Posted by Steve Price on December 19, 1998 at 08:29:39:
In Reply to: I Buy Fragments posted by R John Howe on December 19, 1998 at 07:53:39:
Dear John,
I don't sneer at fragments and I'm sorry if it sounded like I was doing so. My point was simply that some of the properties of the intact piece are lost in fragments, which seems self-evident enough to hardly need saying. To some people considering certain pieces, those that remain are sufficient to make those pieces desirable. This, I believe, happens most often when matters like provenance and ethnographic significance are extremely important criteria. It happens less often when total impression from the physical properties related ttoo the appearance and feel of the object are of greatest importance.
Do you disagree with this? I think the Tekke fragment you posted is very interesting, and might even reach for my Visa if I met it in person. But I'm pretty sure I'd prefer the intact rug if it were available and if affordable.
Regards,
Steve