Semans was raised in Manhattan, where she attended the Hewitt School in New [...] Click here to continue reading.]]> Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans (1920 to 2012)

An American heiress and philanthropist, Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans was the great-granddaughter of tobacco industrialist and Duke University benefactor Washington Duke. She was born Mary Duke Biddle on February 21, 1920 to Mary Lillian Duke and Anthony J. Drexel Biddle Jr. Her father was the former U.S. Ambassador to Poland and Spain.

Semans was raised in Manhattan, where she attended the Hewitt School in New York. At the age of 14, she moved to Durham, North Carolina to live with her grandmother, Sarah P. Duke. The next year she enrolled at Duke University’s Woman’s College, graduating in 1939.

While at Duke, she met Josiah Charles Trent, a Duke medical student and future surgeon and chief of Duke Hospital’s division of thoracic surgery. Semans and Trent married in 1938 and had four children. Ten years later, Trent died of lymphoma at the age of 34. In 1953, she married James Semans, a Duke surgeon. The couple had three children.

Mrs. Mary Duke Biddle Trent Semans’s accomplishments were wide-ranging and varied, and included achievements ranging from having been the first woman to serve as mayor pro-tem for the City of Durham in the 1960s, to her lifetime of service in trustee and board positions at numerous foundations as well as Duke University and the Duke Endowment. Foremost however was her focus on her family, especially her beloved grandparents Mr. Benjamin N. Duke and Mrs. Sarah Pearson Duke, her mother Mrs. Mary Duke Biddle, and her own seven children and fourteen grandchildren.

As was so succinctly noted by Duke University President Doctor Richard Brodhead at Mrs. Semans’s memorial service in 2012, “She was more than the sum of her accomplishments, … she transformed the great wealth she was born with into a lasting force of compassion.”

All who knew her were inspired by her love of music and for the fine arts. She was instrumental in launching and sustaining the North Carolina School of the Arts as well as in the creation of one of the earliest fine art galleries for the blind at the N.C. Museum of Art.

The auction of the estate’s antiques, fine art and decorative arts -culled from five generations of the Duke family, and from the five well-known homes they lived in over the course of more than 100 years, from the circa 1852 Duke Homestead in then-rural Durham to the renown 1901-built 1009 Fifth Avenue, New York, townhouse, the former Durham mansion remembered as Four Acres on West Chapel Hill Street, and the remaining stately residences known as Pinecrest and Les Terrasses in Forest Hills, Durham.

Andrew Brunk, President of Brunk Auctions said, “Mrs. Semans was one of North Carolina’s most ardent patrons of the arts and education, and we are truly honored to host this historic event on behalf of her family, and to present to discerning collectors some of the fine objects that enriched her life, and the lives of her distinguished family, by their beauty and artistry.”

Information courtesy of Brunk Auctions, Inc., August, 2013.

Helen, Harry and Minnie Janssen

This legacy started with the arrival of Henry Janssen and Ferdinand Thun from Germany at the turn [...] Click here to continue reading.]]> The Collection of
El Roy and Helene Master

The offering of the antiques and collectables of El Roy P. and Helene Livingood Master comes with some degree of sadness. This collection has remained intact for five generations and it is hoped that others can now appreciate its beauty and fine craftsmanship.

Helen, Harry and Minnie Janssen

This legacy started with the arrival of Henry Janssen and Ferdinand Thun from Germany at the turn of the 20th century. They started the Wyomissing Industries, including Textile Machine Works and Berkshire Knitting Mills.

Henry Janssen had four children, two of whom, Helen and Minnie, became very interested in antiques and collectables. Together they went on buying trips along the east coast and sometimes found themselves bidding against the DuPonts.

Helen married Richard Wetzel and her collection was housed in properties in Wyomissing, PA and Bar Harbor, ME. When she died in 1980, the collection was sold at an on-site auction, one of the largest of its kind.

Helen Janssen Wetzel and Minnie Janssen Livingood

Minnie married Dr. John Livingood and purchased Berksveldt Farm in Robesonia, PA in the 1930′s. One part of the home dated back to 1769 and the other part to 1830. They hired renowned architect Oakie remodel the existing parts and add a stone addition. The work was done between 1937 and 1941 with Farr Nursery landscaping the entire property. Minnie had been collecting antiques with her sister Helen to furnish Berksveldt Farm. Unfortunately, she died before she and her husband could permanently move into their “new” home. Helen Wetzel placed the furniture and collectables in Berksveldt and John moved in with his two daughters, Helene and Elsa.

After World War II, Helene and El Roy P. Master purchased the property along with the furnishings. They appreciated the beauty and integrity of the pieces and took meticulous care of them. Their children were taught at an early age to respect the antiques and grew up living in a museum setting as if it wasn’t something out of the ordinary.

El Roy P. and Helene Livingood Master

El Roy, a West Point graduate and officer in the war, eventually became president of Textile Machine Works. Helene was very active in the community and touched the lives of many people.

