ern Oriental rug the designs are not to be entirely depended
upon. They are apt to vary at the will of the weaver; and moreover,
Occidental designs are now sent to the Orient to be woven into rugs by
the native weavers of the Eastern country. The designs sent to India, to
be reproduced by the different European and American firms having
factories there, are almost universally strictly Oriental in character,
being copies from fine old Persian pieces, or rearrangements of Oriental
forms. When the design reaches India, it has to be re-drawn to the exact
size of the rug that is to be made. From this is copied what is
called a _talim_, which is the only direction the weavers have. This
talim, or guide, shows the weavers exactly how many knots of a color are
to be tied; and when these different colors are put together, the design
is formed. These talims are carefully kept, and as they are records of
the designs, can be reproduced at any time.

Large rugs show best in large and bold designs, for small and crowded
designs would not be artistic. Small designs are, however, preferable on
small rugs; a bold design on a small rug is inappropriate. The finer the
border of a rug of whatever size, the more beautiful and costly the rug.

An average size for a large rug is six yards by four, and for this a
bold vigorous design would be suitable.

Some designs found in rugs are here reproduced.

I. Five Forms of the Palmette.

_a._ With sharply marked outlines this palmette is a characteristic of
the Djushaghan rugs.

[Illustration: _a_]

_b._ This is a geometrical form of the palmette, frequently met with in
modern Caucasian rugs.

[Illustration: _b_]

_c._ This form of the palmette has an oblong central nucleus, surrounded
by wreaths of leaves. To the right and left lancet-shaped leaves nearly
encircle the whole. This design is most frequently seen in old Persian
rugs.

[Illustration: _c_]

_d._ In some old Persian rugs this form of the palmette with its
diagonal projections is seen. It tends toward the geometrical, although
its centre contains a small floral spray.

[Illustration: _d_]

_e._ This palmette, with its two flanking lancet-shaped leaves, is
frequently seen in modern Feraghan and Kurdistan rugs.

[Illustration: _e_]

[Illustration: II]

II. The Herati Border, or some form of it, may often be seen in Herat,
Feraghan, Khorassan, Kurdistan, and Sinna rugs.

III. The central design is formed by eight valv