A little known secret of SpongoBongo is that it has
just under 8 million pages. Last year I gave up hope that
Google would ever index all of it in my life time. But in
my stats I noticed in January Googlebot; 187435 visits as
of 07 Jan 2009 - 03:45 AM. Wow! So I checked with Google
and found their December data. When I gave up it was
averaging a thousand pages a day but now it is
excelerating.
My assistant producer Mickey asks about
specks of yellow in the green.
Seref
Ozen of Cocoon in Istanbul never ceases to amaze
me. I know him as one of the really
innovative younger guys in the antique rug trade.
What I never knew until now was that he has
raised the Fez to new heights. This guy has
style. I wonder if he has a Fez for me?
Have you seen this before? I never noticed
the way the color extends. Let me know how common
this is in Kurdish Bags.
Color in a Sumac Kurdish Bagface
A look at Sumac in a Kurdish Bagface
Merry
Christmas!
Of all my Christmas
greetings this year the following was a wonderful
surprise. May my country(the US) and the Islamic Republic
of Iran find peace and friendship in the new days to
come. Merry and joyous holiday greetings to all of you
and thank you
Dr. Abolfazl Mehrabadi of the
Iranian Interests Section
Washington , D.C
When is a sale not a sale? When you roll back the prices
and leave them there. The market has tightened up in the
last few months so my old friend Jim Allen decided that
if the price of gas can fall why not collectable rugs.
visit him at www.A-Bey.com
I
shot this little video about one of the best guys
in the collectible rug business in the United
States. For over 10 years Wade Shehady has been a
real friend and trusted advisor.
PART 7: Barry O'Connell at the Textile
Museum
Here is the last of a 7 part series of videos
on my December 13th talk at the Textile Museum. I
would like to thank David at www.RugRag.com
for producing this documentary. I would also like
to thank Wendel Swan and the Textile Museum for
inviting me, Austin Doyle and Mark and Andrea
Carol for loaning pieces, Harold Keshishian for
his patience and wise guidance, Dan Walker for
introducing me, and te audience who brought in
such interesting pieces for the show and tell. To
so many others who helped, contributed, and
participated, thank you.
PART 6: Barry O'Connell at the Textile
Museum
PART 5: Barry O'Connell at the Textile
Museum
PART 4: Barry O'Connell at the Textile
Museum
PART 3: Barry O'Connell at the Textile
Museum
Barry O'Connell at the Textile Museum:
the INTRO
www.RugRag.com
was kind enough to video my December 13th talk at
the Textile Museum. In it I look at a new way to
categorize Caucasian Rugs through the use of the
weaver's language rather than by old place and
political names.
PART 2: Barry O'Connell at the Textile
Museum
Kurdish Rugs: Kurdish
Khordjin with Videos - I am tying a new
format with the videos. There seems to be a good bit of
interest in in-depth looks at pieces so I grouped 4
videos together with some still pictures as a start.
I get some help on this one from my son
Mickey. His questioning mind adds a new dimension
to my work. He is also a big help in shooting the
videos.
Kurdish Khordjin Saddlebag
This is the
first and second part of a look at an Kurdish
saddlebag. This is also a series that my son
Mickey assists me with.
Next Saturday December 13th I
will speak at the Textile Museum. This is a
focused talk on a specific subject. I will propose a new
system of classifying Caucasian Rugs based on language.
People are welcome to bring Caucasian Rugs. 10:30 AM
Saturday December 13th, Textile Museum 2320 S Street, NW
Washington, DC Phone: (202) 667-0441
Here is a video where I examine a fragment of
a new Persian Yomud Rug.
"Rug Morning" in Seattle
Saturday Dec. 6th we had a very successful "Rug
Morning" here in Seattle, Wa. The format was loosely
based on the RTAMs at the Textile Museum and this was the
first of its type for STARS (Seattle Textile and Rug
Society). The meeting was Saturday morning and it drew a
very good turnout for the group. Thanks to Thea Sand for
the use of Emmanuel's
Rug and Upholstery Cleaners in Seattle Washington.
Also thanks to Fred Ingham who was a big help and also
Jim Burns who lent his expertise and even held up a rug
or two in the program.
