The Koch/Opie/Craycraft Baluch Rug

The Koch/Opie/Craycraft Baluch Rug I recognized this famous Baluch Rug on www.Cloudband.com offered by Edward Koch of Herat, Ltd. in Florida. Trusted Resource List - Rug & Carpet Dealers In The U.S. Herat, Ltd. Cloudband Arcade - Herat, Ltd. Inventory Page This rug is like an old friend. It was first published as "Baluch Area" Plate 13.19 from Opie, James. Tribal Rugs. It was again published in Oriental Rug Review, 'The Qarai Rugs of Turbat-i-Haidari' Dec./ Jan. 1989, vol. 9, number 2, page 53 by Michael Craycraft. While no one questions the beauty of this rug the Craycraft article was highly controversial. Opie called this rug "Baluch area". Craycraft proposed a new attribution to the Qarai of Turbat-i-Haidari, hence the name.

The Craycraft Qarai Attribution I remember speaking to SFBARS in Berkeley Ca. on Afghan Baluch type rugs and someone in the audience started questioning me on where I stood on the Craycraft Qarai theory. Now you have to understand SFBARS is one of the top rug clubs in the country and they ask tough questions. I explained that Craycraft may be right but I did not feel comfortable in taking his theory and applying it to a stack of Baluch type rugs and sorting them out into a Qarai and non-Qarai groups. That being said I am not saying Michael is wrong and maybe someday I will see enough Baluch rugs to see the point he made. Then I added that Qarai are Persian and my talk was on Afghan Baluch type. That was then and to this day I am still not comfortable with the attribution. But if anyone has a big antique Baluch collection it would be fun to try and see if we could verify Michael's grouping.

Baluch Group Rug

• Size: 129.54 x 83.82 cm

• Region: West Asia > Persia > Northeast Persia > Baluch

• Type: Rugs and Carpets

• Date/Period: 19th century

• Materials: Wool pile on wool foundation.

• Structure: Asymmetric knot inclined toward the left. Two-three ground wefts between each row of knots.

• Condition: Good. Some areas of oxidization to the browns. Sides are worn. Some wear creases. Otherwise, full pile with no holes or moth damage.

• Full Description
  The colors are very strong, particularly the varying shades of blue and the extensive and rich aubergine.

• Published: Opie, James, Tribal Rugs, page 238, plate 13.17

• Published: Oriental Rug Review, Michael Craycraft: 'The Qarai Rugs of Turbat-i-Haidari' Dec./Jan. 1999, vol. 9, number 2, page 53.

For Further Reading:

Thanks and best wishes,

J. Barry O'Connell Jr.

Index to JBOC's Rug Notes

Index

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