"Collector's Choice: Rugs and Textiles as Art."

On November 5th through the 20th of 2005, the Philadelphia Rug and Textile Society held it's first-ever public exhibit at Material Culture located at 4700 Wissahickon Ave, Philadelphia, PA. The following is the original copy of the advanced notice publicizing this sale, followed by a review authored by Thoedore Mast that was published in HALI magazine.

"As part of the Philadelphia Rug and Textile Society's effort to help promote a greater understanding and appreciation of antique rugs and textiles, the public is invited to attend this first-ever public exhibit showcasing some of the most interesting pieces drawn entirely from the private collections of our members. On display will be antique rugs and textiles from a diverse range of weaving regions and formats. This exhibit will challege many of your convential perceptions of rugs and textiles. Don't expect to find any modern machine-made carpets on display here, think instead of only antique weavings that have significant ethnographic importance. Many are among the best of their type or region. All were made by hand from all-natural materials by long-ago-forgotten nomadic weavers. Many were never intended to be used for gracing a floor, rather, they were made for far more utilitarian purposes such as: door coverings or grain bags. Virtually all will challenge your convential belief of seeing rugs as mere decorative floor coverings. The pieces presented for exhibit here strongly suggest that they should be treated as objects of art that need to be appreciated on their own merit.

This exhibit is organized to appeal to both the casual and avid admirer of antique rugs and textiles. Don't worry if you don't know the difference between a torba and a mafrash or a cicim versus a jijim, the folks here are so enthusiastic to chat about antique rugs that you will never feel put-off; all are made to feel most welcomed. Rarely is the public offered an opportunity like this to experience a collection of this caliber of antique rugs and textiles in one venue. If you thought modern art started sometime in the 20th century, you will need to reconsider your previously accepted notions by seeing the graphical power and use of color present in so many of these antique rugs and textiles. To many people, this will be a truly eye-opening experience. Highly recommended."

Here are a few images of some of the highlights from the exhibit...

Mudjur prayer rug

Konya fragment

Kirshehir Yastik

Eastern Anatolian fragment

Kurdish Bagface

Mihalliccik Rug

Senneh Kilim

Yomut Tree Asmalyk

Turkoman Chirpy

 

Here is the review that appeared in HALI magazine.

 

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Over the past fifteen years, George Jevremovic has earned an enviable reputation for, among other things, throwing memorable parties of epic proportions. For many, the customary end-of-year party is the highlight of the holiday season – an opportunity to count your friends and share limitless conversations, libation and food. This party marked the tenth anniversary of Material Culture, George's cavernous (seventy thousand square feet) emporium filled with handmade objects of unimaginable diversity, from Finnish folk art to Mughal elephant gates.

Occasionally, when there is a need, George asks for affordable donations, one hundred percent of which is given to the appropriate organisations. This year, following the disastrous hurricane Katrina, and the equally disastrous failure of federal government relief efforts, the need was obvious and dire. This year the primary recipient was Habitat for Humanity, to assist in their efforts to rebuild homes in devastated areas. Other recipients this year were Family Support Services (educational assistance) and the Deprung Gomang Tibetan Monestary. A characteristic feature of George's parties is food for thought in the form of lectures, exhibitions or themes that promote intelligent conversation. Prior to the party proper, there was a lecture, "Folk Potters of the American South" by renowned folklorist Henry Glassie, the focus of which was the "ugly jug" form, with exaggerated, usually humorous facial features. They were traditionally whisky jugs, but in modern times are primarily purchased by people who, in the words of the late master potter Lanier Meader. "use them as antiques". This lecture might seem to be tame fare for what would be two hours hence a rip roaring party with three live bands – Zydeco, Klezmer and African highlife – but Dr Glassie, after many books and countless lectures, has achieved near legendary status for his profound insight and ability to express it in plain words (see HALI 76, p.117, for a review of his Traditional Turkish Art Today).

Members of the Philadelphia Rug and Textile Society mounted an ambitious juried exhibition for this event (and remained up for the following 2 weeks) that showed the public what types of antique rugs, trappings and textiles are presently of interest to regional collectors. The quality was high and the range impressive, but with forty or so pieces in limited space, the exhibition was dense to the point of being a virtual padded cell for incorrigible rug addicts. Tribal and village material prevailed, but fashion should never deny art, and there were outstanding city pieces as well. An exemplary Sarouk "meditation" rug, so-called because its vase-of-flowers composition presents direction, but without a mihrab does not quite transcend to prayer level. Nearby and not to be missed (or dismissed) was a fine ivory ground Senneh kilim, a masterpiece of a type infrequently seen by budding collectors. Turkish material included a previously unpublished 18th century konya fragment with Memling guls, an unusual small Mihalacik rug, and a couple of perennially popular prayer rugs.

Highlights of tribal weaving included a pristine Yomut asmylyk with radiant colours, and a mid-19th century baluch rug with typical field of bird forms but in near pastel shades. Rarest among Caucasian rugs was a beautiful sumakh runner with palmettes on a teal ground within Zeikhur borders, probably circa 1875. If there was a discernible theme, it was how much this particular rug society has matured and grown since its inception in 1999, largely due to the tireless enthusiasm and event planning of its present president, Samy Rabinovic.

Stepping out of the rug exhibition, further along the upper corridor, there was a live exhibition, ‘Beautiful Impermenance: Art of the Tibetan Sand Mandala’, in which monks created an image of nearly incomprehensible beauty from coloured sand that, among infinite interpretations, reminded collectors that they are far more ephemeral than the objects they collect. Fortunately for those unable to come to grips with this, there were numerous open bars throughout the party.

Two important contemporary artists were in attendance along with substantial exhibitions of their works: Price Twins Seven-Seven and Mr Imagination. Both, for better or worse, labelled "outsider" artists, both undeniably visionary, self-taught and internationally recognised. Nigerian born Price Twins Seven-Seven is a painter and musician ostensibly rooted in Yoroban culture, but his works are personal interpretations of a cosmology where the unified field theory is fact – schools of fish or herds of animals collectively morph into humans and even entire civilisations, and people in turn emerge as plants or phantasmagoric tribal entities that defy written or verbal description but hang in major museums. The sculptures of Mr Imagination are constructed from reclaimed or found materials in which he senses a measure of energy that assists in empathetic reconfiguration. Old paint brushes and bits of costume jewellery are anthropomorphised to the point that they radiate humour and hopefulness. Sticks become sceptres topped with faces that emanate innocence and dignity. His technique of "weaving" bottlecaps yields unexpected objects: fish so lifelike in form and motion that they hint at being replicant-hybrids and the enormous and surprising bottlecap thrones are so meticulously wrought as to make viewers wonder whether the King of Beers was a real monarch.

Sceptics may dismiss these parties as elaborate advertising or sales efforts, but after basic calculations, will realise that the cost of such events far exceed any income produced. Regarding New Orleans, at least, a party seemed the appropriate form of fundraiser. In the end, the theme of this memorable and splendid evening was that to give is also to receive, except in this case it was literal – each guest received a voucher that assured the amount of their donations would be deducted (or pay for) future purchases. In the time when we must realise that government bureaucracies may not be able to provide relief, the organisers of this event are to be commended for their efforts, and we hope other businesses close to our interest will follow in kind.

Theodore Mast