Princeton Rug Society Lecture: Scoartze: Romanian folk kilims by Stefano Ionescu

Princeton
Rug Society is pleased to announce that Stefano Ionescu will lecture on
Scoartze: Romanian folk kilims on Saturday March 8, 2014 at 1 PM at
the next meeting of the Princeton Rug Society at the Mary Jacobs Library 64
Washington Street, Rocky Hill, NJ 08553.

The so
called scoartze, due to their utilitarian and ceremonial role as well as for
their artistic value, may be considered the major creation of Romanian folk art.
They are a fusion of local tradition and other influences ranging from Anatolia to France.  These textiles are scarcely shown in rugs books and in HALI
magazine, while auction catalogues or dealers just use brand names as
‘Bessarabia’ or ‘Thracia’. The lecture will try to elucidate three key  points:
the production areas (Oltenia, Valachia, Transylvania, Moldavia and Bessarabia),
dating elements, and fine examples from the main collections.  Typical patterns
and symbolic messages associated with these flatweaves, as well as local
tradition versus foreign influences, will be part of the talk.


Stefano Ionescu, an independent scholar on Oriental
carpets,
has dedicated more than 15 years to the study of
Anatolian carpets in Transylvania.  His publications include Antique Ottoman
Rugs in Transylvania, winner of the Prize of the Romanian Academy in
History of Art as well as numerous scholarly articles on HALI, OCTS, GHEREH and
curated exhibitions.  At International Conference Oriental Carpets (ICOC) 2011
Stefano Ionescu was awarded the Joseph V. McMullan Award for scholarship and
Stewardship in Islamic Rugs and Textiles.