Oriental Carpets: A Complete Guide – The Classic Reference
$89.99
Product Overview
This authoritative guide to oriental carpets is written by the most respected experts in the field, offering a comprehensive exploration of carpet history, craftsmanship, and cultural significance. Ideal for collectors, historians, interior designers, and anyone passionate about textile arts, this book provides deep insights into the materials, tools, and techniques used in traditional carpet weaving. With its detailed coverage and scholarly approach, it serves as both an educational resource and a lasting reference for those seeking to understand the artistry behind these timeless pieces.
Key Features
- Expert Authorship: Written by leading authorities in the field, ensuring accuracy, depth, and credibility in every chapter.
- Historical Context: Traces the evolution of carpet weaving across cultures, highlighting regional styles and their development over centuries.
- Technical Detail: Explains the full process of carpet-making, from raw materials like wool and silk to the intricate tools and methods employed by master weavers.
- Comprehensive Reference: Designed as a definitive guide, suitable for both beginners and advanced enthusiasts looking to expand their knowledge.
- In-Depth Analysis: Includes particularly thorough sections on specific regions, such as China, praised for their exceptional detail and insight.
Technical Specifications
- ASIN: 0821225480
- Publisher: Bulfinch
- