Antique Oriental carpets are objects of fascination the world over. This richly textured, lavishly illustrated guide enables the reader to recognize the stylistic characteristics of a wide variety of carpets and to appreciate more fully the beauty and history of each. The first part of the book charts the development of carpets as objects of both artistic merit and craftsmanship, tracing their history from surviving sixteenth-century examples up to the early twentieth century. From the Zel-i-Sultan motif to the herati design, patterns, techniques, materials, styles, and colors are discussed in detail. The second part of the book focuses on the major areas of production, including Anatolia, Persia, the Caucasus, Central Asia, India, and China, as well as a few European sites. Over 350 illustrations depict hundreds of examples of colorful rugs and include informative diagrams and drawings. The illuminating text and the extensive illustrations of The Bulfinch Guide to Carpets make this inclusive and practical guide a must-have for carpet lovers, collectors, decorators, craftsmen, and all those who appreciate the intrigue and luxury of Oriental carpets.
Date Published 10/1/1993
Ratings
Rated By: A reader
From: Unavailable
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Comments: pretty basic primer this is a pretty basic primer for those just beginning to collect oriental carpets. There are quite a few pictures/examples, although the book is less than comprehensive.
Rated By: jboc
From: North of the river
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Comments: A good book for beginners This book looks like a beginner level general rug book but it is actually very useful. Of all of my beginner books this is one I still go back to...
Rated By: merrymousies
From: Waterford, VA
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Comments: Fantastic Reference This is probably the most frequently used carpet book I have. I'm not a dealer or serious collector - just wanted to buy nice rugs for the house but I wanted to know what I was buying. I first found this at the library and ended up buying it (along with 2 others that are bigger and different). I go to this book first every time I have a question. This book has great maps of the areas, history of the people in each of the areas, great drawings and explainations of the different symbols and motifs, discussions on the knots/weaves and what to look for in terms of quality, typical indications of what to look for in each type of carpet, and more. We recently returned from a trip to Turkey/Istanbul where we went to the Grand Bazaar and bought carpets for the house - it was lots of fun (great people)- and I feel that this book really helped me not only appreciate the rug making and understand some of the history but also make more informed decisions when shopping. Highly recommeded!
Antique Oriental 
