per
square yard, according to the quality of her work. In the service of
these firms, the weaver is obliged to put aside her individual taste and
follow closely the designs, which are prepared in accordance with the
prevailing fashions abroad. The independent native weaver does not pay
any attention to the taste of the buyer. She places her work in the
local market, and the native merchant purchases it for exportation.

CHARACTERISTICS OF CERTAIN PERSIAN RUGS

_Bakhshis_ rugs are made in a small village in the district of
Azerbijan, and in the neighborhood of Herez. Those of thirty years ago
were excellent, but now the materials of which they are made are poor,
the rugs badly woven and of indifferent coloring. They come in large
sizes, usually having a medallion in the centre.

_Bibikabad_ rugs are quite modern, and are supplied to the market at
Hamadan. Aniline dyes prevail, and the rugs are of inferior design and
texture.

_Bijar_ rugs of olden time were artistic; of those of to-day this
statement cannot be truthfully made. The wool is still fine and silky,
but there is an element of crudeness of design and a defiance of the
laws governing color. A pronounced medallion in the centre is usually
seen. This is set in a solid field of a strong contrasting color.
Sometimes the field is of a bright red or blue, with the medallion
omitted. The borders are generally in the same color as the field, or in
camel's hair, sometimes covered with crude figures of human beings or
animals, or decorated with flowers in vivid red, yellow, or green. The
rugs are heavy, and in the American markets are known as _Sarakhs_.

[Illustration: BIJAR (SARAKHS) RUG

SIZE, 6.9 x 11.4

_The texture of this rug is very fine. It is thick and soft, and very
compact and smooth. There is a force both in color and design. On a deep
blue field rests a medallion in rather strong colors, red, blue, green,
and ivory. Heavily ornamented corner areas in the same shades give to
the whole design a certain symmetry, and a wide floral border with much
ivory gives an air of solidity._]

_Birjand_ rugs (so called) are woven almost exclusively in the village
of Daraksh, about fifty miles northeast of Birjand. The weavers of these
rugs came originally from Herat. The rugs are generally satisfactory,
the weaving being fine, although the pile is often uneven.

_Burujird_ rugs are made sixty miles from Sultanabad, and south of
Hamadan. They resemble in their