File:All the Russias- travels and studies in contemporary European Russia, Finland, Siberia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia (1902) (14783875402).jpg

Identifier: allrussiastravel01norm (find matches)
Title: All the Russias: travels and studies in contemporary European Russia, Finland, Siberia, the Caucasus, and Central Asia
Year: 1902 (1900s)
Authors: Norman, Henry, 1858-1939
Subjects: Tolstoy, Leo, graf, 1828-1910 Eastern question (Central Asia)
Publisher: New York, C. Seribner's sons
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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he chief topics of conversationamong Russian officers and functionaries quartered in Trans-Caspia. Everybody collects them, and the discussions aboutprice and quality, and the comparisons of finds are endless.Carpets are peculiarly convenient to these nomads of civilisation,as they were to the uncivilised nomads who originally made them,for as both soldiers and civilians may not be long in one placethey seldom possess much furniture, since it could not be trans- 274 ALL THE RUSSIAS ported except at an expense which would ruin them, whereasa few empty beer-boxes with carpets and cushions thrown overthem, and a few carpets hung on the walls, give you a fineEastern saloii at once. Moreover, carpets can be easily takenhome, and then if you wish you can probably sell them for muchmore than you gave for them. There is unfortunately one draw-back—all modern carpets fade. The old carpet, however, is now perhaps the one relic leftof a great bygone civilisation, for assuredly the Turkomans in
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In the New Tashkent. their dirt and squalor could not have invented the beautiful de-signs that their women made till recently. The patterns andthe surroundings are in too great a contrast. The different greattribes of Turkomans—the Sariks, Saliks, and nearer the Caspianthe Yumuds—are indistinguishable in their dress, their utensils,their habits, etc.; their carpets alone can serve to distinguishthem. These are their passports—their visiting cards. Perhapsthese very patterns were given them by Nebuchadnezzar! Butaniline dyes and loom competition are killing these fast, and ADMINISTRATION IN CENTRAL ASIA 275 soon nothing except their old carpets will be left to tell of amysterious civilisation of the far past. This whole region, as faras China, is the field of rectangular ornaments, and the detailsof these patterns recur in the most extraordinary fashion. A de-tail can be traced, for instance, through China, Afghanistan, Per-sia, and Galicia. In Trans-Caspia are two well-marked r

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