From Istanbul to Copenhagen

How is it that the passion for carpets and twenty years of countless hours spent in the bazaars of Istanbul should land me in Copenhagen?  The road is not particularly direct, but in the pursuit of educational opportunity and on the rare the chance to see textiles and carpets that have been hidden away in museum collections, here I am in Copenhagen about to enter into a conference that will bring together collectors, dealers and enthusiasts from around the world for time to study, discuss, view and experience collections in Copenhagen, Stockholm and St Petersburg.  The ICOC; the International Conference on Oriental Carpets which starts early next week last convened in Istanbul in 2007.  In 2007 the Turkish government, collectors and dealers hosted a rich experience showcasing treasures that were feasts for the eyes. Adding to the many highlights of the Istanbul ICOC exhibitions were the historic buildings that housed them.  It was wonderful to view the the carpets and textiles in the great ballroom of the Dolmabache Palace, Josephine Powell’s magnificent kilim collection in the palace at Yildiz Park where one could stand far off and be stunned by the graphic beauty of the pieces.  Mehmet Cetinkaya’s collection of central asian chapans were displayed in the historic 16th c  Ibrahim Pasa’s Palace present home to the Turkish and Islamic Arts Museum while other collections were viewed in the lower reaches of the Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace.  The collections were beautiful and memorable and their beauty was enhanced by the exquisite buildings with the magnificent architectural detail; generally great vast spaces that allowed room for the major pieces to be viewed at their very best.