Berksveldt Farm

She loved Berksveldt and her place in Maine. They entertained graciously, in the beautiful setting, allowing many people to enjoy their home and surroundings. With the death of Helene in 1998, and El Roy in 2008, the collection is now being sold in its entirety. It marks the end of an era for the family.

courtesy of Pook & Pook June 2009

Information courtesy of The Oriental Rug Lexicon by Peter F. Stone

Information courtesy of http://www.persiancarpetguide.com

Reference note by p4A editorial staff, July 2011.

Carpet Construction

Size: All sizes made up to [...] Click here to continue reading.]]> Tabriz Carpets

Of all Iranian city carpets Tabriz carpets are perhaps the most Persian. Tabriz has long been a major weaving center and has been dominated by Persian merchants. Only in the last 50 years has the Persian carpet trade shifted to Tehran. Tabriz carpets are made in all sizes from small mats and prayer rugs on up to some of the largest carpets made.

Carpet Construction

Size: All sizes made up to 15 by 30 feet;

Structure: Symmetrical knot; 100 to 842 knots per square inch;

Yarn Spin: Z;

Warp: White cotton;

Weft: 2 shots cotton;

Pile: 2 wool singles;

Selvages: 1 cord plain wool;

Handle: Medium to stiff.

Most Tabriz carpets are wool pile on a cotton foundation. Silk highlights are seen, as are silk foundations, but they are far less common than wool on cotton. Even more rare are all-silk Tabriz rugs. Among Persian city carpets the Tabriz production is about the only example that produces city and workshop rugs with a Turkish (symmetrical) knot. Tabriz weavers are also unusual in tying knots using a hooked knife. The knife allows the Tabriz weavers to tie about 25% more knots per day than most Iranian weavers. Normally a master weaver can tie 8,000 knots per day, but Tabriz weavers can reach 10,000 knots per day. Because of this advantage the jufti or false knot is not seen in Tabriz rugs.

Tabriz Quality Factors

When valuing Tabriz carpets knot count is one factor. Perhaps more important is intricacy of design and execution of pattern. Common patterns include the afshan or scattered pattern, the Shekargah or hunting ground carpets, toranji (medallion) carpets and the Shah Abbasi.

In Tabriz carpets quality is often described in Raj. The low end is the Bazaar grade rug that in the market place is called 30 Raj. A Raj measurement is based on the number of knots in seven centimeters. 30 Raj is 118 kpsi (knots per square inch) and the high end of the Tabriz production is 80 Raj or 842 kpsi. Keep in mind that these knot counts are often lower in the market place but this is a guide as to what they should be. When judging a Tabriz carpet a lower knot count rug can be very nice but the better quality rugs are 50 Raj (330 kpsi) or finer. The finest carpets are usually art pieces and are sold as such. Older carpets tend not to be as fine as the newer ones and should be judged according to when they were made. Here are the specific knot counts for various Raj ranks:

30 Raj: 118

40 Raj: 210

50 Raj: 330

60 Raj: 475

70 Raj: 645

80 Raj: 842

90 Raj: 1066

When counting knots keep in mind that Tabriz carpets have a compressed two level foundation. Therefore only one of the two knot nodes will be visible on the back.

Carpet Color

In a series of books and articles written in the mid-1990′s Richard Wright and John Wertime advanced a new theory suggesting that the brilliantly colored Dragon carpets of the Caucasus were really from Tabriz. Other experts disagree with this theory for a number of reasons, the most important being color. Natural dyes color wool through use of a mordant and a dye. The mordant causes the dye to fix upon the wool. The actual color achieved depends on the dye to a great extent but the mordant and even trace minerals in the water play a big factor in the final tones achieved. The Dragon rugs have brilliant color consistent with Alum as the mordant and trace amounts of tin salts causing bright clear color. These colors are unheard of in Tabriz carpets due in a large part to the presence of copper in the water of that part of Iran. Copper has a “saddening” affect, meaning that Tabriz colors are much more subdued. For instance a copper red will not be as bright or as clear as a tin salt red. Greens, however, react well with copper in the dye bath so there is an attractive range of greens from Tabriz.

Important Producers

While there have been a number of workshops producing Tabriz carpets for many years, they are not generally well known outside of Iran. Two producers having a reputation in the West for superior Tabriz carpets are Benlian, an Armenian who produced excellent carpets from around World War I until about 1970, and the more modern producer Shafaghi, who is highly esteemed for producing some of the very best carpets as art pieces. Benlian Tabriz Persian carpets have an eight-pointed star logo in one corner, usually on the inner guard border. Among many designers, Shafaghi of Tabriz is a pioneer of photo realistic rugs that are generally displayed on the wall and often framed.

Reference Note by Barry O’Connell, p4A Contributing Editor.

