IMAGE DETAILS

Robert Pinner with his father, Dr Walter Pinner in about 1927

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22 December 2004

HALI's co-founder, Robert Pinner, who sadly passed away in November 2004, will be sorely missed by all of those that knew him. Rather than a formal obituary we felt it appropriate to celebrate his memory with the words of some of his friends and colleagues.

Dennis Dodds: As a pioneer of the International Conference on Oriental Carpets and co-founder of HALI, Robert Pinner was instrumental in establishing the essential institutions that have contributed so much to the growth of information and knowledge in the field of oriental rugs over the past thirty years.

On a more personal note, he was largely responsible for leading me into another career, first with HALI and then with the ICOC. As I found, these activities would demand no small dedication – and yield no less satisfaction. The insights I gained have changed the way I look at the world. Many of my dear friends and colleagues would have remained unknown to me. And I would never have met my soulmate in Baku had it not been for Robert's invitation to go there. All of these have brought profound joy and delight to my life and I am grateful for Robert leading me to the precipice and giving me the gentle nudge to jump.

Robert's own life was filled with these passions, the camaraderie of his family of colleagues, the enigmatic carpets themselves, and the challenges of new discoveries. And he unselfishly shared them with us. They breathed life into his being until the very last days.

Robert's masterpiece was his dedication to this field and loyalty to his friends within it – exuberant and sometimes cacophonous, with blustery bursts of boisterous sound, yet fre-quently paired with passages of unexpected harmony and a cadenza of contemplative sweetness. The finale follows a coda composed of a rich mix of textures, images, experiences and unedited feelings for which I will always remember Robert with the greatest affection.

Wendel Swan: I sorrow at Robert's absence. He was the most generous of men, but he shied from any of the accolades that he deserved. He was equally gracious as a house guest and as a host. Although I never heard him say an unkind word against anyone, he could look a disputant straight in the eye, pound his tiny fist on the table and sputter "Dammit Wendel, don't be such a fool."  Yes, I miss him.

Peter Hoffmeister: I first met Robert Pinner in 1974, but it was many more years before we got to know each other well. Like so many other collectors, Robert invited my wife Ursula and me to his home. He was always the perfect host, and from the 1980s onwards we visited him almost every year. And there followed just as many return visits to our house, often with Elena Tsareva. Even though we were really very different, we developed a close friendship.

We took many trips together, for example to Dresden, Leipzig, Cracow and St Petersburg. We loved his constantly helpful manner, yet he was always unassuming, never looking for special thanks. Naturally, he also influenced my understanding of Turkmen rugs over the years. He taught me to be objective and not launch foolhardy theories into the world.

We miss a valued friend.

Alberto Boralevi: With Robert Pinner's passing, the international carpet community has lost one of its most prestigious and representative members, and I have lost, above all, a very good friend, the one who made me look at the oriental carpet world in a totally new way.

Jenny Housego: This is rather the end of an era. Robert has done so much to further rug studies and brought delight and meaning to us all. I shall always remember him with great affection, rather added to by our occassional spats!

Nejat Diyarbekirli: The loss of our great friend Robert Pinner has upset most of the academicians in Turkey. His legacy, HALI Magazine and the ICOC, will always live among us. And his efforts to organise international carpet congresses added considerable information to the scientific world.

Elena Tsareva: Robert really had a kind heart. Here in St Petersburg we have decided to dedicate the Textile Section of our our VI Congress in 2005 and a corresponding volume of studies to Robert's memory. Carpet research in St Petersburg did not really begin until after his first visit in 1974, and the role he played is incomparable, including the generous support I have received from him over the past thirty years.

Fred & Susan Ingham: Our thoughts are with Robert Pinner's friends and colleagues as we reflect on the difference he made in our lives, and the grief of his loss. We have fond memories of spending time with Robert. He was always passionate and opinionated, and his enthusiasm was infectious. His contributions to rug and textile appreciation are immense, but it was his spirit that we will remember most fondly.

