Re: Wool quality in illustrated rugs

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: Dear Marvin, : I am pleased that you like the presentation because it was a hard work. Pictures are of low resolution to allow a short downloading tilme but clear enough I think for our purpose. : I never handled the pieces which are discussed in this salon, and one of its purpose is to collect information's from collector's who handled the rugs illustrated here or other related ones. : If you could add the structural characteristics of your friend proto-kurd rug and a picture I would be very pleased to see it. : Concerning the rugs illustrated in this salon I linked rugs with related design features and/or borders and/or structure characteristics which fit the Sauj Bulaq characteristics. : To group them, I also followed the attributions proposed by the different authors or by Wendel Swan concerning the Dodds and ORAC rugs wherefore he proposed a Sauj Bulak attribution. : Concerning the use of corroded brown, normally oak bark was used in Kurdistan for dyeing browns. : The use of corrosive iron brown is noticed in the description of the ORAC (Oriental Rugs From Atlantic Collections plate 97 page 97) rug used in this discussion. : I also recently handled a rug with heavily iron corroded brown, which is very similar to the "Sauj Bulak" rug illustrated as plate 112 page 161 in Brian W. MacDonald's book "Tribal Rugs Treasures of the black tent". : The wool used in the western mountain area is of high quality and described by John Kimberley Mumford in "Oriental Rugs" as soft and flocky. : Among the structural characteristics described in William Eagleton's book "Kurdish Rugs", common features in rugs that may be attributed to the Kurdish Sauj Bulak (modern Mahabad) area where settled the Kurdish Dehbokri tribes are: : An all wool foundation with: : Medium to high pile of soft quality : Warps: wool, white or beige brown, Z2S, on the same level producing a flat back. In more easterly area in the direction of Bidjar semi depression appears : Wefts: wool, red, two or more shoots. The red wefts are often considered as one of the characteristics. : Knot: symmetrical, average between 45 & 80/sq. inch : Handle: thick & flexible : Selvedges are of the Persian round overcast bundle type without band of colors. More Northerly (Turkey) or Westerly (Iraq) flat multiple selvedges are preferred and multiple colour bands appears in Turkish Kurdistan. : They also often have a wide funny palette of colors with often highlights in clearer colors. Colors that are often found are matter red, green, dark and light turquoise blue, light and dark brown, yellow, white. : Best regards and thanks for your interest : Daniel Deschuyteneer

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