DOI issue:
No. 179 (January, 1912)
DOI article:A gallery of oriental rugs
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43448#0437
A Gallery of Oriental Rugs
A GALLERY OF ORIENTAL RUGS
A collector who can make his hob-
r by the acquisition of rare Oriental rugs
is to be congratulated in the pleasure
which these must give, not only to himself but to
those of his friends who are fortunate enough to
visit his collection.
Mr. J. F. Ballard, of St. Louis, has placed a
unique collection of
very rare and beauti¬
ful Eastern rugs in
a gallery which he
has designed especi¬
ally to contain
them, cleverly lit by
an original and ef¬
fective window ar¬
rangement by day,
and with the dif¬
fused light many
concealed electric re-
flectors give at
night. Mr. Ballard
was assisted in the
arrangement of the
rugs as shown in
the photograph by
Mr. A. E. King, of
“Liberty’s” (Lon¬
don), and by way of
supplementing this
illustration it may
be undertaken to de¬
scribe in some detail
the more important
of the rugs in this
gallery, with special
allusion to the won¬
derful colors which
make Mr. Ballard’s
collection a unique one. The great rug which
runs almost the entire length of the room is
a seventeenth-century Karabagh, of exquisite
coloring, and though its attribution is reasonably
certain there has been some discussion as to
whether it came from Central Persia or from
the Karabagh Mountains. The two small rugs
to the right and left of this are known as
“Turkomans,” being the best products of Tur-
koman weaving of a century and a half ago.
At the extreme right of the picture, and only
partly visible, is an exquisite Koula prayer rug.
The field within the “Prayer arch” consists of a
superb combination of blues and yellows, while
above the “Prayer arch” appear a glorious yel-
low and red very seldom seen in present-day ex-
amples. Specimens are very rare, though the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London boasts of
an example. The next large rug hanging against
the wall is a Ghiordes prayer rug, representing a
period of about 1680 and embodying the best
traditions of weaving in Asia Minor. In the re-
finement of its design
and color this rug is a
masterpiece of Turk-
ish weaving.
Lying on the floor
in front of this splen-
did specimen is an-
other Ghiordes
prayer rug with a
red center, the date
about 1700. The
unusual qualities of
this rug are the
values in old red and
cream white ex-
pressed in its border.
At the far right-
hand corner of the
gallery is draped yet
another Ghiordes
prayer rug, dating
from about 1700.
This rug is described
as presenting the
most superb tones of
gold, tan and blue.
Certainly one of the
finest pieces of color
to be found any-
where, it is doubt-
less the most beauti-
ful rug in the collec-
tion and is extremely rare. In the middle of the
gallery, at the far end, is draped another
seventeenth-century Ghiordes prayer rug with
red and white center and floral field above. To
the left of this, in the corner, is a rug which
is probably the finest Ghiordes known, being
evidently of royal weave. The “chandelier” in
the prayer arch is worked in silver and gold
thread, and the panels above the arch are in a
wonderful shade of olive green.
In the immediate left foreground is a most un-
usual Ghiordes prayer rug, showing not only an
exquisite blue but also that rare color known as
SIXTEENTH-CENTURY KOULA PRAYER RUG
LXXIX
A GALLERY OF ORIENTAL RUGS
A collector who can make his hob-
r by the acquisition of rare Oriental rugs
is to be congratulated in the pleasure
which these must give, not only to himself but to
those of his friends who are fortunate enough to
visit his collection.
Mr. J. F. Ballard, of St. Louis, has placed a
unique collection of
very rare and beauti¬
ful Eastern rugs in
a gallery which he
has designed especi¬
ally to contain
them, cleverly lit by
an original and ef¬
fective window ar¬
rangement by day,
and with the dif¬
fused light many
concealed electric re-
flectors give at
night. Mr. Ballard
was assisted in the
arrangement of the
rugs as shown in
the photograph by
Mr. A. E. King, of
“Liberty’s” (Lon¬
don), and by way of
supplementing this
illustration it may
be undertaken to de¬
scribe in some detail
the more important
of the rugs in this
gallery, with special
allusion to the won¬
derful colors which
make Mr. Ballard’s
collection a unique one. The great rug which
runs almost the entire length of the room is
a seventeenth-century Karabagh, of exquisite
coloring, and though its attribution is reasonably
certain there has been some discussion as to
whether it came from Central Persia or from
the Karabagh Mountains. The two small rugs
to the right and left of this are known as
“Turkomans,” being the best products of Tur-
koman weaving of a century and a half ago.
At the extreme right of the picture, and only
partly visible, is an exquisite Koula prayer rug.
The field within the “Prayer arch” consists of a
superb combination of blues and yellows, while
above the “Prayer arch” appear a glorious yel-
low and red very seldom seen in present-day ex-
amples. Specimens are very rare, though the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London boasts of
an example. The next large rug hanging against
the wall is a Ghiordes prayer rug, representing a
period of about 1680 and embodying the best
traditions of weaving in Asia Minor. In the re-
finement of its design
and color this rug is a
masterpiece of Turk-
ish weaving.
Lying on the floor
in front of this splen-
did specimen is an-
other Ghiordes
prayer rug with a
red center, the date
about 1700. The
unusual qualities of
this rug are the
values in old red and
cream white ex-
pressed in its border.
At the far right-
hand corner of the
gallery is draped yet
another Ghiordes
prayer rug, dating
from about 1700.
This rug is described
as presenting the
most superb tones of
gold, tan and blue.
Certainly one of the
finest pieces of color
to be found any-
where, it is doubt-
less the most beauti-
ful rug in the collec-
tion and is extremely rare. In the middle of the
gallery, at the far end, is draped another
seventeenth-century Ghiordes prayer rug with
red and white center and floral field above. To
the left of this, in the corner, is a rug which
is probably the finest Ghiordes known, being
evidently of royal weave. The “chandelier” in
the prayer arch is worked in silver and gold
thread, and the panels above the arch are in a
wonderful shade of olive green.
In the immediate left foreground is a most un-
usual Ghiordes prayer rug, showing not only an
exquisite blue but also that rare color known as
SIXTEENTH-CENTURY KOULA PRAYER RUG
LXXIX