December, 1911 AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 433 
and contrasts, or make clear how per- 
fect is the combination of pattern with 
animal figures. The only other weaves 
worthy to be compared with rugs like 
this are the Fifteenth Century Flemish 
tapestries. They, too, have grounds 
completely floriated in flat design, but 
vividly. An illustration of this is the 
Burgundian tapestries at the Metropoli- 
tan Museum. 
Of course, antique rugs like those at 
the Metropolitan Museum are out of 
the question for the average home. They 
merely serve as an inspiration in the 
direction of good art and away from 
bad art. For the qualities that make 
them famous are the qualities that dis- 
1% 
(ST SSSISSIET 
tendency to large octagons, lozenges, 
stars and diamonds. The warp is of 
wool and long fringes of gray wool at 
top and bottom are common, with wide 
flat borders often figured in tapestry 
weave or broché. An Afghan Bok- 
hara three feet and ten inches by two 
feet and nine inches may be purchased 
for about twenty dollars. Such rugs 
may be found in any of the large 
Oriental rug shops throughout the 
United States. Of the Bokharas as a 
class, the Afghans are the darkest and 
coarsest. Other types are the Khivas, 
Yomuds, Tekke Turkomans, Princess 
Bokharas, etc. The designs and colors 
of Yomuds approximate those of Dag- 
A very rare specimen of the Chinese rug, valued at $1,500. ‘This rug has a salmon-pink ground, with symbolistic figures in blue and lemon color 
tinguish a very good rug from a bad one. 
It is not age, but art, that enhances fe 
the value of an object. Anyone who 
pays a high price for a bad rug merely 
because it is old throws away his money. 
Whether a rug is antique or antiquated 
is not of the slightest importance to the 
average purchaser, except that those 
claimed to be antique are likely to be 
imperfect in design, color, texture or 
material. 
The important thing is to select rugs 
that are in good condition and that in 
every way fit the apartment they are to 
adorn. Much depends upon the style 
of the rooms. Kermans are out of 
place in a Mission room, just as rugs 
of the Bokhara type are out of place 
in a Louis XVI room or in an Adam 
room. 
hestan, west across the Caspian Sea 
from Bokhara. While Bokharas are 
not suitable for environments of deli- 
cate color and design, they take natur- 
ally to rooms wainscoted in dark oak 
and having beamed ceilings, which 
means that they are appropriate for use 
in Old English halls and living-rooms, 
and in most Mission, arts and crafts 
and simple modern rooms. 
To the Bokhara group belong also 
the Belouches from Beloochistan, south 
of Afghanistan, that is, south of Bok- 
hara. ‘The example that is here illus- 
trated is about three by five feet and 
sells for $12. The tawny part of the pile 
is undyed camels hair, which is a distin- 
guishing characteristic of Belouches. 
Another type of rug suited to rugged 
surroundings is found in Anatolian 
mats, woven in Asia Minor (for which 
Anatolia is another name) coarsely of 
Bokhara rugs have strong colors, 
yRgeye (Peg 
particularly reds and browns, heavy con- PONT i Ga pee UL 
ventional or geometrical designs with a A Belouche, measuring 3x5 feet, costs $12 cheap coarse wool in crude colors, 
U WA 
