Rug and Textile Appreciation Morning: Two Collectors, Too Long Neglected
Virtual, Saturday, September 14, 2024, 11 a.m.-12 p.m. EDT
Border fragment of a silk carpet; Iran, Kashan; Safavid dynasty, probably 1575-1600. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston 03.621. Julia Bradford Huntington James Fund.
Historian Tom Farnham uncovers the stories of two 20th-century collectors, Henry Marquand and Denman Ross, whose contributions established important rug collections at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Ross’s collection comprised mostly rug fragments, which he donated to the MFA as teaching tools. Henry Marquand collected rugs for his home, to bring pleasure to his family and close friends. It was not until after his death that the exceptional quality of his collection came to light.
Even today, scholarship on these two collectors is extremely limited. Farnham argues that the time to acknowledge their impact is long overdue. The beautiful and historically significant rugs and fragments that they collected deserve the attention of everyone who appreciates carpet art.
This program is in partnership with the New England Rug Society.
About Tom Farnham
Tom Farnham was a professor of American history for 30 years. Several of his publications examine rug collectors, dealers and groups, including Chares T. Yerkes, John D. and Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, George Hewitt Myers, the Hajji Baba Club and more. Farnham chaired the Academic Committee of the 11th International Conference on Oriental Rugs and, with Danny Shaffer, edited Oriental Carpet and Textile Studies VII. A recipient of the Joseph V. McMullan Award for Stewardship and Scholarship in Islamic Rugs and Textiles, he is currently a research fellow of The Textile Museum and board member of the Near Eastern Art Research Center.
How to Participate
This program will take place on Zoom. To participate, please register online, and we will email you a link and instructions for joining. Simply follow that link at the time the event starts (11 a.m. EDT / 8 a.m. PDT). When you register, you can also request to receive a reminder email one day before the program with the link included.
About Rug and Textile Appreciation Mornings
Collectors and experts discuss textile topics and display examples from their personal holdings. This series is named in honor of late Textile Museum trustee emeritus, Harold M. Keshishian. Browse upcoming programs