Göreme businesswoman Lockwood shares insight on carpets

[EXPAT PROFILE] Göreme businesswoman Lockwood shares insight on carpets, Turkey
Most foreigners who come to live in Turkey opt to settle either in İstanbul or somewhere along the coast. There are, however, a few hardy souls who have chosen to live in rural Turkey.

One of them is Ruth Lockwood, the New Zealand owner of the Tribal Collections carpet shop, who came to live in Göreme in Cappadocia in 1988. Here she talks to Pat Yale about life, carpets and the changing face of Turkey.

You've been living in Göreme for 20 years now. What brought you here and however did you wind up staying for so long?

I had no intention of coming here -- I just wound up here after being unexcited by the Greek islands. Then I met my now ex-husband and stayed to make a pension with him. As the years have passed, I've come to love the country more and more. I thoroughly enjoy my work and the laidback lifestyle. But I still can't believe that 20 years have passed!

You must have seen some remarkable changes in that time. Would you say that Göreme is a better place to live in now?

The changes have been massive. Twenty years ago the lifestyle here was archaic with people riding past on donkeys or in horse carts. Everything people ate they made themselves, drying it, stewing it or sun drying it. They lived in a very natural way with little reliance on outsourced products. At first I saw this as a hindrance because I couldn't get some of the things I wanted. Now the longed-for improvements have come and I can buy almost anything. The sad thing is that as a result of these changes we have lost many of the old traditions -- the women baking bread in communal ovens, every roof covered in drying apricots, people making their own cheese and yoghurt. In one way it's a great sadness to see more and more people working in tourism. Obviously it allows them a better lifestyle, but nowadays only women and the very young work in the fields. Perhaps I didn't truly respect these traditions until they started to disappear.

Overall, though, for me Göreme is a much better place now. Satellite television, Internet banking and other modern conveniences have made life easier and helped reduce the sense of distance between me and my family. Also, to see people getting a better education and women being able to go out to work are wonderful improvements.

Now to the carpets. You work in a very male-dominated business. Can you tell us how you got into it?

I started out in the business because I had inherited a great love of oriental carpets from my grandmother, who had lived much of her life in India and Pakistan and collected carpets there. In the old days people would walk past carrying kilims for sale, but I didn't have the knowledge to know how to take advantage of the opportunities. Then I began to learn about carpets and became completely passionate about them. Even after 19 years in the trade I can still get just as excited when something special comes my way.

In the beginning I wasn't taken seriously and was regarded as a sort of add-on to make other tourists feel comfortable. But I had a huge advantage in that I was here when the borders of the former Soviet states opened. Carpets flooded in -- I saw thousands of them in a single day. Slowly my knowledge grew and I became an expert in old and antique carpets. Occasionally I still have to cope with dealers who come in and ask to see the "patron [boss]" and then ask for the male patron instead of me. But once they realize I know what I'm talking about, my sex is seldom an issue.

What tips do you have for surviving in a very male working environment?

It's difficult! It took me a long time, but eventually I learned never to challenge men head-on, never to disagree with them outright, but rather to enlist their help by asking for their ideas or giving them options and asking them to choose. A lot of the men in the carpet trade can be very conservative -- they're often from small villages or from the east. But in the end I'm the person buying the carpets -- if they rub me up the wrong way, I don't purchase!

The carpet business seems to be struggling. Where do you see it going in the future?

It certainly is suffering under the weight of many rugs imported from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran that are cheaper than rugs made in Turkey. There are also a lot of copies being made in China. As a more modern lifestyle has developed, Turkish women are less likely to want to weave. For example, 10 years ago there were around 2,000 women working on looms around one local village, but today the number has shrunk to just 120. It's almost impossible to continue with my specialization, which was old and antique pieces, because the lifestyle that sustained their creation (i.e. nomadism) has virtually disappeared.

On the positive side, DOBAG, Black Mountain Looms and Woven Legends are producing excellent new rugs using old designs and wonderful natural dyes. In some respects they're filling the gaps.

You're building a house in Göreme from scratch. That's a very brave endeavor...

