Le Provocateur

Issue date: 11/24/09 Section: Feature

The topic of the discussion focused on the Transylvanian Carpet and its role and presence in academia. Dr. Taylor pointed out that, "Every aspect of the Transylvanian Carpet­­-from production to design-is highly debated by scholars." For those who may not know, the Transylvanian Carpet refers to the ornate carpets found in the Transylvanian region although not necessarily originating there. When the study of carpets and carpet-making became a field of study, most of the older carpets were located in Transylvania, hence their eventual namesake. The main intellectual ideas expressed by Taylor centered around the two main debates in regards to carpets.

The first debate, as Taylor described it, has to do with "where the Transylvanian Carpets came from and who originally invented them." Traditionally, it is thought that the Islamic world and more specifically the areas of Iran and Turkey are responsible for the creation of these beautiful art forms. However, as Dr. Taylor points out, a book by Volkmar Gantzhorn titled Christian Oriental Carpets claims that "the Armenian Christians were the primary creators of the carpet designs." A controversial assertion in itself, the fact that Armenians and Turks have a troubled relationship only adds more fuel to the fire. Along with this debate, a secondary area of controversy surrounds the mystery around which society "is responsible for preserving the carpets that historians can look at," according to Dr. Taylor.

With the use of images of Transylvanian Carpets to supplement the lecture, Dr. Taylor presented a colorful and tangible aspect to the discussion. Professor Lance Lazar of the History Department said, "Dr. Taylor's lecture lived up to the them of curiousness as suggested in the title of his lecture." Assumption has always proclaimed serious intellectual debate as an integral part of the learning experience and this lecture reinforced that them. "The lecture was a way for a historian to showcase the place of history in the marketplace of ideas," remarked Professor Lazar. The Assumption Community experienced another lively discussion on an interesting lecture topic and Dr. Taylor delivered a presentation, which exceeded the expectations for a relatively unknown scholarly debate.

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