved roads which can be taken around the mountains; of children going to school and later working in the oil fields, no longer concerned with the traditional ways; all of these changes which will affect the future stability of his people.

In preparation for this, and every migration, the Babadi make a supply run to the market town of Lali, where people who are too poor to migrate stay in the hot summer months.  Every year the nomads bargain for and stock up on the supplies they will need for their migration, using their sheep as credit, and each year the merchants then run to the summer pastures to await the coming payment.

In Lali, while decorative bags (constructed of woven pile and flatwoven material) are filled with flour, Kalantar Jaffar looks to purchase a coat for one of his strongest men.  A discussion takes place in the shop of a weaver, who is working the loom as they speak.  The coat in question is then placed on a carpet covered table to bargain before a price is agreed on.  All of the supplies purchased are then loaded onto the backs of their horses, tied with tent bands, and brought back to the camp where preparation begins.

While the woven arts are not the concentration of the film, handmade items can be seen everywhere throughout, as well as the processes of making them.  Rolls of sticks laid parallel and tied together are seen used as fences for the flocks, easily assembled and dis-assembled, and loaded onto a mule.  Stakes, driven into the ground for securing the tents are made of the branching portion of a branch.  You see handwoven baskets and plaid blankets, all of these functional arts which while beautiful, also serve a purpose.  The particular items which I was looking to study though were carpets, kilims, tent bands, and bags, the faces of which may be woven pile or colorful flatweaves.

Babadi women are seen throughout the journey hand-spinning wool, though never weaving a carpet.  During one leg of the trip Jaffar visits with the leader of the Mowri tribe, where women are seen working a loom constructed of 3 large branches, tied together in an A shaped frame.

Most of the carpets seen in the documentary can be taken note of while Kalantar Jaffar visits with other tribes, always shown as a place to sit while conversing, and then covered for a meal.  Many of these pieces are dyed with deep red and navy hues, though one example of a muted but colorful piece can be seen prior to the migration, with Ali Agha’s tribe.  While visiting with the Mowri (a stationary mountain tribe) the group of men is seated on tribal carpets (in deep reds and blues) to eat and share tea.  Behind the men piles of bags, also in these signature colors, can be observed.

Bagfaces, blankets, kilims, and tentbands of all kinds are seen by the multitudes as the tribe makes their way through the ‘pass of a thousand hazards’, though their importance are apparent throughout the entire film.  Bags are used not only to carry belongings and supplies, but also as pillows.  The closest detail of a bag face can be seen in this clip (not from original movie, has been voiced over) as Kalantar Jaffar brands the face of his sheep to distinguish them from his fellow traveler’s flocks.

Tent bands, by name claim their use of stabilizing a tent (as well as decorating it), but also are used to hold gear on the animals backs.  Tied around horses or mules mouths and necks, they can be used as a harness & lead.  A young girl is seen wrapping the band around her shoulders and waist to carry a full container of water on her back, and later swinging from the branch of a tree with the same band.

While I found the film in pursuit of furthering my education of the carpet and weaving world, I found it inspirational on so many levels. As a traveler, and child of the Western World, I have always had a strong interest in the processes and cycle of life from which I feel so far removed.  My own deep respect for the natural world leaves me feeling extremely impressed at the tribes instinctive ability to navigate the land, with hundreds of people, all kinds of pack animals, thousands of sheep, dogs, chickens, all of their belongings…and no climbing gear.  Seeing the organization it takes to cross rivers with no bridges, the persistence to climb rocky rugged terrain with cows, trudge through snow with no boots; to know how quickly or slowly to travel; to understand the weather and how it will affect you; to kill, butcher and eat an animal impresses me beyond description.  All of these are things I would love to learn, to experience first hand as these natural practices and processes continue to be pushed further from modern life.

“Don’t you want to settle down, they ask us, stop that migration, live like peasants?  I’d rather be here in the mountains, with my flocks…..What will become of the Babadi if we settle?  What will become of our flocks?  No, as long as we can we shall migrate…”

~ Jaffar Qoli, Kalantar

I wonder now, almost 40 years later, what has become of the Babadi.  Through political changes and turmoil, do they continue to migrate today?

