took place about the beginning of
the nineteenth century, when a number of families emigrated from Brusa
to villages of Syria, where they taught their art. For many years
excellent rugs were woven, Haidamur especially taking the lead in
superiority of quality, design, and durability. Unfortunately, the
original designs and blending of colors introduced from Turkey have
entirely disappeared, and only inferior rugs are now made throughout the
country. The chief colors in the modern Haidamur rugs are red and black,
or sometimes crimson and black, with black or dark brown figures at each
end. At Damascus a few rugs are woven, but not of any great value or
distinctive beauty.

CHINESE RUGS

The Chinese rugs of antiquity are remarkable, and worthy of the closest
inspection. Their texture, designs, and symbolism show the greatest
patience and thought. Antique wool rugs woven in China are very scarce,
and because of this, and for their historical interest as well as their
uniqueness and attractiveness, they bring large prices. In fact, they
are almost unprocurable. A large and very fine specimen of this kind of
rug is in the home of the late Governor Ames of Boston. It measures
nineteen by twenty-one feet. The colors are yellow and white, and these
are arranged in odd designs over the entire rug. A member of the family
owning it writes: "This rug is said to have originally been in the
Emperor's Palace in China. As every emperor is obliged to have the
palace newly furnished when he succeeds to the throne, owing to some
superstition connected with the retaining of any of the former Emperor's
possessions, everything is removed and destroyed. Fortunately this rug
escaped destruction." A fine example of an antique Chinese rug is
represented in one of the illustrations of this book.

The modern Chinese rugs are vastly different from those of antiquity.
There is, however, much of interest attached to them. They are sought
because of their antique designs, their harmonious coloring, and their
durability. The monstrous and fantastic forms that distinguished the
antique are not so frequently met with in the modern production. The
predominating colors in a modern Chinese rug are yellow, blue, white,
and fawn, and these are arranged very effectively. The designs are
quaint and odd. A border distinctly separated from the field is almost
invariably seen. A most important geometrical motif observed in Chinese
rugs is the Meandrian, espe