The Sehna rug shows no reckless disregard for design or color; whether rosettes or palm patterns or medallions, every line is clear-cut, every curve masterfully rounded and every color faithfully reproduced. The Sehna is the thin nest rug made in the Orient.
In strongest contrast to the Sehna are the Bijar and Lune of the Kurdistan; they recog nize no established pattern ; accept no school of coloring and follow no rule of texture.
Generally thick and heavy in texture, em ploying all the standard Persian designs with out regard to fitness or uniformity of position on lustrous fields of rich and deep coloring; whether coarse or fine, heavy or light, these rugs compel admiration by reason of their ex traordinary solidity.
Turkish Rugs.— In the Turkish Empire live many races, peoples and religions, which are not at all affiliated with one another — remnant nations of Syria, Babylonia, Armenia — Chaldea, Greece, Palestine, etc.—consequently, the textile productions of this region are some what mixed and rather difficult to classify. It appears, however, that the Turkish detached mode of ornamentation repeated on some parts of rugs, and the generous use of both floral and geometrical designs usually seen in all Tur kish products, would give them a certain dis tinction; add to this the very popular pattern found in the prayer rugs, and the Turkish rugs i become an individual class in the family of Oriental rugs.
Moreover, most Turkish rugs are coarser than Persians, their pile being longer, looser, thicker and softer.
The people of Turkey divide their rugs into the following Irincipal specimens: (a) Ghiordez (Yordez ; (b) Koulah; (3) Ladik; (d) Melez; (e) erghatna; (f) Koniah; (4) Kir-Shehir; (h) Kutahia; (i) Mousul; (j) Kurd; (k) Yuruk; (1) Anatolian.
(a) In conception of design, execution of workmanship and combination of coloring, the Ghiordez stands first in all Turkish rugs, and is most highly praised by Turk, Greek Ar menian, European and American alike.
Usually made of prayer-rug designs, the field has a solid coloring of ivory, blue, red, sometimes green, with the niche or dome rest ing on two ornamented columns; but at times the columns being absent, the dome is supported by highly conventionalized patterns of the tree of life.
A wide border,generally of die same color ing as of the field, is decorated with flowers and configurations so clustered as to form a superb square, which is repeated on the four sides of the rug, and frequently on the panels, over and under the enclosure of the praying niche pattern.
Two or several narrow borders in detached patterns surround the prinoipal border. and on the two upper corners filling the trio:mai spares of the praying dome, are distributed figures bearing a resemblance to the main border. Often a bejeweled lamp hangs down hunt the centre at tbe deem The colorings of the Ghiordez of old are impossible to describe .repriately, and it might be added with tru equally impossible eproduce in color.
(b), (d) Koulah, Ladik, Melee, these three are kindred nip to the Ghiordez, but they are not equal to the latter.
In Koulahs, the praying dome is often in dented or otherwise misshapen, and the field, instead of a solid color, is decorated with pat terns. It is marked also with several narrow stripes, for border, with startling contrast of colors.
The Ladik may be called a better rug than the Koulah, for it often possesses beautifully subdued greens, deep reds, blues, all blended sweetly*.
The Meier might be named as twin sister to the Ladik, for it has all her characteristics, and only the trained eye can properly dis tinguished between them.
(e), (f) Berghama and Koniah rugs gen erally show medallion designs and a field well covered with geometrical patterns; they have also wide attractive borders covered with floral decorations. In form these rugs are made nearer square than other Turkish productions, with a heavy, silky pile and very attractive colorings.
(g) The Kir-Shehir products, prayer-rug design or other, generally small rugs possess much resemblance to Ladik and Melez, they are, however, coarser rugs with brighter color ings and with unpleasant contrasts.
(h) Kutahia, or Kutais, is a longer rug than the foregoing specimens with no special char acteristic in design or coloring. A satisfactory rug usually, with silky surface, pleasing design and fine coloring.