Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

THE hand loom is Oriental, the power loom Occidental. The former adds much to the fame of the Orient. The exquisite fabrics it produces have made it world-renowned, and although it is simple in structure, its products show careful and finished labor. Hand looms in all Oriental countries are similar, and are to-day almost as […]

TURKOMAN rugs are woven by nomad tribes living in Central Asia. The tribes are known as the Ersari GokIan, Sarik, Tekke, and Yomud, and most of these rugs have some points in common, although they vary a good deal in detail. Generally speaking, the Turkoman takes the greatest care to have his work perfectly done. […]

BELUCHISTAN rugs bear the marks of nomadic workmanship. They show that they are woven by tribes who combine strength and skill. The designs are generally geometric, and bold in effect. The rugs have rich dull tones of blue, red, and often with markings of white or ivory on a foundation of dark brown, in fact […]

AFGHANISTAN RUGS are usually large, the average size being about eight by eleven feet. They are made by Turkomans inhabiting that part of Afghanistan known as Afghan-Turkestan and, therefore, the rugs are sold under the name of Afghan-Turkomans. They are hand-some and durable but coarser in texture than those made by other subdivisions of the […]

Agra formerly sent out very satisfactory rugs which were of great weight and thickness. The finest specimen I have ever seen belonged to the late Mrs. Potter Palmer, of Chicago, and was a duplicate of one owned by Mrs. Frederick D. Grant. The rug is of enormous size and weight, and the tree design is […]

INDIAN RUGS THE manufacture of rugs was introduced into India by the Mohammedans at their first invasion in the beginning of the eleventh century. Persian rugs, however, were always preferred to those made in India, and princes and nobles of the Delhi Court, when it was in its greatest splendor, sought the fabrics woven in […]

AKHISSAR rugs have a thick pile, and are loosely woven. Their colors are usually red and green. Rugs of mohair are made at Akhissar. Anatolia, or Asia Minor, produces both rugs and mats of good quality. The Anatolian rug is large and very heavy. The Anatolian mats are made in large numbers, and are very […]

TURKISH RUGS THE term Turkish Rugs includes all those rugs that are manufactured within the Turkish Empire, whether the manufacturers be Kurds or Circassian or Christians ; the last of these names comprises the Armenians, the Greeks, and the Syrians. Turkish rugs are not so finely woven as Persian ; they have a longer pile […]

Bakhshis rugs are made in a small village in the district of Azerbijan, and in the neighborhood of Herez. Those of thirty years ago were excellent, but now the materials of which they are made are poor, the rugs badly woven and of indifferent coloring. They come in large sizes, usually having a medallion in […]

IN Persia the art of rug-making has attained a very high degree of excellence, having been practised there during many centuries ; indeed, the exact period when this industry was introduced into that country is not known. Tradition has it that long before the days of Alexander the Great, rugs were woven at Shuster, then […]