Mehmet Çetinkaya: We are all left with great sorrow and wish God's blessing on him. It is a huge loss for the carpet world.

Anselm Kuhn: Robert made a name for himself nationally and internationally in two quite different spheres. Metal finishing and oriental textiles have almost nothing in common. However there was never any doubt where Robert's heart lay, and in the last ten years of his life, his writings on metal finishing were little more than a source of income, and towards the end, he bowed out of the field altogether.

In my interactions with Robert, I saw him as a devoted 'family man'. Nothing gave him greater pleasure than to have members of his family stay with him in Twickenham, but equally, he was delighted to go and stay with family, be that in Turkey, Germany or the USA. You will, of course, understand what I mean by 'family' – this was his ICOC family.

He was unusually well-informed and there were few subjects one could not discuss with him, and not feel one had learned something. On a number of subjects he had very firm and strongly held views and though dissent might sometimes be shrugged off with a chuckle, it could evoke far stronger reactions.

Robert achieved so much in his chosen field of interest, but my impression was that, at least in the UK, he was never accepted by full-time scholars and academics. This was academic snobbery at its worst. For instance, Robert would, from time to time, visit the V&A, but I don't believe that on such occasions he received the welcome to which he felt, as a fellow scholar, he was entitled. I got the impression that while Robert was more than willing to play ball with recognised establishments, and that he had generous intentions in that direction, the reverse was not true. If that is indeed the case, the academic establishment has been the loser, perhaps in more senses than one.

Despite such disappointments, Robert ended his years secure in the knowledge that, with ICOC and HALI, the world of those with an interest in oriental textiles would continue to be served, and the tradition of accessible scholarship which he had so vigorously promoted, would continue in safe hands.

Fred Mushkat: Robert Pinner was one of the greats who made the field what it is today. His contribution cannot be underestimated. I remember one show-and-tell at a Sunday morning Textile Museum convention in which someone asked him if a more crudely woven Turkmen chuval might be older than a more finely woven counterpart. A master of understatement, he replied, "Well, she didn't have a PhD in weaving!" He will never be forgotten.

John Howe: My wife and I were the unexpected recipients of Robert Pinner's genuine hospitality a few years back when we visited England. We greatly enjoyed our stay there but also had occasion to witness Robert's acerbic side.

First the hospitality: I contacted Robert before our planned trip only to ask him for a contact at the V&A who might arrange for us to see the Turkmen material there. Although we did not really know him well, he immediately invited us to stay with him, and when we arrived we found that he had in fact invited too many guests that week for the space in his home. No matter. Apparently that happened often and Robert had an arrangement with the widowed lady next door to take his overflow.

Then the sharper side: as we were driving from the airport I asked whether he ever looked at the Turkotek website. He said that he did. "What do you think of it?" I asked. He said, "I have a question. Why would a group of people who know rather little about oriental rugs want to spend so much time talking about them in public?" Whew!

This is a time when we should stand in a little wonder at what the tremendous undertakings and successes of the leading rug publication in the world and of the best international rug and textile conference represent. Not many people leave such enduring marks on an arena of activity that is not vocational.

Hans König: I will always remember Robert's honesty and decency and I admired his devotion and passion to the cause of oriental carpets. Of course he could be strong-willed and obstinate when he believed that this cause he wholeheartedly defended, required it. Yet there was never anything personal or offensive in his attitude. I have been thinking back – and I knew Robert for about 25 years – and I cannot remember him talking badly about anyone. Even when he was impatient or irritated by the lack of action of his partners he would never utter a negative or depreciating word.

He enjoyed the company of like-minded friends, he had a great sense of humour and was a wonderful host. It is difficult to describe his achievements in his fight to have oriental carpets better understood and given the place they deserve. He also put a lot of time and energy and quite a bit of his personal fortune into these endeavours. We all hope his work will be continued, but twenty years ago I already knew that there would be no-one like him once he retired or passed away.

He will stay alive in our memories. I believe when people die part of them remains and in Robert's case, his aura will long survive him.