Procuring fine natural cochineal dyes in a time of scarcity, rationing and war:
Excerpt Circa 1943
Our supplier of Cochineal informed us that for sundry reasons they anticipated an extreme shortage of Cochineal and that on this basis they were offering us 12,000 lbs of this material which they had here in New York… We wish to advise you that we have bought these 12,000 lbs and stored them in a warehouse here.
Unfortunately, it is impossible to pack [the dyes] in tins. Due to the War, all tin is under high priority by the Government and consequently it is impossible to obtain same for civilian use… Fiber drums stand up very well while in transit. This is the best method of packing which we can offer you now.
Mehdi Dilmaghani
10 Years Later (c.1953)
Overview – This next string of communications date over ten years later between Mehdi Dilmaghani & Co. Inc. (here forward MD & CO.) with Dilmaghani’s subsidiary factory in Kerman, Kerman Rug Weavers, Inc. (here forward Kerman) and a new prospective supplier for fine black cochineal dye.
The exchanges below demonstrate one aspect of MD &CO’s strict quality standards in Oriental Rug production: great efforts to procure only the finest dyes from multiple suppliers, rejecting samples and batches which are not of expected grade. Even more unusual and unique for the time is the nature of the dye being sourced: fine natural cochineal dyes at a time when synthetic dyes were in widespread use. Mehdi opted to preserve the signature color in Kerman rugs well known to his family and factories with the original natural dyes. Quality standards such as were consistently maintained and continued throughout the 110+ year run of fine Persian Kerman production.
August 15, 1955
MD & CO. NY to new prospective London Dye Supplier
We understand that you deal in cochineal.
Would you be kind enough to send us a small sample of your best type cochineal in black brilliant color… We will send your sample to our subsidiary company’s branch office in Iran. If same proves satisfactory, we will communicate with you further.
Very truly yours,
Mehdi Dilmaghani
August 26, 1955
MD & CO. NY to Kerman
This morning our subsidiary received your cable as follows:
‘… SAMPLE COCHINEAL NOT SATISFACTORY STOP KINDLY CANCEL REMAINING 3100 POUNDS AND SUBSTITUTE QUALITY CONFORMING MAILING YOU’
Needless to say, we were disturbed to receive same… do not use any part of it in the manufacture of our own rugs. It just does not pay to take a chance of risking thousands of dollars of merchandise…
A couple of weeks ago we communicated with a large supplier in England and asked them to send us a sample of their Black Brilliant… This is what they replied:
‘We thank you very much for your letter of the 15th instant advising us of your interest in obtaining supplies of cochineal for use in Iran in the production of rugs. As you are probably already aware, supplies of the Black Brilliant grade normally used for this purpose, have been extremely difficult to obtain owning the very poor crops in recent years.
We are receiving very limited quantities from the Canary Islands, and at the present time we can only provide Maximum 200- Kilos COCHINEAL BLACK BRILLIANT… Quality equal to sample enclosed.’
If, after examining [this dye sample], you find that this is the grade of Black Brilliant you use in the manufacture of our rugs, please let us know.
Very truly yours,
Mehdi Dilmaghani
September 9, 1955
MD & CO. NY to new prospective London Dye Supplier
Gentlemen:
Thank you very much for your letter of August 19th… We submitted your sample of cochineal to our branch office in Kerman, Iran and were informed only today that the quality is satisfactory.
We, therefore, wish to place an order for the following:
Quantity: 200 Kilos.
Very truly yours,
Mehdi Dilmaghani