Treasures of the CaucasusEditors Note: When I posted a special discount offer on books I mentioned that Harold Keshishian was not pleased with the color reproduction in one of the 48 plates in his book "The Treasure of the Caucasus". I also mentioned that if anyone spotted the bad plate let me know because it was not readily apparent to me. That being said I received an email from Irwin Kirsch, a man who in a short period of time has become a very serious student of Caucasian rugs:
Dear Irwin, Thanks for letting me know. Harold Keshishian is a perfectionist and he pays a great deal of attention to color. Now that you point it out I think what happened was that in the printing process and pre-press work they over corrected. It needs about a 3% to 6% red hue adjustment. I had no idea just how complex it is to go from the rug in the studio to the rug on the page of a book. Different brands of film record color differently. Then in the processing the processor tries to match what they think the picture really looked like. Then the setup man readjusts the color in the color separation phase of the book. The pressman then runs it and his work can change the colors again. Wow, with all that room for error Harold should be glad 47 plates came out so well. So I think that it is a little too red and the orange is a little harsher than in real life. Years ago Ulrich Schurmann said in the Textile Museum that there is a good (vegetal) orange in Caucasian rugs and I would expect the Burn's rug to be closer to those tones. I always call it Harold's book but he had help. Melissa his wife played a big role. Russell Pickering and the late Ralph Yohe wrote the forward. One of the very best structural experts John Wertime helped with the book and the quality of the structural analysis shows his input. Some of the big names in the world of Rug Collecting contributed rugs from their collections including: Mr. James D. Burns, Mr. Dennis Dodds, Mr. and Mrs. Russell S. Fling, Mr. and Mrs. Harold Keshishian, Mr. and Mrs. James Mark Keshishian Mr. and Mrs. Zaven Kish (Mr. Kish is since deceased), Mr. Kirk Landauer, Dr. and Mrs. Ronald Moe, Ms. Brooke Pickering, Dr. and Mrs. William T. Price, Mr. and Mrs. Ernest H. Roberts, Mr. Ralph Yohe (Mr. Yohe is since deceased), And others, 21 total collections represented. Thanks for your note. It is always nice to know that someone reads some of the things I post and thinks enough to write. Best wishes, Associate Editor Oriental Rug Review For Further Reading: Thanks and best wishes, J. Barry O'Connell Jr. |
Persian Rugs the O'Connell Guides | |||||||||
