R. John Howe has posted another TM RTAM Presentation called Daniel Walker: “Classical Fragments”. It is fascinating to see the presentation that R. John has posted with Dan Walkers help especially since I was at the presentation personally. It is not what R. John said but rather that which was presented that did not make it to the web version that is so interesting. Not that I mean any criticism because I am only laudatory in praise of Dan and his presentation. In fact I am continually in awe of Dan's scholarship. Now when I was at the presentation Dan cited "The Mother Goddess in Anatolia" rather extravagantly. That part never made it to R. John's presentation. Now many of us feel that book is somewhere between hooey and hokum but Dan cited it and even brought the book to the presentation. I am sorry that R. John left that part out. Then there was the part about the group of rugs commonly called "Small Silk Kashan Rugs". Dan used the Small Silk Kashan group to also attribute later fragments to Kashan. So in his talk Dan Walker attributed some fragments to Kashan even though there was virtually no evidence in favor of Kashan except for a small group of about 15 rugs which were unlikely to have ever even been in Kashan much less ever having been made anywhere near Kashan. Add to that the Jufti knotting and obviously more than a few people in the room were thinking Khorasan was more likely. I think Dan Walker is to be congratulated on his rather daring and controversial presentation. If Dan wants to push for a rehabilitation of "The Mother Goddess in Anatolia" then why not? Some Related Links Thanks and best wishes, J. Barry O'Connell Jr. |
Persian Rugs the O'Connell Guides | ||||||||
