'Baluch weavings'

This illustrated presentation refines our understanding of Baluch carpets and saddlebag faces by examining their exhibition in European decorative arts museums and USA fine art cultural institutions from the 1870s to the 1920s. It explores key catalogues such as the one featuring the Persian collection of the South Kensington Museum in 1876, the carpet exhibition at the Austrian Trade Museum in 1891, the James F. Ballard collection of Oriental carpets at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1922, and the Ballard collection showcased at the John Herron Art Institute in 1924.

The talk explores how museums attempted to raise the status of the so-called Baluch weavings by including them in a broader reassessment of ‘minor’ decorative or applied arts in relation to ‘superior’ fine arts. However, their re-evaluation was hindered by ethno-cultural biases prevalent among scholars of Persian art, their classification under a trade name, and inadequate documentation.

While these challenges persist, they also present an opportunity for further research to acknowledge the significance of Baluch weavings within the museum landscape.

Kassiani Kagouridi is a PhD researcher in art history at the University of Ioannina. Her PhD project explores the role of Baluch weavings in Western art narratives and collections. She is also the head of the department of museum collections at the Corfu Museum of Asian Art