The Salon du Tapis d'Orient is a moderated discussion group in the manner of the 19th century salon devoted to oriental rugs and textiles and all aspects of their appreciation. Please include your full name and e-mail address in your posting.
Day 0 (and 1)
Day 0
Actually, this will eventually be Day 1 too, but there are lots of preliminary arrangements that are required for a rug conference and many of these go on importantly during the morning and afternoon that precede the first time (noon today) when you can register and the first reception at 5pm which is held in the dealer's; row in "The Castle", a building across from the hotel.
So I went to "The Castle", where Bethany Mendenhall honchoed the volunteers helping the dealers set up.
My first assignment was to help Thomas Mond, the Tibetan dealer from Maine, move lots of big, heavy bags of rugs into the dealer's row area to particular booths. We had carts but the work was onerous enough for someone approaching 70 that I was thinking about sitting down and wondering where the white wine was before 10 in the morning.
Here is a shot of the dealer's row area before many of the dealers have arrived.
The work and the questions during dealer row set up are predictable.
"Are there ladders for use?"
"I need two chairs."
"The lighting I ordered for my booth is incomplete. Please fix it."
"I need a ladder!"
"One of the walls of my booth angles in and reduces my space. Can this be fixed?"
"The lights in my booth need refocusing and two of the bulbs don't light."
"I need two ladders."
One wanders the dealer's fair area, looking for needs and trying to service them expeditiously. Gradually the pieces go up, the booths take on shape and color and the prerequisites of a rug fair emerge?
About 11:30am, things seemed to be "in hand" and I asked Bethany if I could be excused.
I crossed the street to Davio's to meet my wife for lunch. A good white wine was just what I needed.
Next door to Davio's, I had noticed during a morning latte and croissant (I lady went by whose skirt was entirely made of colorful men's ties; couldn't get my camera out quick enough) that there was an ACOR exhibition of Anatolian weaving, next door in space provided by a rug dealer, Landry and Arcari. Mark Hopkins and Jeff Dwosky put up a nice exhibition of eastern Anatolian pieces. I have photos of them all but here is just one to whet your interest.
Notice the borders on three sides. Not a fragment but rather a whole piece used as a divan cover.
A closer look.
After lunch I went to the mezzanine level of the hotel, searching for Fred Mushkat
who was working helping set up a huge Central Asian exhibition curated by
Jeff Spurr.
Jeff had included about 140 pieces and I worked a couple of hours but heard that they were still working on it in the evening.
Here is just one piece, again, a small flavoring.
Nearby Yon Bard was working on a more conventionally defined Turkmen exhibition.
I noticed a small, odd Turkmen piece and asked Yon what its function would have been.
Yon said that the effort required for all of ACOR 8 will have been justified if someone can tell him what the function of this possibly Salor piece was.
Well, that is what I can share quickly with you from the first 24 hours or so at ACOR 8.
My next post will included images taken as the conference began with a dealer's reception.
Regards,
R. John Howe