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Rich Larkin · July 24th, 2018, 08:19 PM

Hi Joy,

One little aside on your Melas prayer rug. When Bennett commented that they did not seem particularly rare, he did not mean they were growing on trees. He was speaking in relative terms. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when rug collecting in Europe and points west was getting legs, Turkish (i. e., Anatolian) prayer rugs were very much desired, and some reached dazzling heights of value that have not since been equaled. There were several survey books published around that time, say between 1900 (Mumford) until about the First World War. Most of them featured the obligatory line-up of Turkish prayer rugs, and Melas examples were often noted among the 'usual suspects'. It is in that context that Bennett was suggesting they were not as rare as one might think. On the other hand, I would be very pleased to have yours!

Rich

July 24th, 2018, 08:19 PM	#18
Rich Larkin Members Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Massachusetts Posts: 130	Hi Joy, One little aside on your Melas prayer rug. When Bennett commented that they did not seem particularly rare, he did not mean they were growing on trees. He was speaking in relative terms. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, when rug collecting in Europe and points west was getting legs, Turkish (i. e., Anatolian) prayer rugs were very much desired, and some reached dazzling heights of value that have not since been equaled. There were several survey books published around that time, say between 1900 (Mumford) until about the First World War. Most of them featured the obligatory line-up of Turkish prayer rugs, and Melas examples were often noted among the 'usual suspects'. It is in that context that Bennett was suggesting they were not as rare as one might think. On the other hand, I would be very pleased to have yours! Rich Last edited by Rich Larkin; July 24th, 2018 at 08:38 PM.