HALI NEWSLETTER No. 436

[View this email in your browser]( Peter Pap Oriental Rugs, Inc. is currently hosting an exhibition at its Dublin, NH Gallery which features the remaining pieces from the late Dr Charles Whitfield’s collection, including his exceptional group of Baluch rugs. Some of these are well-known as published pieces and many others will be considered new finds. The gallery will also be offering rugs and classical fragments from the collections of the late Dirck Bass, Thomas Edwards, Mary and the late Michael Wirth and Robert Casper. The most significant piece on offer is a mid-19th-century Borjalu Kazak of the 1980 exhibition catalogue 'Tribal Visions' (above). If you are unable to attend in person, the entire exhibition will shown in a special section on the Peter Pap Oriental Rugs, Inc. website. [Email Peter Pap](mailto:peter@peterpap.com) for detailed condition reports. [Find out more.]( Follow Peter Pap on [Instagram]( and [Facebook](. [News] The [Carpet Design Awards]( the international competition for outstanding carpet design, is open for everyone to enter! Presented in partnership with COVER and HALI magazines, the 2024 awards will be held in Hanover at DOMOTEX on 12 January. Awards can be won in eight categories: Best Studio Artist Design, Best Modern Design Superior, Best Modern Design Deluxe, Best Transitional Design, Best Flatweave Design, Best Collection, Best Interior and the Sustainability Award. The deadline to submit carpets for the 19th edition of the industry's most important international design award is 3 November 2023. Companies who are not actively participating as exhibitors at DOMOTEX are encouraged to submit their carpets for the award, but unlike DOMOTEX exhibitors, will be required to pay an entry fee. [Find out more.]( Dorotheum will hold its 'Oriental Carpets, Textiles and Tapestries' auction on 7 November 2023 at 3pm CEST (2pm GMT). Featuring 251 carpets and textiles, it can be attended in-person at Palais Dorotheum, Vienna, and can also be viewed online. The auction will offer a huge selection of high-quality and decorative pieces in different sizes from throughout Persia including a very interesting Bakhshaish, est. €8,500 ([Lot 133]( an important Kerman pictorial carpet, est. €7,000 ([Lot 94]( and a fantastic masterpiece from the workshop of Heydarzadeh, est. €20,000 ([Lot 129](. Other highlights include two oversized carpets ([Lot 95]( and [Lot 126]( a group of Isfahan Seirafian carpets ([Lot 28]( and [Lot 29]( a selection of Keshan Mohtashems and a group of tapestries. There are also several examples of collectable Caucasian carpets ([Lot 35]( shown above, and [Lot 38]( alongside a section of South Persian tribal carpets ([Lot 76](. Finally, the sale will offer a collection of Chinese and Tibetan carpets including a signed yellow Peking carpet made for the Forbidden City ([Lot 87]( a selection of top quality Ningxia carpets and a museum quality kesi ([Lot 175](. For enquiries, call +43 515 60 271 or email vincent.pillinger@dorotheum.at. [View the sale.]( [News] On 1 November 2023, Sam Fogg is hosting a symposium to coincide with the opening of his ‘Islam in Europe’ exhibition (running from 3 November–1 December 2023) and the publication of the accompanying catalogue. This symposium explores a range of scholarly topics related to the themes presented in 'Islam in Europe', from the appearance of Islamic objects in early medieval European contexts to the afterlife of Islamic art in Spain; the transcultural currents connecting early modern Italy with the Islamic world; and the import market for Anatolian rugs in Europe during the Renaissance. Tickets for the event have sold out, but we are pleased to share the live stream link to watch online below. Shown above is Episodes from the Life of St Mark by Giovanni Mansueti, 1525-26, Gallerie Accademia, Venezia, inv 571. [Find out more.]( [Live-stream the symposium on YouTube]( Wovensouls presents 'Confluence–Hindu Art from Indonesia', an online exhibition running until 25 November 2023. The historical connection between India and Indonesia is well documented. We know of Boeeta Bandaan, the legend that describes voyages from India to Indonesia. We know of the Prambanan temples devoted to Hindu gods. We know of the textile trade connections through Patola ikats and Toraja ceremonial textiles. But not many know of the Hindu influence on Cirebonese culture. At this online exhibition, sixteen batik textiles depicting scenes from the Hindu epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata, have been showcased and are available for acquisition. In one we see Arjun riding his chariot as he goes to war in a battle of righteousness and in another we see Hanuman burning Ravana's Lanka. These finely drawn narrative textiles mesmerise us not only with the elegant art and the stories narrated, but also with the intriguing confluence of cultures they represent. These artworks will be of great interest to art collectors, museums and interior decor specialists. [View the exhibition]( [News] This month, the focus for [#RugFactFriday]( is on baghs and phulkaris, intricate embroideries originating in Punjab. In the 'Anatomy of an object' feature from HALI 188, Ben Evans explores an example from the Karun Thakar Collection that reveals the techniques and traditions lying below the surface of these vibrant textiles. Evans explains that 'the tradition is definitely a regional rather than religious one: the more pictorial and representational designs seem to have originated in the eastern part of Punjab and Haryana while the more geometric non-figurative examples seem to have been made in the west, where the large Muslim population lives.' His attention then shifts to the design of these textiles, focussing specifically on the example above: 'designs were passed between generations verbally, and some patterns can be firmly ascribed to particular areas; there are also design variants such as the darshan dwar type illustrated here, which were made in much smaller numbers and are thus rarer than many other types. This especially applies to pieces with a black ground.' Continuing: 'This darshan dwar phulkari, meaning doorway to the divine, was made to be given to a temple in recognition of either a wish granted or of prayers asking that a wish be granted. Opinions differ as to whether this practice was restricted to the Sikh community or done throughout Punjab at Hindu temples. The layout here shows two arcades of pillared buildings with pointed roofs. The ends and side borders are interwoven with depictions of jewellery and scenes of tribal life, typical for a darshan dwar phulkari.' Learn more about the intricacies of this phulkari's design in HALI 188. Shown above is a phulkari, Haryana, northwest India, ca. 1900. Karun Thakar Collection, acquired from Alistair McAlpine. [Buy a digital subscription to read HALI 188.]( [Follow Us] [Facebook]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Instagram]( [Been forwarded this email and want to receive it regularly? Subscribe to this newsletter]( © 2023, Hali Publications Ltd., All rights reserved. [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences](