Oriental rugs ofthe Hajji Babas

by Daniel S. Walker

Fifty of the finest Oriental rugs collected in the past five decades are assembled here to illustrate the extraordinary achievements of village and nomad rug-weavers across Asia. Included are examples from Turkey, Iran, the Caucasus, Soviet Turkestan, Central Asia, and China. All belong or once belonged to members of the Hajji Baba Club, America's oldest and most prestigious rug society. Although they are all referred to as rugs, these pieces were not exclusively intended to be floor coverings. Many decorated the walls of tents, were used as bags for storing or transporting possessions, served as saddle covers or blankets for horses and camels, took the place of coverlets, or provided a surface on which to kneel during prayer. They were intended to be utilitarian but also highly decorative, and their jewel-like colors, bold patterns, and lustrous wool have proved irresistible to Western collectors. Both pile rugs and flat-woven kilims are represented in this selection. Some are crowded