by R. John Howe
Dear folks –
On December 18, 2005, Harold and Melissa Keshishian hosted a group of ruggies at a holiday party in their Washington, DC home. Harold asked people to bring a “favorite” rug or textile and a number of pieces appeared. After drinks and dinner, Harold led a show and tell of the pieces brought in.
Here are photos I took of some of these pieces.
Wendel Swan brought the yastik below, a recent purchase, I think.
Harold (right) and Robert Nooter (left) hold what I think is Nooter’s Caucasian piece with a nice archaic border.
The piece below is a very unusual Shirvan owned by Austin Doyle.
The following piece is Colin England’s nice, silk Hereke with a niche design. Lots of knots in this piece, of course.
I am not sure who brought the piece below, but Harold said it had a handle like a Bidjar.
A piece that drew a lot of attention was Bob Emry’s recently acquired Salor chuval. Lots of folks examining it closely, checking knots and the like.
Bob owns a Salor main carpet as well.
I also don’t know who brought in this set of small silk bags. Nice graphics.
And someone brought in what I think is an Afshar with botehs.
Michael Seidman and Linda Couvillion, I think, admitted ownership of a classic Talish rug.
Someone brought in a very large South Persian rug, just brimming with chickens.
I am unsure of the attribution on the piece below.
This is a band, I think, attributed to Central Asia.
Harold and Melissa’s homes (there is a farm in the Maryland countryside) are museums of sort, with interesting objects all around.
Some of us studied a Central Asian piece laying on a chair in Harold’s office for much of the party. As I was leaving Wendel Swan said that it had been finally determined to be the elem from a Yomut engsi. An odd purple group piece that had a number of us guessing. Should have taken a picture.
But I did take the interesting piece below that faces one in the entering hallway.
Harold said that it is a constructed piece composed of varied items of Greek Island embroidery to make a rug-like whole with a niche design. I said that it seemed to me that the composers were thinking of a Ghiordes design, but Harold was less sure of that.
Finally, also in the entering hall is the diminutive item of clothing below.
You can’t get any real sense in this photo of how small and charming this piece actually is. I think Ottoman of some sort.
Anyway, Harold and Melissa throw a nice party. Our thanks to them both.
We send some of it on to you in this season of sharing. Comments invited.
Regards,
R. John Howe