*this clip is the only one I could find from the original documentary on YouTube, and showcases the last leg of their journey.  Many of the woven goods discussed here can be seen half way through this clip.  The quality prevents you from seeing the true patterns or colors on said items, however if you are interested in watching, the film is available through Netflix.

Many of the rugs seen in this film have a feeling similar to the following pieces available on our website:

*Original post via Katrina Mauro, can be seen on DOTS.connected

Turkish Delights | Article from International View (spring 2011)

This article has been taken from International View (Spring 2011 edition), and can be found on pages 18-19.

The name Ushak (or Oushak) is derived from a town, Usak, situated in the middle of the carpet weaving districts of the western Anatolian uplands.  The area has been a centre of carpet making since the 15^th century.  Bu the 16^th and 17^th centuries Ushak carpets, with their distinctive star and medallion features, were being exported in large numbers, carried by the Venetians and other seafaring traders from the port of Smyrna, to the European markets.  Earlier types are often referred to as “Lottos” and “Holbeins”, in reference to their depiction by the artists Lorenzo Lotto and Hans Holbein the Younger as a way of introducing colour and status to a scene.

Many of the carpets that made their way to Europe during this period can still be found in reasonable numbers.  However, after the 17^th century the market waned and carpet production in the Usak area went into decline.  Then in the late 19^th century demand returned, with a European fashion for all things “Orientalist”.  This time the market was much larger than previously, with a burgeoning wealthy middle class and new American buyers on the scene.

The export business led to a boom in production to keep up with the fresh demand the skilled workers of Usak turned to the traditional weavers of surrounding villages and towns for support.  Pieces for this period of production are distinctive in their more tribal style, which saw the use of larger knots and longer pile on an all wool foundation together with the fusion of older Ushak designs simplified Persian style floral patterns.  The typical colours employed at this time were red, blue and green, although among the more prized today are those woven in softer pastel colours.  Ushak carpets had often been large, but now they were woven to fit European and American room dimensions.

(*to view a similar rug to the one seen in this article (above), please use the following link to Rahmanan’s website: http://www.rahmanan.com/inventory/show/40-1164/)

Highly prized over their 500 year history, from the palaces of Venice to the new wealth of the great American cities, Ushak carpets still prove popular today.  Their pleasing colours, bold patterns, and good proportions continue to find favour with today’s home furnishers.

*images and text for this post have been taken from International View (Spring 2011 edition).  No credit taken by Rahmanan Antique & Decorative Rugs.

#19360 Bakhshaiesh: circa 1890

Rug #:  19360

Type:    Heriz Carpet (Bakhshaiesh Type)

Origin:  Azerbaijan Province, NW Persia

Size:     11’10” x 19’8”

Circa:   1890

 

 

 

 

Structure

Warp:   cotton, off white, natural, handspun, Z-4-S

Weft:    cotton, off white, natural, handspun, Z-2, 3, 4-S; mostly one shoot straight, some two shoots alternating.

Pile:      wool, Z-2; alternate warps depressed 0-45 ° in irregular areas; spots of knot bulge on verso; horizontal 6/inch x vertical 7-8/inch = 42-48/square inch

Sides:   2 cords & 2 body warps, inner cord weft-attached; wrapped figure – 8 wide in tan Z-2 wool.

Ends:    no original finish

Pattern

A field abrashed in various shades of a luminous and attractive light blue displays an ascending overall pattern of linked rosettes separated by stiff leaves with curling lower tips.  The leaves switch orientation in alternate rows.  This rare design is almost surely derived from a Persian silk brocade textile in which was more fluid, but less angular and vigorous than in our carpet.  The pattern was not rigorously followed, however, as there is a row of smaller rosettes near the bottom of the field.  This anomaly was not repeated and does not serve to better fit the pattern repeat into the allotted area.  The pattern seems to be unique and no other examples are recorded, implying that this carpet was a custom order.

