HALI NEWSLETTER No. 424

[View this email in your browser]( [News] There is less than one month left to see 'Woven Wonders: Indian Textiles from the Parpia Collection', showing at The Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas until 4 September 2023. View one of the most significant private collections of Indian textiles outside of India—and one of the most important in the United States. From folk textiles to court textiles, these objects date from the 14th–early 20th century and illustrate the preeminence of Indian textile arts. [Find out more.]( [News] If you are a professional buyer of contemporary carpets, now is the time to register for COVER Connect New York! The boutique show for leading high-end rug brands is returning to Manhattan, 9–11 September 2023. Hosted by HALI's sister publication, COVER magazine, the third edition will host close to forty exhibitors, displaying outstanding contemporary, transitional and traditional rugs across two neighbouring buildings—Metropolitan Pavilion and The Altman Building. If you register to visit now, you can be in with a chance of winning a luxury rug by [Creative Touch]( or one of four copies of [Art Underfoot: The Nazmiyal Collection](. [Register to visit CCNY.]( [News] In the third segment of our exploration of Mamluk rugs for [#RugFactFriday]( we draw from an article by Alberto Boralevi in our newest issue, HALI 216. The author was among experts called upon to assess an identical pair of previously unpublished Mamluk carpets in Italy—with a 500-year provenance—when it was proposed that they should be sold at international auction. Boralevi begins by explaining that, 'In ancient inventories these carpets are often cited as Cairini or Cagiarini, and we know indirectly that in the second half of the 15th century they were already well known and appreciated in Italy...However, it was only in the 1930s that Mamluk carpets were clearly identified as a group, distinct from that of Turkish-Anatolian production. The criteria were specific technical features, such as the type of knotting, different from that of Turkish carpets, the spinning of wool with ‘S’ rather than ‘Z’ twisting as in most antique rugs, and the use of particular dyes (lac red, obtained from an insect of Indian origin) that are not found in other eastern manufactories.' Boralevi goes on to explore the unusual features of these weavings that meant they were so well-received in Italy: 'The design of these rugs is characterised by a rich, minute ornamentation of kaleidoscopic effect, with a great variety of peculiar motifs such as the small umbrella leaves that some identify as papyrus leaves, a typically Egyptian plant. Another characteristic is that their complex and intricate design is made with a narrow chromatic palette, usually of only three shades: red, green and blue...The pile, knotted with asymmetrical knots open to the left, using shiny wool with silky reflections, is normally cut low and is very delicate, so it is rare to find examples still in full pile and in good condition.' The latter half of the article focusses on the 'Camugliano pair' that have resided in the 'former medici Villa Niccolini di Camugliano' ever since they were 'imported to Italy at the time of their weaving'. Continuing: 'They were sewn together on one of the long sides, probably to be used as a single, large floor carpet, even if the original dimensions of the two clearly suggest that they were initially woven as table covers. But it cannot be excluded that they should instead have been placed on either side of a bed.' Read more about the Camugliano pair and how they compare to other Mamluk carpets in the recent issue of HALI. Shown above is conservator Giulia Mariti working on the Camugliano Mamluks before separation. [Buy HALI 216.]( [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](