I've always been of the opinion that bravery and stupidity are not far removed from each other. It has been one of the most humbling experiences of my life to try and build a new cave house and make it look old, as if it had always existed, without the help that should have been provided by architects. But the project seems to have a mind of its own and keeps evolving. When completed it should be a sensational house which will double up as a small boutique hotel with uninterrupted views across one of the valleys.

You have a teenage daughter and sorting out appropriate schooling has sometimes proved problematic. Any pearls of wisdom to pass on?

This was a hugely difficult issue for me. It's probably not so difficult for people living in İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir, but in smaller areas it can be hard coming to terms with the local education system and its limitations as far as exam results and subject choices are concerned. For example, my daughter went to an excellent private school in Nevşehir and wanted to specialize in foreign languages. This wasn't possible, so the only choice was to send her to a local public school where the curriculum was extremely limited and the teachers sometimes conspicuous by their absence. In the end I opted for her to do the last two years of high school in Australia, which has been very hard for both of us.

What advice would you offer to someone just starting out on a new life in Turkey?

Be as flexible and open-minded as possible. Be aware that it's somebody else's culture, not your own, and learn to enjoy all that that encompasses. Despite the setbacks, possible rip-offs and sometimes the lack of trust that leads to the exploitation of some foreigners, try to focus on the positives while keeping yourself firmly grounded in reality.

29 August 2008, Friday
PAT YALE GÖREME

Iran opens hand-woven carpet research department

Iran opens hand-woven carpet research department

TEHRAN, Aug. 18 (MNA) – The director of Iran National Carpet Center (INCC) here on Monday announced that a research department for hand-woven carpets has been opened in the Center.

Morteza Faraji told Mehr News Agency that the new department aims to identify market demands and the customers’ tastes. Meanwhile, the INCC board of directors’ chairman, for his part, announced that the center plans to issue IDs for Persian handmade rugs. Jalaleddin Bassam said that each carpet will have an ID through which its specifications such as dimensions, design, weaver, and national code will be made known.

David Chase Rugs & Furniture Steamboat Springs

Rug, furniture gallery changes its name

Chase Oriental Rug Co., of Steamboat Springs, has changed its name to David Chase Rugs & Furniture, according to a news release. The 12,000-square-foot showroom sells hand-woven area rugs, textiles and furniture. It offers pieces reflective of western and mountain-contemporary styles, according to the news release.

“Changing the name of the business best represents what customers will find in our showroom,” founder and owner David Chase Scully said in the release. “In addition to fine rugs, we offer distinctive furniture, unique tribal art and architectural pieces.”

The showroom at 335 Lincoln Ave. is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Arasta Bazaar: Sultanahmet’s oft-overlooked shopping are

Arasta Bazaar:  Arasta Bazaar Arasta Bazaar Sultanahmet’s oft-overlooked shopping area

Tucked away next to the Blue Mosque in two short shop-lined pedestrian streets is the Arasta Bazaar -- Sultanahmet's own miniature version of the Grand Bazaar.

Built at the same time as the Blue Mosque, this area originally served as a marketplace, with the rents from the shops going toward the upkeep of the mosque. During Ottoman times, it was known as the Sipahiler Bazaar, and specialized in items for the cavalry. Later it fell out of use and was used as a stable for horses. Ravaged by fires, the area was left in ruins and largely ignored for many years. Revamped in 1974, it now houses 83 shops, most specializing in carpets and textiles, but with the usual touristy kitsch thrown in for good measure to hopefully tempt some of the passing tourists to wander inside for a look. As you wander the streets, take a break from window-shopping and look at the walkway itself. Here and there, you will see bits and pieces of mosaics and tiles poking up between the stones. These are some of the remnants from the Great Palace of Byzantium built by Constantine. Thought to have at one time extended from the Hagia Sophia and Hippodrome down to the coastline, the basic design was planned by the Emperor Constantine I. The vast structure contained an assortment of state buildings, including numerous courtyards, throne rooms, audience rooms, churches, chapels, fountains, libraries, assembly halls, thermal baths and stadiums. Over the centuries, the complex fell victim to fires, earthquakes and neglect. The mosaics that remain from this mighty palace can be viewed at the Mosaic Museum, next door to the Arasta Bazaar. After winding around underground to view the impressive artwork, the exit deposits visitors once again at the heart of the bazaar. For carpet and felt shopping, Arasta offers a much more laid-back atmosphere than many parts of the Grand Bazaar. During tourist season shopkeepers are out, as to be expected, trying to lure customers and offering endless glasses of tea, but there is not the persistent hassling found in many of the other parts of Sultanahmet. A large number of the customers who shop here are serious collectors who know what they are looking for and where to find it. One of the best places in Arasta to find collectable textiles is Mehmet Çetinkaya's Maison du Tapis d'Orient, opened in 1986. Known worldwide as one of the major Turkish dealers in rare textiles, included in his inventory are very reasonably priced pieces, including new Uzbekistan suzanis. Cocoon is another well-known shop in the bazaar. Established in 1995 by Şeref Özen and Mustafa Demir, it has a reputation for good quality and prices. Included among their more interesting pieces are Turkmen rugs and embroideries from Central Asia. At night, weather permitting, a free, so-called "whirling dervish show" is staged for unwary tourists by the small café at the beginning of the bazaar. But, unless you are a lover of touristy performances this is a definite must-miss. If you want to see a sema (whirling dervish) ceremony, it's better to go the Galata Mevlevi Han or Sirkeci train station and see the real thing. For a quick snack during the day, the cafe at the end of the bazaar nearest to the Blue Mosque is a good place to stop for a rest and refreshments. From here you have a fantastic view of the Blue Mosque and can relax, take a break and people watch while drinking tea, having lunch and then smoking a nargile. For a more substantial meal, across the street from the bazaar is the Mavi Ev Hotel, which has one of the best panoramic views in the area of Sultanahmet and the Marmara Sea from its rooftop terrace restaurant. For the best cup of coffee in town with a mouth-watering pastry on the side, stop by the Java Studio, across from the Mavi Ev, for a fresh cup to perk you up after a day of sightseeing and shopping, or to brace yourself for an upcoming spending spree. Hours: All shops open Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.- 7 p.m. Some of the shops are open on Sundays.

16 August 2008, Saturday

KATHY HAMILTON İSTANBUL

Virginia Beach rug store Shaia Oriental to shut down

Virginia Beach rug store Shaia Oriental to shut down

VIRGINIA BEACH

Shaia Oriental Rugs on Laskin Road in Virginia Beach plans to close after selling off its inventory. Owner Cherri Spellmeyer has run the antique and heirloom rug business since her husband, Peter, died in 2006.

Peter Spellmeyer began working at the Shaia of Williamsburg rug store as a laborer and delivery man. In 1983 he bought the Beach franchise from owner Frank Shaia.

Cherri Spellmeyer, who lives in Williamsburg, said it became too difficult to keep the retail store going.

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Source URL (retrieved on 08/14/2008 - 08:38): http://hamptonroads.com/2008/08/virginia-beach-rug-store-shaia-oriental-shut-down

Iranian artists plan World Peace Carpet

Iranian artists plan World Peace Carpet
Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:10:16 GMT

Cyrus Cylinder is kept in British museum in London

Iranian artists plan to weave the World Peace Carpet, director for the Cultural and Historical Complex of Sa'ad Abad Eshrat Shayeq says.

The design of the handmade carpet is taken after the Cyrus the Great's Cylinder, said Shayeq, who is also a member of the Iranian parliament (Majlis).

Bearing a declaration issued by the Persian king Cyrus II in Babylonian cuneiform, the Cyrus Cylinder is described as the world's first charter of human rights.The cylinder was unearthed in 1879, in Esagila (the Murdak temple of Babylon).

Shayeq said the Cyrus Human Rights Charter and will be woven in several languages and the carpet will bear the names of all the weavers.

The inscription which is an indication of the primitive king's broad-mindedness reads: From [Babylon] to Assur and (from) Susa, Agade, Esnunna, Zamban, Me-Turnu, Der, as far as the region of Gutium, the sacred centers on the other side of the Tigris, whose sanctuaries had been abandoned for a long time, I returned the images of the gods, who had resided there [i.e., in Babylon], to their places and I let them dwell in eternal abodes. I gathered all their inhabitants and returned to them their dwell.

In 1971, the charter was translated in all six UN official languages, with a replica of the Cylinder kept at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.

Iran: 4m sq.m of carpet exported annually

A total of four million square meters of handwoven Iranian carpets are exported each year to American, European and Persian Gulf littoral states as well as to Japan, China and Russia.

Announcing this, Head of Iran's National Carpet Center Morteza Faraji told IRNA on Sunday that most of the exported carpets are woven in West and East Azarbaijan provinces as well as in Khorasan, Fars and Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari.

Commenting on the center's programs to upgrade the industry, Faraji further said that producing films, publishing brochures, holding provincial and national festivals, issuing specification cards for carpets are on the center's agenda.

Revising the standards, training carpet weavers to improve the quality of carpets, using modern technology and paving the way for electronic commerce are among the other undertakings of the institute.

"Carpet is not an industrial goods; rather, it is an artistic and cultural item going back to ancient times," he observed.

Faraji also announced that an exhibition of hand-woven carpets will be held from August 22-28.

The event, which has been warmly welcomed by foreign businessmen, will introduce the Iranian carpet industry better than before, Faraji concluded. --IRNA

exhibition of antique Oriental rugs called “Woven Gardens,”

Summer Blooms in exhibit of rare antique rugs

Dublin, NH – This August, visitors have a rare opportunity to visit a late-summer garden blooming in western New Hampshire. The blooms, however, can’t be found in the meadows and fields near Mt. Monadnock. These gardens are on the walls and floors of Peter Pap Oriental Rugs, in an exhibition of antique Oriental rugs called “Woven Gardens,” now running through September 1 at Pap’s gallery at 1225 Main Street in Dublin, NH. In conjunction with the exhibition, Pap ,dealer in antique oriental rugs an authority on antique Oriental rugs and collecting, discusses the artisanship and investment value of antique rugs during a lecture entitled “Valuing Antique Rugs: Beauty and Investment” on Thursday, August 21, at 4 p.m. The lecture is free, but reservations are required. More information is available at www.peterpap.com and 603/563-8717. Exhibit hours are Wednesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon -5 p.m. through Labor Day. The gallery is closed Mondays and Tuesdays through Labor Day.

The 40 rugs featured in “Woven Gardens” depict weavers’ versions of gardens, even paradise. Various interpretations of plants and flowers are represented in the exhibit, from a highly representational, fine Persian rug to a very geometric, stylized Caucasian village rug.

“A strong case can be made that nearly every Oriental rug is about gardens and plants,” says Pap. “The derivation of all design (in Oriental rugs) other than animal forms is from nature. There are some architectural motifs, but the vast majority of designs are derived from plants and flower forms.” Many experts believe that the great royal carpets of 16^th and 17^th century Persia were woven to represent a garden paradise, with flowers and trees in full bloom.

The rugs in “Woven Gardens” were created by nomadic tribespeople over 100 years ago; others were created by weavers in villages in Persia (present-day Iran), India, and Turkey. Highlights of the exhibit include a circa 1800 Persian palace carpet, featuring myriad cypress trees, willows, small flowering trees and shrubs against a field of flowers. “Everything is very alive and appears to be still growing,” says Pap. “The interplay between the structure of the design and the feeling of freedom and aliveness is a wonderful achievement.” Also included in the exhibit is an unusually fine Persian Serapi carpet from the late 19th century. The weavers beautifully articulate the plant and flower forms on this rug, which is typically coarser, using the best natural dyes of the day.

A Brief History of Oriental Rugs

Oriental rugs were created centuries ago by nomadic and mountain peoples of Persia, Afghanistan, India, southern Russia and Turkey. They had mundane uses as bedding, decoration in tents, even as makeshift furniture. Persian carpets were found in the palaces of emperors and princes. Great court ateliers used book illuminators to create the arabesques and scrolling vines often seen on Persian carpets. Nomadic people created designs that were passed from generation to generation; settled tribespeople combined geometric motifs with a style and format borrowed from more sophisticated urban elements featuring floral arabesques. The reputations of these designers and weavers spread throughout the civilized world as Oriental rugs became coveted in the United States and Europe.

Peter Pap, a dealer in antique Oriental rugs for more than 30 years, is recognized internationally by collectors and decorators as one of the country's foremost experts on antique Oriental rugs, carpets and tribal weavings. With galleries in San Francisco and Dublin, and an office in New York City, Pap also participates in many top antiques shows including New York’s Winter Antiques Show, the Philadelphia Antiques Show, and the San Francisco Fall Antiques Show. A frequent lecturer at antique shows and museums, Pap is an appraiser on Antiques Roadshow on PBS and an occasional guest on Martha Stewart Living Radio on Sirius.

For more information about “Woven Gardens” and to reserve a space at the accompanying lecture “Valuing Antique Rugs: Beauty and Investment,” call (603) 563-8717; email wovengardens@peterpap.com; or visit www.peterpap.com.

The 40 rugs featured in “Woven Gardens” depict weavers’ versions of gardens, even paradise. Various interpretations of plants and flowers are represented in the exhibit, from a highly representational, fine Persian rug to a very geometric, stylized Caucasian village rug.

“A strong case can be made that nearly every Oriental rug is about gardens and plants,” says Pap. “The derivation of all design (in Oriental rugs) other than animal forms is from nature. There are some architectural motifs, but the vast majority of designs are derived from plants and flower forms.” Many experts believe that the great royal carpets of 16^th and 17^th century Persia were woven to represent a garden paradise, with flowers and trees in full bloom.

The rugs in “Woven Gardens” were created by nomadic tribespeople over 100 years ago; others were created by weavers in villages in Persia (present-day Iran), India, and Turkey. Highlights of the exhibit include a circa 1800 Persian palace carpet, featuring myriad cypress trees, willows, small flowering trees and shrubs against a field of flowers. “Everything is very alive and appears to be still growing,” says Pap. “The interplay between the structure of the design and the feeling of freedom and aliveness is a wonderful achievement.” Also included in the exhibit is an unusually fine Persian Serapi carpet from the late 19th century. The weavers beautifully articulate the plant and flower forms on this rug, which is typically coarser, using the best natural dyes of the day.

A Brief History of Oriental Rugs

Oriental rugs were created centuries ago by nomadic and mountain peoples of Persia, Afghanistan, India, southern Russia and Turkey. They had mundane uses as bedding, decoration in tents, even as makeshift furniture. Persian carpets were found in the palaces of emperors and princes. Great court ateliers used book illuminators to create the arabesques and scrolling vines often seen on Persian carpets. Nomadic people created designs that were passed from generation to generation; settled tribespeople combined geometric motifs with a style and format borrowed from more sophisticated urban elements featuring floral arabesques. The reputations of these designers and weavers spread throughout the civilized world as Oriental rugs became coveted in the United States and Europe.

Peter Pap, a dealer in antique Oriental rugs for more than 30 years, is recognized internationally by collectors and decorators as one of the country's foremost experts on antique Oriental rugs, carpets and tribal weavings. With galleries in San Francisco and Dublin, and an office in New York City, Pap also participates in many top antiques shows including New York’s Winter Antiques Show, the Philadelphia Antiques Show, and the San Francisco Fall Antiques Show. A frequent lecturer at antique shows and museums, Pap is an appraiser on Antiques Roadshow on PBS and an occasional guest on Martha Stewart Living Radio on Sirius.

For more information about “Woven Gardens” and to reserve a space at the accompanying lecture “Valuing Antique Rugs: Beauty and Investment,” call (603) 563-8717; email wovengardens@peterpap.com; or visit www.peterpap.com.

Published Tuesday, July 29, 2008 11:25 AM by AskLisa Filed under: Art Exhibit, Oriental Rugs, Dublin