Sarouk takes its name from a village in Arak, Iran, but it would be a mistake to assume most Sarouk carpets come from Arak. [...] Click here to continue reading.]]> Sarouk Oriental Rugs & Carpets

It is often said people like the sort of rugs and carpets that their grandparents had. It often seems that here in the States most peoples’ grandparents had a Sarouk. In between WWI and WWII what we now call the American Sarouk became very popular.

Sarouk takes its name from a village in Arak, Iran, but it would be a mistake to assume most Sarouk carpets come from Arak. Sarouk rugs are made in a number of places in the region and the term Sarouk actually refers to the highest grade of Arak carpet.

The American Sarouk Rug

English Author P. R. J. “Jim” Ford attributes the American Sarouk to Mr. S. Tyriakian, the Arak representative of K. S. Taushandjian of New York in the early 1920′s. The American Sarouk is a thick rug that was then stripped (a bleach wash that takes the newness out of a rug and makes it look older). The rugs did not sell so they redyed the fields a deeper shade of red. The color red can range from almost orange to blue/red, to pink. When the rugs which had been a madder red were painted with a blueish red similar to an insect dye red they began to sell…in fact they were a sensation. They were exactly what the U.S. market wanted. Typically these rugs have a rose field with detached floral sprays or vase pattern framed by a blue border.

Characteristics of the American Sarouk Rug

American Sarouk rugs were made heavier than a Mahal (which is the next grade down in Arak carpets). This weight accomplished two things: the rugs were sturdy enough to withstand the bleaching and heavy enough for the American market. American consumers like heavier carpets that do not tend to wrinkle when walked on. Americans also are more likely to wear a heavier shoe on the carpet so a thick rug like a Sarouk works well. Typically they have an 11 millimeter (.44 inches) deep pile. This was long enough to stand up to a double alkali bleaching after which it was painted.

In the beginning Sarouk knot density ranged from 9 by 10 to 10 by 12 knots to the square inch. Knot counts tended to rise through the 20th century, so that by 1990 17 by 17 KPSI was available. The rugs used mill spun cotton warps, the second thinner weft is mill spun, and the straight weft was hand spun. The wefts are often blue since indigo dyed wefts tend to shrink less.

Collector Questions

Why would they do all this dying and painting? They did what they had to do to sell the rug and once they found something that worked they stuck with it.

Doesn’t bleaching hurt the rug? Yes, but the excellent quality wool with extra heavy construction still gives many years of service.

Why didn’t they weave the rugs in the color the consumer wanted? They used the dyes available to them in the market where they wove. Over a period of time they switched to a blue red dye so by sometime in the 1930′s or 40′s the painted Sarouk carpet was phased out.

How do I tell if a rug has been painted? Look closely at areas where the color changes, such as a border of a floral spray. It is normal to spot little areas where they did not get the color applied perfectly. You can also compare the front and back of the rug. They only painted the fronts so there is a good bit of difference.

Reference Note by Barry O’Connell, p4A Contributing Editor.

Their travels and philosophy were described by Mr. Raby for a 1984 Chicago Tribune [...] Click here to continue reading.]]> The Ralph Raby Collection

Ralph Raby is a direct descendant of the Chicago retail shoe magnates George and Joseph Bullock. The Bullocks were typical upper-class Victorians, with a sophisticated eye for fine furniture, art and decorations who traveled extensively throughout Europe. The majority of the Raby collection was assembled by the brothers and their wives in the 1870′s and 1880′s.

Their travels and philosophy were described by Mr. Raby for a 1984 Chicago Tribune article:

It was typical of late 19th century Americans to go to Italy, France and Germany. After 1850 you had a whole middle class that began to travel. Chicago was a big rail center, so Chicagoans could travel easily. The Victorians were interested in the unusual and the exotic, the expanding of their knowledge and education.

When they went abroad they not only investigated Europe, but the Near East, which was being opened up. They took caravan rides across French Morocco and sleigh rides through Russia. They did things that people would think about three or four times before doing today. They knew no fear.

They would bring back mementos, paintings, fabrics, screens, pottery and rugs. For the Bullocks and almost all Victorians, collecting was a way of life.

The collection was housed in Joseph Bullock’s magnificent mansion on Chicago’s North Side, built for Joseph by his brother George (who traveled so extensively that he and his wife stayed only in hotels) and was later inherited by Joseph’s daughter Bertha in 1908. Although Bertha was active in society (she was a founder of Chicago’s Fortnightly Club), her declining health prevented her from remodeling the mansion or altering the collection. Thus when the home was acquired by Mr. Raby, great-great-great nephew of George Bullock, and his partner Glenn C. Hjort in 1961, the home and the collection had been virtually untouched since the late 1800s.

Both Mr. Hjort and Mr. Raby were involved in architectural history and preservation, and both were predisposed to maintain this snapshot of one of America’s most elegant and sophisticated eras. While they made some additions to the collection over the years, they did so with a curatorial eye.

Provenance note by Lee Young, Vice-President, English & Continental Furniture & Decorative Arts, Freeman’s.