Rugging Up With A Real Turk
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday October 26, 1988
A LINK between old oriental rugs and African sculpture may, on the face of it, appear rather flimsy. In fact, they join forces quite naturally.
Both are objects of great beauty and each has a cultural heritage that certainly isn't lightweight.
So it's really not all that astonishing that two men very interested in exotic loveliness should decide to combine the best of both worlds in a stylish exhibition. It's called West African Sculpture & Textiles and Old Oriental Rugs. The exhibition opens on Sunday at the Nomadic Rug Traders' new gallery in Harris Street, Pyrmont.
Enter the two men behind the project: Ross Langlands and Morton Dimondstein.
Ross Langlands's expertise is in old, traditional, authentic, oriental rugs. He started his business, Nomadic Rug Traders, in 1975, and says that"nothing" passed as fashionable in old rugs then. Today, all that has changed
He deals mainly in two types: old rugs and large, decorative rugs. The traditional rug-weaving areas include Turkey, Iran and Afghanistan, as well as the more peripheral areas of Pakistan, Romania and Kashmir.
According to Langlands, the primitive art end of the scale has a "very distinctive logic", which differs from the decorative end of the market.
Tribal rugs are characterised by bold, archaic, geometric designs. He believes there is a revival of interest in tribal rugs and the exhibition will reflect this to some extent. Village and decorative rugs also will be on display.
Rugs which are described as pretty, pastel-coloured, often pictorial in design, are workshop-manufactured rather than tribal.
Large, decorative rugs are fashionable now - and not just in Australia. "You can pay very large amounts, because these rugs will fetch the same sort of money wherever they're sold. They're international carpets," Langlands says.
The surge of interest in old rugs since the early 1980s has given rise to the charlatan - dealers who have brought the rug trade into disrepute.
"Some modern Persian rugs are no better than the stuff that is knocked out in Pakistan," says Langlands. "The difference between old rugs is not just that they're old per se, but that they are made under the original conditions, unlike those from a Western-style factory. With the latter, there's no sense of their belonging to a culture."
He adds that customers have every right to expect a reputable dealer to provide them with all the necessary information.
"They should be able to date a rug reasonably well, tell you about the dyes, give an indication of what condition it is in, and the price should reflect that.
"Most of the people who deal in old rugs are reputable," he says, "because it's not something you can operate as a fly-by-night operation. Most of the people who buy from you know what they are about. You are not going to bite the hand that feeds you."
Smaller rugs generally sell for between $1,500 and $3,000, while large, decorative rugs begin at about $10,000.
Dimondstein will give a lecture on African art at the gallery on November 1 at 7.30pm. Those interested in attending should call 6603753.
The 55 exhibition works for sale come mainly from the Ivory Coast, Zaire and Nigeria. They will cost from several hundred dollars to about $10,000. Elsewhere, a rare piece on the market can sell for up to $250,000.
The exhibition, at 125 Harris Street, Pyrmont, runs from Sunday to November 19. Gallery hours are: Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm; Sunday, 1pm to 5pm.
HOW TO FIND THE GENUINE ARTICLE
IF you are thinking of buying an authentic oriental rug there are a few simple points to bear in mind which could make all the difference.
*Shop around - go out and look at as many as you can. Train your eye to judge a rug's aesthetic merit and authenticity.
*Decide what artistic category you like, such as tribal or decorative, for example. Learn its individual features.
*The dealer should be able to tell you about the rug's distinctive dyes, where it was made, what condition it is in. Price should mirror this.
*One of the best recommendations is by word of mouth. Find out as much as you can about the dealer's reputation. Check with the Department of Consumer Affairs, if necessary.
© 1988 Sydney Morning Herald
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