HALI NEWSLETTER No. 406

[View this email in your browser]( The Spring edition of The Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair takes place from 9 May–14 May 2023 in London’s Battersea Park. Amongst the 130 stands of traditional and informal antiques, 20th-century design and works of art, spring brings a seasonal focus on garden antiques, whilst textile exhibitors will be showcasing some joyous and colourful collectors’ items, alongside many decorative pieces. Rug and textile specialists at the Fair include: Joshua Lumley with beautiful rugs, kilims and tapestries from the 17th to 20th century (above); Galerie Arabesque of Stuttgart with global textiles and Oriental rugs; Gallery Yacou with a comprehensive range of carpets selected for their individuality, quality, colours and decorative appeal; Aaron Nejad Gallery with antique and decorative rugs, carpets and textiles from the East and Europe; Owen Parry with fine Oriental rugs and decorative textiles; Clive Rogers with Oriental rugs, textiles and associated works of art; Bleu Anglais, specialising in indigo textiles mostly from China and Japan; Katharine Pole with French antique textiles, indigos, printed cottons and rustic linens; Su Mason with antique hand loomed linen and antique textiles; and Tribal Art & Textiles with a selection of flags and African weavings. There are decorative and unexpected textile treasures to be found on many other exhibitors’ stands too, from Swedish flatweaves to Chinese embroideries; folk art pictures to 20th century needlepoints. [Find out more.]( [News] 'Kumihimo: Japanese Silk Braiding' by DOMYO is showing at Japan House in London until 11 June 2023. This exhibition explores the past, present and future for kumihimo (joining threads together): an intricate, decorative braided cord from Japan, characterised by vivid colours and intricate patterns. [Find out more.]( De Zwaan in Amsterdam will hold its 'General Art and Antiques' live online auctions from 3–16 May 2023. As part of the tribal art selection of African, Oceanic and Indonesian objects, a small collection of tribal textiles will be offered. These include a fine 19th-century Zoroastrian silk wedding shawl (above), as well as a 19th-century Tekke ceremonial coat. Also on offer are two fine Punjab phulkari and two stitched and painted ceremonial cloths by the Shipibo in Equador. Auction previews will be held from 22–23 April and 28–30 April from 10am–5pm. Persian rugs will be offered on 5 May after 10am and tribal art and textiles will be offered on 10 May at 10am, 2pm and 7pm. [View the sale.]( [News] 'Luxury and Power, Persia to Greece' is showing at the British Museum in London from 4 May–13 August 2023. The exhibition traces the history of objects from Afghanistan to Greece, exploring how 'the royal Achaemenid court of Persia used precious objects as markers of authority, defining a style of luxury that resonated across the empire from Egypt to India' and how, when they reached Athens, these objects were 'adapted in innovative ways to make them socially and politically acceptable'. Coinciding with the exhibition is a performance by Xanthe Gresham of excerpts from 'The Shahnameh: The Book of Kings'. This will be held in the British Museum's BP Lecture Theatre on 7 May from 2.30–4pm. [Find out more.]( Teaming up once again with Nader Bolour of Doris Leslie Blau, Rago/Wright will present an extraordinary collection of carpets at its '20th Century Carpets' live online auction on 28 April 2023. From vintage and antique examples to contemporary designs, this season's offering includes several large and monumental pieces as well as a compelling selection of carpets from the estate of art, antique, and carpet dealer, J.P. Willborg. Featuring a stunning array of vintage, antique and contemporary designs collected from around the globe and offered at accessible prices, this auction is the textile event of the season. Attend the preview at 306 E. 61st Street, New York, from 21–28 April, 10am–5pm Monday through Friday. [View the sale.]( [News] Welcome back to [#RugFactFriday]( where we conclude our exploration of Baluch weavings. In the new issue, [HALI 215]( we look at a former cobalt mining and processing complex in Norway that was redeveloped as an open-air industrial museum and art gallery and is the backdrop to one of the world’s largest ever exhibitions of Baluch tribal weavings. Founded by royalty in the 1770s, by the 1840s the Blaafarveværket was the largest industrial company in Norway, employing more than 2,000 people, and supplying 80 percent of the world’s cobalt pigment. Business eventually failed, and the buildings were abandoned by 1898. Yet Nyfossum, a complex of these abandoned buildings, is now an art museum where Lars Nygård and Jan Eskeland will hold an exhibition of more than two hundred Baluch rugs, bags and animal trappings— the majority in knotted pile, but also many characteristic flatweaves—from eastern Iran and Afghanistan, drawn entirely from their own large holdings. The full selection of pieces in the Blaafarveverket exhibition encompasses most aspects of Baluchi tribal weaving, going far beyond the numerous knotted-pile, small-format floor rugs, including prayer rugs (ja-namaz) at the heart of many Baluch collections—large numbers of which were probably made for onward sale in the bazaar. It is rich in containers and covers in a range of formats and techniques for functional and decorative purposes—bread and flour cloths (sofreh), single and double sacks for transport (khorjin), cushions (balisht), bags for storing salt (namakdan), small personal vanity bags (chanteh) and saddle rugs (ru-aspi), as well as woven bands and girths for securing loads during transport, and other decorative animal bands and trappings. It is these that truly represent the authentic domestic production, well into the 20th century, of the myriad nomadic, semi-nomadic and settled peoples that we loosely define as ‘Baluch'. Shown above is a Salar Khani khorjin face, Khorasan, late 19th century. Thank you for joining us in our exploration of these wonderful weavings. Our focus for Rug Fact Friday next month will deviate slightly from rugs to highlight the intricacies of ikat weavings. Be sure to follow HALI magazine on [Instagram]( and [Facebook]( to never miss a Rug Fact Friday post. [Read more in HALI 215.]( We are in the process of revising our privacy policy. If you would like to unsubscribe click [here](. [Follow Us] [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Been forwarded this email and want to receive it regularly? Subscribe to this newsletter]( Copyright © 2023, Hali Publications Ltd., All rights reserved. [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences](