Dear Michael Shavolian,

Splendid ESRAmagazine has sent me a copy of your email enquiring if I have any information concerning the Tree of Life Silk Kashan Carpet illustrated in my book Jewish Carpets, with the name of your great-grandmother, Miriam Assurian, woven there in tiny knots. 

I don’t know if she wove this superb carpet.  The micro writing of her name could be expressing a gift, for there were few women master weavers in Kashan.  Many years ago, I gave a lecture on Jewish Carpets to a group of Iranian carpet people in Los Angeles.  After the talk, an elderly gentleman approached me and said Miriam Assurian was his grandmother!

Life is full of surprises.  As I moved to ask him for more information, other members of the audience surrounded me, pushing me to answer their questions. The situation passed by me and I never learned anything more about her.

It is likely – you’ll know best – that among Miriam’s descendants in the Iranian community in the U.S. there are now distant cousins who might be able to tell us more about her.  If you do find anything, do please let me know for the next edition of my book.

Anton Felton
Herzliya

Thank you, Anton, for your kind reply. Actually, my relatives here in New York recently shared with me about Miriam Assurian’s life and how the carpet came to be.  I believe the book says the carpet is in a textile museum in Manchester.  I was wondering if perhaps you knew which museum exactly?

Michael Shavolian
New York

Anton's reply
Try the Jewish Museum in Toronto.