The main ivory border of stiffly linked octagons (highly stylized rosettes?) with attendant hyper-formalized floating leaves is a variant of the “crab” border of the Caucasus and NW Persia.  The pattern appears on other pieces from this area and period.  The four minor borders are identical in style and typically Heriz in design.

Remarks

The appearance on the verso of short diagonal (lazy) lines leads to several interesting conclusions.  The area between a pair of lines is the work of a single weaver in one day and each weft is continuous only within that area, returning on a warp that also bounds her neighbor’s work.  Thus the number of weavers at work in any horizontal section is the number of lazy lines plus one.  In this case, there are areas of six or even seven lines (7 or 8 weavers).  The height of each daily section is 2 ½” – 3”, thus each weaver knotted about 60-80 square inches per day, or about 2,700-3,600 knots, a very leisurely pace.  The knotting process took about 80-95 days and adding in other work, the whole process from loom setup to final washing, took about 100-120 days.  The weavers of the Heriz area were consistently able to create carpets, like this one of exceptional artistic quality, within a folk craft tradition in short periods of time even for large carpets like ours.  The pattern, once learned, is easy to replicate and the skilled Heriz weavers, known for their ability to memorize and mentally develop designs could easily reproduce it without the aid of paper patterns or sketches.

The occasional weft wedges and areas of irregular knotting (verso) indicate a large workforce of varying skill levels.

The attractive light blue ground color, from a partially exhausted indigo bath, was popular in Heriz area carpets from the 1870’s until early in the 20^th Century.  But it was progressively displaced in the late 19^th century by more richly saturated palettes and vanishes almost entirely by 1910 or so.  Similarly, the overall patterns popular in the Revival Period (1870-1895) tend to be supplanted by the familiar angular medallion design.  Thus, our example is particularly unusual and rare, and cannot be duplicated by other large carpets from this milieu.

The name “Bakhshaiesh” applies to Heriz district carpets from the later 19^th Century in both overall and medallion layouts.  However, weaves and design styles vary so greatly that a specific attribution as to origin is impossible.  There is a town with this name on 20^th Century maps, but not on earlier ones, thus further complicating any attributions.  Of the inscribed Heriz area rugs from this period, few indicate a place of origin, and never “Bakhshaiesh”.  Hence it is best to restrict its application to a style-color-quality combination.  The handsome piece presented here exemplifies this rare amalgamation of traits.

*This carpet will be published in The Art of the Heriz Carpet by Peter Saunders (to appear).

*edited by Katrina Mauro

#20198 Kerman – Lavar: circa 1870

Rug#: 20198

Origin: SE Persia

Type: Kerman – Laver

Size: 12’4” x 23’8”

Warp: hand spun cotton

Weft: hand spun cotton

Pile: wool

Sides: 2 ply wool

Circa: 1870

Main Colors:  soft blues, soft yellow, beige, ivory, tan.

The present carpet originates in SE Persia, specifically the Ravar region of the Kerman province.  The town and surrounding regions have a long history of rug making, dating back to at least to the beginning of 17^th century.

While the formality of this rug is evident, the rows of rigidly executed jardinieres create an almost architectural feel.  This style of alternating lines can be seen in other Ravar patterns of this period. The rug is in relatively good condition (evenly low) considering Kermans of this type were usually woven with a thin pile to start.

Because of its location in a mountainous region of SE Persia, the sheep bred in the area have long produced the highest quality wool.  For this reason, the rugs coming from this region have all been produced using the most lustrous and luxurious wool, which over time has improved just by simple process of being walked on.

Kermans and related type rugs such as Ravar and Yazd carpets are amongst the most sought after antique carpets in today’s market. Their generous dimensions, subtle color combinations and fanciful patterns make them appealingly adaptable to room settings of varied décor.

The price of Kermans with good balance of color and composition have steadily risen, while pieces of average quality have dropped.

To view this, and similar rugs shown above, please use the following links:

http://www.rahmanan.com/inventory/show/20198/

http://www.rahmanan.com/inventory/show/40-600/

http://www.rahmanan.com/inventory/show/18371/

http://www.rahmanan.com/inventory/show/18092/

*partial writing and research done by Katrina Mauro