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ORIENTAL RUGS ZINE
EDITOR’S CORNER
July/Aug 2000
Editor’s corner? Hardly. I have the whole mansion to myself. When I launched Oriental Rug Zine a half year ago, I imagined there were dozens of writers and
would-be writers about oriental rugs longing for a forum. If so, they have not discovered Oriental Rug Zine and I have not discovered them. Of course they may
be holding out for a venue with an actual readership. In that department things are at least improving. Our readership is up 12,320% from 6 months ago.
In fact, three excellent writers have contributed their work to the Zine: Paul Gertmenian, Mason Purcell and Chris Walter, who wrote a very poignant and
personal story for the last issue of Oriental Rug Zine. I cannot thank them enough for their unremunerated work.
A recent, kind review of the Zine noted that it is largely concerned with new rugs.
Certainly it has been to date but only because no one has come forward with an ax to grind about antique rugs. In any case, in this issue Professor B. Jharr writes about Sarouks and at least nudges the 19th century. I have begun a series of
revisits to the old Oriental Rug Company newsletters that were written by Murray Eiland in the 70s, often about the rugs we found on our research and buying trips
to the Middle East. It will be interesting to compare our understanding of them then with what the rug-world knows today. Anyway, I personally am morbidly drawn to revisit the newsletters and shake my head over the gems we offered in
its pages for $600 and less. Like the two Yomud main carpets we sold in 1972 for $600 and $425 respectively.
Emmett Eiland
The Oriental Rug Zine is brought to you by San Francisco bay area Emmett Eiland's Oriental Rugs |
