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When I first told Harold Keshishian that I wanted to do a weekly feature on his rugs I think he thought the idea was a little hokey. Harold tends to be a very proper gentleman and he is conscience of his dignity without being stuffy. Now he is past all that and we are starting to have a great deal of fun. Each rug leads to the next.

N.B. A number of years ago despite not being Baptist I studied to be a Baptist pastor. I never wanted to be a Baptist Pastor but I found the course of study an enjoyable mental exercise. Anyway I had a wonderful old professor for Systematic Theology who would get carried away in long involved question and answer sessions that he called "Chasing Rabbits". Anyone who has ever seen a hound-dog chasing a rabbit can surely appreciate the metaphor. There is an element of that with Harold. His knowledge is of such depth and his love of carpets so strong that he just loves to talk about them. I ask enough questions that the scope of the conversation is ever widening.

Animal Border Shirvan Rug Harold Keshishian collection

When we were looking at the lobed device in the Yastik from Saturday at Keshishian's An Old Yastik 25th of February 2006:

It led Harold to the repeating device in the field of this Animal Border Shirvan. I was wondering if there was a relationship and Harold used this rug to illustrate the rather marked differences.

Harold mentioned that there were collectors who specialize in rugs with animal borders. I should not be so surprised bit it was a specialization that I had never considered. I consider Shirvan rugs to be the product Northern Azeri weavers. I strongly suspect that the weaver of the Yastik from Saturday at Keshishian's An Old Yastik 25th of February 2006 is closely related to the Azeri.

For Further reading:

Guide To Shirvan Rugs

Notes on Turkish Yastiks

So Close and Yet ... : A Yastik Adventure by R. John Howe

Harold and Melissa Keshishian's

More Oriental Rug Notes by Barry O'Connell

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Harold Keshishian's Animal Border Shirvan

More Oriental Rug Notes by Barry O'Connell