06 May 2004 Marilyn Rothman Wolf writes: Nearly 200 classic Turkish rugs over eight days, now that's nirvana for any rug enthusiast! Organised by the well known Florentine scholar and dealer Alberto Boralevi, a group of some 25 Italians, Austrians and Americans travelled to Transylvania (in modern Romania) where they were introduced to the inexhaustible Stefano Ionescu, publisher, editor and author of the forthcoming definitive book on Transylvanian rugs, Antique Ottoman Rugs in Transylvania.
Ionescu took us to a succession of well known as well as obscure Transylvanian churches and museums. until every rug on public view was absorbed by the group. In most places we were permitted to examine and handle all of the recently conserved pieces, professionally washed at Ionescu's own expense, in preparation for the photography for the book.
We were shown literally scores of 300-year-old Transylvanians, both single-and double-niche medalion types, Lottos, dozens of authentic Selendi 'bird' carpets, some with full pile, an assortment of coupled-column prayer rugs, more çintamanis than could been seen in a lifetime in the West and a handful of small-pattern Holbeins, all complete, with glorious colours. We also saw two very rare white ground 'scorpion' rugs, a Ghirlandaio in near perfect condition with glowing colours as well as some 'one of a kind' early Turkish rugs, all of which will be illustrated in colour in the book (see also www.transylvanianrugs.com).
The energetic Ionescu arranged for us to see the stores at the Black Church in Brasov, in Medias and at the Brukenthal Museum in Sibiu, where the rugs were unrolled in the courtyard under the bright sunlight, just for us! We also saw the fakes and remakes, both well known and a few recent discoveries.
Interspersed with the beautiful and seemingly untouched storybook towns, our bus rolled from site to site and we were joined for short periods by local restorers, various academics, church officials, a university chemist specialising in identification of antiques, local collectors and museum officials.
Truly this was one of the most unforgettable rug experiences in a lifetime.
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