HALI NEWSLETTER No. 445

[View this email in your browser]( Grogan & Company will hold 'The Kaffel Collection Auction, Honoring Forty Years of Rug Scholarship and Collecting', at 11am EST on 21 January 2024. The 240 rugs may be previewed at the firm's Boston gallery beginning on 10 January. A webinar discussing the collection will be held at 12pm EST on 11 January and will feature Michael Grogan, Mary Jo Otsea and Elisabeth Parker. Ralph and Linda Kaffel began collecting rugs in 1978, and over the next 40 years created, arguably, the best rug collection in the United States. The Kaffel’s attention to detail is evident in the quality of their rugs and in the accompanying catalogue essays which, presented in Ralph’s words, demonstrate his impressive and extensive knowledge of rugs. Ralph was educated as a journalist at St. John’s University, Shanghai, and his skill set for research and objective reporting is astounding. In 1994, Ralph became a contributing editor to HALI Magazine, writing Auction Price Guide and many informative articles. The Grogan & Company auction catalogue is organised geographically, beginning with Anatolian Rugs, and continuing on to Caucasian, Persian, Central Asian, and finally, Baluch rugs. Many iconic, widely published rugs are in the collection, as well as rugs not seen publicly before. 'Working with the Kaffel Collection is a career high for me', said Michael Grogan, whose rug career started at Sotheby’s New York in 1978. 'The auction catalogue will live on as a testament to the Kaffels’ extraordinary accomplishment. The provenance of the Kaffel rugs is impeccable', he continues, 'and reads like a who’s who of rug world luminaries: Meyer-Muller, Heinrich Kirchheim, Joseph Ritman, Robert Pinner, Dr. Jon Thompson, David Black, Eberhart Herrmann, Arky Robbins, Maury Bynum, Peter Bausback, and auctioneers Rippon Boswell, LeFevre, John Edelmann: Wow!' The auction will be live-streamed on the Grogan & Company website, with telephone bidding also available. Please [email](mailto:info@groganco.com) or call 617-720-2020 with any questions regarding the upcoming auction. This exhibition is running at The British Museum until 11 February 2024, and explores ‘how Myanmar's various peoples interacted with each other and the world around them, leading to new ideas and art forms’. Image: Hanging (detail) with scenes from the Ramayana, early 1900s. © The Trustees of the British Museum. Revealing the myriad ways textiles intersect with and influence world-renowned modern artists and movements, this is the second of four stops for this touring exhibition, showing at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art until 21 January 2024. Image: The Anthropophagic Effect, Garment No. 4, 2019 by Jeffrey Gibson. Bonhams New York is thrilled to present a live auction of the Donald Gant Collection of carpets and textiles on 18 January 2024. Previews will be held in Bonhams’ New York gallery on January 12, 16 and 17. A few remarkable highlights from the important Donald Gant Collection include several rare and museum-quality classical carpets, including a stunning 16th-century Alcaraz carpet from Hapsburg Spain and several 17th-century Persian carpets. The formality and sophistication of Gant’s 17th-century Esfahan hunting carpet provides a compelling contrast to the more folk-like sensibilities of his 17th-century northwest Persian ‘Golden Triangle group’ animal carpet. An even more playful design can be found on an 18th-century east Caucasian animal carpet. Bonham’s auction of the Gant Collection includes these and many outstanding room-size decorative carpets as well as smaller decorative and tribal rugs. Also offered are several Serapi carpets, a room-size silk Heriz, fine Haji Jalili Tabriz carpets, Oushak carpets with soft palettes and spacious designs and lovely Indian rugs too. Please email [Benjamin Mini](mailto:benjamin.mini@bonhamsskinner.com), Bonhams and Bonhams Skinner Head of Fine Carpets & Rare Textiles or call to enquire on +1 508 970 3238. Featuring examples of historic craft from the collection of Woburn Abbey alongside recent creations from the Crafts Council collection—‘History in the Making: Stories of Materials and Makers, 2000BC to Now’ is showing at Compton Verney until 11 February. It includes a monumental mid-17th century Mortlake tapestry and a Deccan bed hanging, 1749–1755 (left, above), with a letter documenting its commission. Image: Installation view, History in the Making at Compton Verney. © Jamie Woodley. The Cleveland Museum of Art exhibition, showing until 7 January, focuses on the artistic production and cultural impact of Jiangnan—the coastal region of the Yangzi Delta—which has for large parts of its history been one of the wealthiest, most populous and fertile lands in China.     Image: Canopy with Dragon Among Flowers, Centre: Southern Song Dynasty (1127–1270); Border: Ming Dynasty (1368–1644), John L. Severance Fund 1995.1 ‘Azerbaijani Carpet Splendor: Safavid Treasures in Antique Weaving' will open at Amir Textiles and Rugs in New York City on 18 January 2024. The exhibition presents a group of rugs commissioned by the Safavid dynasty ruler Shah Abbas, a 16th-century miniature, ten 17th–18th century palace carpets and two special late 17th-century textiles for use in summer encampments (yayla) situated in Karabagh and Quba, where the Safavid rulers found solace during the hot summer months and engaged in hunting activities. Within the context of Sufism, islimi motifs, especially lilies, hold significant symbolic value and the exhibition highlights the use of such motifs by the esteemed master miniaturist, Sadigh Beik Afshar, who resided in one of Shah Abbas's palaces during the late 16th century and discussed motifs in his book, Ghanon al Sovar. A talk will take place at 6.30pm, during the opening on 18 January, examining the diverse manifestations of dragon and phoenix motifs and exploring the influence of Sufism on the miniaturists employed by Shah Abbas, as well as explaining the fundamental principles of Sufism through the teachings of renowned figures such as Rumi. Please register for opening and talk—all who appreciate the artistry and history of woven art are welcome to attend, for an unforgettable experience and to gain a unique insight into the captivating world of Azerbaijani carpets. For the final chapter of our exploration of suzanis for [#RugFactFriday]( we will outline details about these embroideries which have been discussed over the past few weeks. - Typically made using silk or cotton threads on a cotton or silk fabric base, suzanis are embroideries that reflect the rich heritage of Central Asia. - Traditionally crafted by women for dowries, suzanis act as visual narratives that reflect the heritage of the artisan's community. Common motifs in these embroideries include flowers (especially sunflowers and tulips), vines, leaves and geometric shapes. - Suzanis serve various purposes as wall hangings, bedspreads, tablecloths, and decorative upholstery, and their adaptability has led to their integration in modern interior design. Shown above is a suzani hanging (detail), attributed to Nurata, Uzbekistan, early 19th-century. The Met, 07.72, Rogers Fund, 1907. Suzanis have been discussed in great detail in past issues of HALI and throughout carpet scholarship. [Buy a subscription to the magazine]( via the link in our bio to keep up to date with new discoveries, and to access the HALI archive, which contains a bounty of articles on these amazing embroideries. [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Website]( Copyright © 2023 Hali Publications, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: HALI Publications 6 Sylvester Path London, Hackney E8 1EN United Kingdom Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](. This email was sent to {EMAIL} [why did I get this?]( [unsubscribe from this list]( [update subscription preferences]( Hali Publications Ltd · 6 Sylvester Path · London, England E8 1EN · United Kingdom