Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Guide To Caucasian Prayer Rugs
Guide To Caucasian Prayer Rugs: "Daghestan Prayer Rugs
Prior to the coming of the Russians Daghestan was only the Mountainous area of what is now Daghestan and the flat area near the sea was Derbent. When the Russians set up their administrative districts they combined the two and called it Daghestan. I should have more Daghestan rugs and I might. The problem is that Daghestan prayer rugs can look like Shirvan rugs or even Marsali rugs. The key to identification is that the Daghestan rugs have a deeply ribbed back. On a Kuba rug look for warp depression of about 45 to 70 degrees and Daghestan rugs to be over 70 degrees.
Daghestan Prayer rug, East Caucasus d. 1834 Lot 5
Daghestan Rug, North East Caucasus d. 1845 Lot 27
Daghestan rug, North East Caucasus, c. 1890 Lot 32
Daghestan Prayer rug, North East Caucasus Lot 9
Daghestan prayer rug Lot 226 "
Prior to the coming of the Russians Daghestan was only the Mountainous area of what is now Daghestan and the flat area near the sea was Derbent. When the Russians set up their administrative districts they combined the two and called it Daghestan. I should have more Daghestan rugs and I might. The problem is that Daghestan prayer rugs can look like Shirvan rugs or even Marsali rugs. The key to identification is that the Daghestan rugs have a deeply ribbed back. On a Kuba rug look for warp depression of about 45 to 70 degrees and Daghestan rugs to be over 70 degrees.
Daghestan Prayer rug, East Caucasus d. 1834 Lot 5
Daghestan Rug, North East Caucasus d. 1845 Lot 27
Daghestan rug, North East Caucasus, c. 1890 Lot 32
Daghestan Prayer rug, North East Caucasus Lot 9
Daghestan prayer rug Lot 226 "
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Tufenkian Carpets - Lexus Magazine- Resurected Armenian Rug Trade
Tufenkian Carpets - Recent Editorials - Lexus Magazine: "November 1, 2003
Dream Weaver
JAMES TUFENKIAN RESURRECTED THE HANDMADE ARMENIAN RUG TRADE, AND IN THE PROCESS BROUGHT HOPE TO A LAND OF MISFORTUNE.
I haven’t had this much trouble with a knot since I took sailing at overnight camp. Hands blur on either side of me as women tie and cut richly dyed yarn with unimaginable speed and precision while somehow following the elaborate pattern in front of them. I’m visiting the factory of Tufenkian Carpets-in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia-where long, lustrous strands of hand-spun, highly textured Caucasian wool are woven into works of art that have great “foot feel.” When Lilit, the floor manager, asks if I’d like to try a knot, I can’t resist, and sit sown to give it a try. If only Armenian rug weavers were like Persians-who always make an intentional mistake because so human is perfect-I wouldn’t feel so intimidated. But James Tufenkian lovingly describes his carpets as “precisely imprecise, perfectly imperfect.”
I’ve come to Armenia to trace the footsteps of Tufenkian, a second-generation Armenian-American credited with resurrecting the handmade Armenian rug trade. Ironically, while growing up in Salem, Oregon, Tufenkian never gave Armenia a second thought. His grandparents fled the country in 1895, sparing his parents and their descendants the horrors of the 1915 genocide in which 1.5 million Armenians were massacred by the Young Turks, as well as the wrenching deprivation of Communist rule under the Soviet union. Tufenkian knew nothing of the sorrows that had plagued Armenia. “I just knew I wanted to be part of a bigger world.”
So after graduating from law school, he decided to travel for a few years, and ended up in Nepal, where Tibetan refugees were keeping the tradition of Tibetan carpet weaving alive. Having worked for a rug wholesaler and supported himself through law school by selling rugs, he immediately recognized the fine, silky Himalayan wool but balked at the bland designs. He formed a partnership with Tsetan Gyurman, an exiled craftsman from Tibet known for creating some of the best carpets in Nepal, and set out to elevate the quality of Tibetan carpets. Many thought Tufenkian was crazy to forsake a career in law for one in floor coverings, but by 1991 he’d silenced his doubters. Tufenkian’s Tibetan carpets were sold at Bloomingdale’s, Harrods, and other prestigious shops, and graced the pages of Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, and Ellie Décor.
Now a successful businessman, Tufenkian started looking for a way to repay his good fortune. He was aware that rug weaving had a proud tradition in Armenia, where it’s said to have originated five centuries before the birth of Christ. He also knew that the country, newly emancipated from the former Soviet Union, was suffering through a bone-chilling winter without heart or electricity. It seemed only fitting to return to the land whose misfortunes he’d been spared, “the country,” as he puts it, “of 1,700 years of bad luck.”
Tufenkian left for Armenia thinking he could just go into the countryside and find weavers who were still making carpets using traditional techniques and designs. But he was in for a rude awakening: “I found I was 50 years late.” The handmade rug trade had been decimated under Communist rule.
Undeterred, Tufenkian resolved to re-establish it from scratch. At first, the only thing he had going for him was the sheep-which, thanks to the harsh winters of the Caucasus, grow wool that’s thick and lustrous.
In a small village near the border of Azerbaijan, where snowcapped mountains are reflected in the shimmering turquoise waters of Lake Sevan, I meet Edik, a proud former train engineer who’d barely been able to feed his family before joining The Sheep Project. Now, Edik finds himself following in the footsteps of his father, who was a shepherd until his death at 90. As part of the project, Edik and his family have been given some sheep and earn income from selling wool back to the factory. Edik is assisted by his own son, Albert, who’s now 3. Over the next three years, Edik will deliver to the foundation 250 sheep, to be raised by another village. The remaining flock is his to keep.
Tufenkian’s next step was to bring in two Tibetan yarn spinners from Nepal to teach their craft to a core of Armenian yarn spinners, who in turn were sent out into the countryside to teach others. (There are many similarities between Tibetan and Armenian rugs, and also significant differences: Tibetan rugs, for instance, have a thicker pile-better suited to large blocks of color-while Armenian rugs have a higher knot count and as a result can accommodate far more intricate designs.)
For Tufenkian, design comes from roots: “You need to have a clear feeling of place.” To this end, he starts with ancient patterns and finds his colors and textures in Armenia’s dramatic landscape, which ranges from jagged gorges to lush orchards and vineyards. The rugs are divided into four collections: Oushak , Tabriz, Esfahan, and kazak. Oushaks, woven from semi coarse wool dyed in muted shades of yellow, gold, and beige, recall the tufa stone that dots Armenia’s rugged terrain, as well as the apricots, peaches, and walnuts that grace its hillsides in summer. The Tabriz and Esfahan carpets, inspired by Iranian regions once populated by Armenians, are more refined and elegant. In a Tabriz, stone, olive, and sage join with the crimson of the setting sun and the tranquil blue of Armenia’s sky and lakes. Esfahans boast a similar palette, though the patterns are more delicate. Kazaks feature traditional, geometric designs in bold colors.
Each step of the rug-making process is done by hand, so everything from the shape of the yarn to the subtle variations in hue is unique, a quality that machines can’t replicate. A 9-by-12-foor carpet comprises between 650,000 and 1.5 million knots, and takes up to 3,000 hours to produce.
Upon entering the rug factory, I immediately notice that all the weavers are women, both young and old. This is deliberate. Tufenkian hired older women who’d been deemed unemployable, and younger women to keep the tradition of rug-making alive, as well as to spare them from less desirable means of employment, like prostitution.
In 2000, he founded The Armenian knitting Ladies, to give poor women income for Christmas. Each of the 30 women in the initial program was asked to select yarn and knit an afghan of her own design. When the afghans were completed, Tufenkian was overwhelmed by their beauty and technique. The program also affected the women. “When people are cold and put on these afghans,” says Seda, an out-of-work economist, “they will get the warmth of my hands through the threads.” What started as a charity is now a thriving business, employing 400 women full-time.
Tufenkian’s latest undertaking is Tufenkian Heritage Hotels, a chain of luxury hotels and restaurants converted from mansions, rustic stone barns, and medieval taverns throughout the country that was created to welcome home the Diaspora of 10 million Armenians living abroad, as well as to share Armenian culture and traditions with the rest of the world.
While altruism is important to Tufenkian, he’s quick to emphasize that his business model is based on capitalism. “Once successful in the marketplace with great products, we can use the profits to train and employ more of the world’s poor and enhance their lives, not only by providing honest work but with education, child care, medical services, environmental initiatives, and more.”
When I ask Tufenkian to explain why he devotes himself to a homeland he once knew nothing about, he pauses before answering. “One Christmas, we had volunteers deliver food to the unemployable poor. There was a man who’s the image of who I’m fighting for. He was 78 years old, a former schoolteacher, huddled up on a sofa that was the only piece of furniture he owned, wearing the only clothes he had. When the volunteer arrived at the door, the man was cheerful. He smiled and said, “God gives me what I need.”
Does Tufenkian have a favorite project? He says no. “I love them all. Each can bring me to tears. What I love about my work is that I get to do something good for the world while making money and being creative.”
BY ROBIN CHERRY"
Dream Weaver
JAMES TUFENKIAN RESURRECTED THE HANDMADE ARMENIAN RUG TRADE, AND IN THE PROCESS BROUGHT HOPE TO A LAND OF MISFORTUNE.
I haven’t had this much trouble with a knot since I took sailing at overnight camp. Hands blur on either side of me as women tie and cut richly dyed yarn with unimaginable speed and precision while somehow following the elaborate pattern in front of them. I’m visiting the factory of Tufenkian Carpets-in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia-where long, lustrous strands of hand-spun, highly textured Caucasian wool are woven into works of art that have great “foot feel.” When Lilit, the floor manager, asks if I’d like to try a knot, I can’t resist, and sit sown to give it a try. If only Armenian rug weavers were like Persians-who always make an intentional mistake because so human is perfect-I wouldn’t feel so intimidated. But James Tufenkian lovingly describes his carpets as “precisely imprecise, perfectly imperfect.”
I’ve come to Armenia to trace the footsteps of Tufenkian, a second-generation Armenian-American credited with resurrecting the handmade Armenian rug trade. Ironically, while growing up in Salem, Oregon, Tufenkian never gave Armenia a second thought. His grandparents fled the country in 1895, sparing his parents and their descendants the horrors of the 1915 genocide in which 1.5 million Armenians were massacred by the Young Turks, as well as the wrenching deprivation of Communist rule under the Soviet union. Tufenkian knew nothing of the sorrows that had plagued Armenia. “I just knew I wanted to be part of a bigger world.”
So after graduating from law school, he decided to travel for a few years, and ended up in Nepal, where Tibetan refugees were keeping the tradition of Tibetan carpet weaving alive. Having worked for a rug wholesaler and supported himself through law school by selling rugs, he immediately recognized the fine, silky Himalayan wool but balked at the bland designs. He formed a partnership with Tsetan Gyurman, an exiled craftsman from Tibet known for creating some of the best carpets in Nepal, and set out to elevate the quality of Tibetan carpets. Many thought Tufenkian was crazy to forsake a career in law for one in floor coverings, but by 1991 he’d silenced his doubters. Tufenkian’s Tibetan carpets were sold at Bloomingdale’s, Harrods, and other prestigious shops, and graced the pages of Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, and Ellie Décor.
Now a successful businessman, Tufenkian started looking for a way to repay his good fortune. He was aware that rug weaving had a proud tradition in Armenia, where it’s said to have originated five centuries before the birth of Christ. He also knew that the country, newly emancipated from the former Soviet Union, was suffering through a bone-chilling winter without heart or electricity. It seemed only fitting to return to the land whose misfortunes he’d been spared, “the country,” as he puts it, “of 1,700 years of bad luck.”
Tufenkian left for Armenia thinking he could just go into the countryside and find weavers who were still making carpets using traditional techniques and designs. But he was in for a rude awakening: “I found I was 50 years late.” The handmade rug trade had been decimated under Communist rule.
Undeterred, Tufenkian resolved to re-establish it from scratch. At first, the only thing he had going for him was the sheep-which, thanks to the harsh winters of the Caucasus, grow wool that’s thick and lustrous.
In a small village near the border of Azerbaijan, where snowcapped mountains are reflected in the shimmering turquoise waters of Lake Sevan, I meet Edik, a proud former train engineer who’d barely been able to feed his family before joining The Sheep Project. Now, Edik finds himself following in the footsteps of his father, who was a shepherd until his death at 90. As part of the project, Edik and his family have been given some sheep and earn income from selling wool back to the factory. Edik is assisted by his own son, Albert, who’s now 3. Over the next three years, Edik will deliver to the foundation 250 sheep, to be raised by another village. The remaining flock is his to keep.
Tufenkian’s next step was to bring in two Tibetan yarn spinners from Nepal to teach their craft to a core of Armenian yarn spinners, who in turn were sent out into the countryside to teach others. (There are many similarities between Tibetan and Armenian rugs, and also significant differences: Tibetan rugs, for instance, have a thicker pile-better suited to large blocks of color-while Armenian rugs have a higher knot count and as a result can accommodate far more intricate designs.)
For Tufenkian, design comes from roots: “You need to have a clear feeling of place.” To this end, he starts with ancient patterns and finds his colors and textures in Armenia’s dramatic landscape, which ranges from jagged gorges to lush orchards and vineyards. The rugs are divided into four collections: Oushak , Tabriz, Esfahan, and kazak. Oushaks, woven from semi coarse wool dyed in muted shades of yellow, gold, and beige, recall the tufa stone that dots Armenia’s rugged terrain, as well as the apricots, peaches, and walnuts that grace its hillsides in summer. The Tabriz and Esfahan carpets, inspired by Iranian regions once populated by Armenians, are more refined and elegant. In a Tabriz, stone, olive, and sage join with the crimson of the setting sun and the tranquil blue of Armenia’s sky and lakes. Esfahans boast a similar palette, though the patterns are more delicate. Kazaks feature traditional, geometric designs in bold colors.
Each step of the rug-making process is done by hand, so everything from the shape of the yarn to the subtle variations in hue is unique, a quality that machines can’t replicate. A 9-by-12-foor carpet comprises between 650,000 and 1.5 million knots, and takes up to 3,000 hours to produce.
Upon entering the rug factory, I immediately notice that all the weavers are women, both young and old. This is deliberate. Tufenkian hired older women who’d been deemed unemployable, and younger women to keep the tradition of rug-making alive, as well as to spare them from less desirable means of employment, like prostitution.
In 2000, he founded The Armenian knitting Ladies, to give poor women income for Christmas. Each of the 30 women in the initial program was asked to select yarn and knit an afghan of her own design. When the afghans were completed, Tufenkian was overwhelmed by their beauty and technique. The program also affected the women. “When people are cold and put on these afghans,” says Seda, an out-of-work economist, “they will get the warmth of my hands through the threads.” What started as a charity is now a thriving business, employing 400 women full-time.
Tufenkian’s latest undertaking is Tufenkian Heritage Hotels, a chain of luxury hotels and restaurants converted from mansions, rustic stone barns, and medieval taverns throughout the country that was created to welcome home the Diaspora of 10 million Armenians living abroad, as well as to share Armenian culture and traditions with the rest of the world.
While altruism is important to Tufenkian, he’s quick to emphasize that his business model is based on capitalism. “Once successful in the marketplace with great products, we can use the profits to train and employ more of the world’s poor and enhance their lives, not only by providing honest work but with education, child care, medical services, environmental initiatives, and more.”
When I ask Tufenkian to explain why he devotes himself to a homeland he once knew nothing about, he pauses before answering. “One Christmas, we had volunteers deliver food to the unemployable poor. There was a man who’s the image of who I’m fighting for. He was 78 years old, a former schoolteacher, huddled up on a sofa that was the only piece of furniture he owned, wearing the only clothes he had. When the volunteer arrived at the door, the man was cheerful. He smiled and said, “God gives me what I need.”
Does Tufenkian have a favorite project? He says no. “I love them all. Each can bring me to tears. What I love about my work is that I get to do something good for the world while making money and being creative.”
BY ROBIN CHERRY"
Friday, July 02, 2004
Notes on Paul Wolfowitz
Notes on Paul Wolfowitz: "Under his leadership, the Policy Staff played a major role in reviewing war plans for the Gulf War, and developing and executing plans that successfully raised more than $50 billion in Allied financial support for the war and prevented Iraq from opening a second front with Israel. Other key initiatives included the development of the Regional Defense Strategy, the Base Force, and two presidential nuclear initiatives that led to the elimination of tens of thousands of U.S. and Soviet nuclear weapons. "
Saturday, June 26, 2004
Guide To Gendge Rugs
Guide To Gendge Rugs: "Gendge rugs and Kazak rugs are closely related. One important attribution is the wefts.First of all Gendge and Kazak rugs commonly have red wefts. They also have variation in the number of shots of wefts. Here we can see places where they used two shots and others where they used 4. Most Caucasian rugs have two shots of tan white or brown wefts. When you see red, more than two or variation in the number thing Gendge and Kazak rugs.Also this has the classical flat back we expect in Gendge rugs"
Thursday, June 24, 2004
Islamic art and Persian Miniature Paintings
Islamic art and Persian Miniature Paintings: "Visit More Oriental Rug Notes by Barry O'Connell
The Plates of La Miniature En Orient
This is a look at some fine works of Islamic art. Following my tastes it leans more towards sixteenth century Persian Miniature painting. The biggest problem with these is getting good pictures. So I hope you enjoy what I have found so far.
Plate 42: The Sleep of Rustam
Plate 46: Bears
Portrait of a Seated Flautist.
Boars in a Fifteenth Century Miniature
Plate 57: Portrait of a Young Woman
Seated Princess
Plate 61: Shah Tahmasp?
Plate 62: Portrait of the Prince"
The Plates of La Miniature En Orient
This is a look at some fine works of Islamic art. Following my tastes it leans more towards sixteenth century Persian Miniature painting. The biggest problem with these is getting good pictures. So I hope you enjoy what I have found so far.
Plate 42: The Sleep of Rustam
Plate 46: Bears
Portrait of a Seated Flautist.
Boars in a Fifteenth Century Miniature
Plate 57: Portrait of a Young Woman
Seated Princess
Plate 61: Shah Tahmasp?
Plate 62: Portrait of the Prince"
Monday, May 10, 2004
Wasington DC Limousine Service
Wasington Webb Limousine Service: "Specializing in Reagan National, Dulles and BWI Airport and the greater Baltimore Washington Area with Quality Limousine Service by Kevin. No one can get you into and out of Reagan National, Dulles and BWI faster.
Call Kevin at 301-220-3294 or Mobile: 240-375-3395 "
Call Kevin at 301-220-3294 or Mobile: 240-375-3395 "
Tuesday, May 04, 2004
Azerbaijan:Links
Azerbaijan:Links: "Welcome to Azerbaijan
Country Profile
Visitor's Notepad
Cities & Sites
Maps
Geography"
Country Profile
Visitor's Notepad
Cities & Sites
Maps
Geography"
Caucasian rugs - selected Oriental rug articles
Caucasian rugs - selected Oriental rug articles: "Selected Oriental rug articles on world wide web
Caucasian rugs
Guide to Caucasian Rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guides to Caucasian rugs and carpets at www.spongobongo.com Reader reviews
Guide To Karabagh Rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guide To Caucasian Karabagh Rugs. Reader reviews
Guide to Baku Rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guide to Baku Rugs. Reader reviews
Guide to Karachopf Kazak Rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guide to Karachopf Kazak rugs. Reader reviews
Guide to Fachralo Kazak Rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guide to Fachralo Kazak Rugs Reader reviews
Guide To Gendge Rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guide To Caucasian Gendge Rugs Reader reviews
Guide to Akstafa Rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guide to Caucasian Akstafa rugs. Reader reviews
Guide to Zakatala rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guide to Zakatala rugs. Gendje region. Reader reviews
Guide To Chelaberd Kazak Rugs by Barry O'Connell
According to Pete Stone, Chelaberds are all wool and have an average of 60 kpsi and average about 35 square feet. Reader reviews
Guide to Kazak Rugs by Barry O'Connell
The Kazak Rug, Qazax (Kazakh, Kazak, Kasak, Gazakh). The most used spelling today is Qazax but rug people use Kazak. Reader reviews
Guide To Kuba Rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guide To Kuba Rugs.
Caucasian rugs
Guide to Caucasian Rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guides to Caucasian rugs and carpets at www.spongobongo.com Reader reviews
Guide To Karabagh Rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guide To Caucasian Karabagh Rugs. Reader reviews
Guide to Baku Rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guide to Baku Rugs. Reader reviews
Guide to Karachopf Kazak Rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guide to Karachopf Kazak rugs. Reader reviews
Guide to Fachralo Kazak Rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guide to Fachralo Kazak Rugs Reader reviews
Guide To Gendge Rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guide To Caucasian Gendge Rugs Reader reviews
Guide to Akstafa Rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guide to Caucasian Akstafa rugs. Reader reviews
Guide to Zakatala rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guide to Zakatala rugs. Gendje region. Reader reviews
Guide To Chelaberd Kazak Rugs by Barry O'Connell
According to Pete Stone, Chelaberds are all wool and have an average of 60 kpsi and average about 35 square feet. Reader reviews
Guide to Kazak Rugs by Barry O'Connell
The Kazak Rug, Qazax (Kazakh, Kazak, Kasak, Gazakh). The most used spelling today is Qazax but rug people use Kazak. Reader reviews
Guide To Kuba Rugs by Barry O'Connell
Guide To Kuba Rugs.