Powdering; Assessing the deterioration of an
antique silk rug
Abbas
Sayahi Visits Milan Italy! The Great Dying Master Abbas
Sayahi will be in Milan Italy this week at the
13th International Crafts Selling Exhibition
November 29 - December 8, 2008. This is
through the INCC( http://incc.ir/fa/fairs/DispFairs.aspx?ID=32
). Abbas will be running a dye workshop from
Wednesday 3rd December. Just last week I wrote
here about Abbas
Sayahi in the movie Gabbeh and now visitors
to the fair in Milan will have a chance to meet
him. If you ever had a question about dyes ask
Abbas, he has a knowledge and ability that never
ceases to amaze me. Please extend my best wishes
to Abbas if you see him.
In Turkmen rugs we regularly see wefts made from
hair as opposed to wool. Here I take a close look
at these wefts before and after they splay. I do
not normally pull apart Tekke Rugs so what I
found was a big surprise.
Two Cord Selvage in a Shirvan Rug
As soon as I saw this fragment it made me think
of my dear friend and teacher (the late) Uncle
Jimmy Keshishian. I took the Oriental Rug section
of the appraisal Science course at George
Washington University from Uncle Jimmy and I
still draw back on what he taught me. When you
see this selvage think Shirvan. Uncle jimmy's
brother Harold Keshishian has a saying that i
like, "If you want to know what sort of car
it is, read the hubcaps." In other words
look for the easy to spot identifying clues.
My prayers and best wishes go out for all of those in
today's unpleasantness at the Taj Mahal Palace &
Tower in South Mumbai. I have not visited Mumbai but
The Taj Palace in Dubai is a great favorite of mine. I
congratulate Mr. Ratan N. Tata on his pledge, "We
will rebuild every inch that has been damaged in this
attack and bring back the Taj to its full glory." I will look forward to returning to a Taj property
soon.
A close-up look at the fringe of a Sarouk Rug
that has lost knots due to over vacuuming.
Single Weft Rugs
Ever since I started writing on the Internet I
have felt a great difficulty in explaining
structural details in a way that non-specialists
can understand. Sure a small percentage get what
I am describing but until now I have not been
able to express my thoughts in an easy way.
This video comes closer to what I am trying to
say. Let me know what you think.
Barry JBOC@SpongoBongo.com
This is a
video on an Afghan Beaded Bag from the Thea Sands
collection. This is very much a learning
experience for me. I bought a new camcorder and I
am starting to get the hang of this. I will be
trying more ambitious projects soon.
I am hoping
that by my talk December 6th I will be able to
record some of that presentation. I would also
like the chance to record some collections and
interview some dealers and collectors.
Call For Caucasian
Rugs I will be
putting the arm on some friends but if any of you can
come to my talk at the Textile Museum Saturday, 10:30 am
on “An Ethno-Linguistic Examination of Caucasian
Rugs” and bring examples of Caucasian Rugs it would
be much appreciated. I have already have word
that friends will be coming in from California and New
York State but with the greater number of people who
cannot come I worry it may be a small turnout. If the
owners of the rugs are willing I hope to video record
parts of the talk.
I did received some great news
today. I just got word that I will be allowed to show an
incredible Zakatala Rug when I speak to the Textile
Museum December 13th. It is in a private collection and I
will hold off on the surprise until my talk but it is a
classic Zakatala but at the same time it shows
indications of Armenian provenance. By taking my
ethno-linguistic historical approach I think we can gain
some real insight.
Also at the TM December 13th a
Movie staring my dear friend Abbas Sayahi in the movie Gabbeh. Abbas and his son Parham are
some of my very favorite people in Iran. I think of them
as family. Film:
"Gabbeh" Saturday, 2:30 pm
An epic tale of forbidden passion and a romantic ode to
beauty, nature, love and the textile arts, Gabbeh’s
title refers to a
folkloric carpet that depicts a man and women riding away
on horseback. The prized possession of an elderly nomadic
couple, the carpet reveals its secret upon washing, when
a serenely beautiful young woman emerges from the
textile. She tells how, as a member of a nomadic desert
tribe, she fell in love with the dashing, black-clad
horseman pictured within the carpet. Month after month,
season after season, he followed her family, howling love
songs to her and longing for her to run away with him.
Directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf. In Farsi with English
subtitles.
Sumru Belger Krody, Associate Curator of Eastern
Hemisphere Collections, will introduce the film. FREE;
reservations required. Call (202) 667-0441, ext. 64. or click here
for a registration form.
New
only $29.67 with free shipping!
