The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Oriental Rug, by William D. Ellwanger

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Title: The Oriental Rug
A Monograph on Eastern Rugs and Carpets, Saddle-Bags, Mats
& Pillows, with a Consideration of Kinds and Classes,
Types, Borders, Figures, Dyes, Symbols, etc. Together with
Some Practical Advice to Collectors.

Author: William D. Ellwanger

Release Date: July 13, 2010 [EBook #33144]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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THE ORIENTAL RUG

[Illustration:

PLATE I.
ANTIQUE LADIK
_Prayer Rug_
FROM THE COLLECTION OF MR. GEORGE H. ELLWANGER
Size: 3.10 x 6]

THE ORIENTAL RUG

A MONOGRAPH ON
EASTERN RUGS AND CARPETS,
SADDLE-BAGS, MATS & PILLOWS.
WITH A CONSIDERATION OF KINDS
AND CLASSES, TYPES, BORDERS,
FIGURES, DYES, SYMBOLS ETC.
TOGETHER WITH SOME PRACTICAL
ADVICE TO COLLECTORS.

BY W. D. ELLWANGER

Author of
"A Summer Snowflake"

NEW YORK:
DODD, MEAD & COMPANY.
1909

_Copyright, 1903_
BY DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY
Published September, 1903

PREFACE

That Oriental rugs are works of art in the highest sense of the term, and
that fine antique specimens, of even modest size, have a financial value
of ten, fifteen, or thirty-eight thousand dollars, has been recently
determined at public auction. At this auction, several nations had a
representative voice in the bidding, and the standard of price was fairly
established. The value of rugs may have been imaginary and sentimental
heretofore; it is now a definite fact, with figures apparently at the
minimum. What the maximum may prove, remains to be seen.

Choice old rugs, therefore, to-day come into the same class with genuine
paintings of the old Dutch School; with canvases of Teniers, Ruysdael,
Cuyp, Ostade, or whatever similar artist's work may have escaped the
museums. They vie in prestige with the finest examples of Corot, D