I first saw this rug at the Textile Museum many years ago at a "rug morning" by Harold Keshishian. If my memory is correct this was bought in Paris in 1925 by Mark Keshishian and given to Harold as a young child. This is a particularly fine Kerman Rug.

N.B. Harold told me the rest of the story. He bid on this rug as part of a lot of 54 pieces that included the Shahsavan Bijar Sumac. He left a bid of 3 pounds, 4 shilling and 3 pence per piece and took the whole lot. Despite the ribbing he took about bidding too much, the bale was worth far more. 4 of those pieces are still in the family, 3 with Harold and 1 with one of the grandchildren.

Mark and Margaret Keshishian in Ostend Belgium in 1924
Ostend (Oostende) Belgium was the major transit port for England. In the years from 1922 to 1927 Mark Keshishian was dividing his time between business and Save the children fund refugee efforts. MK and his two brothers Avedis and Garabed were all deeply involved in rescuing Armenian orphans. Avedis was the father of the late Zaven Kish the Memphis Tennessee rug dealer.

The Old Kerman Structure

One hears about the old Kerman structure in rug books but one can go a long time and never see a good example.As you can see we have rigid corded weft then a sinuous weft and then a rigid corded weft between each row of knots.

N.B. It was this structure that caused Mae Beattie to suggest a possible Kerman attribution for Vase Carpets. I feel she was going in the wrong direction but I can certainly understand her rational.

More Oriental Rug Notes by Barry O'Connell

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Harold Keshishian's Kerman Bunny Rug

More Oriental Rug Notes by Barry O'Connell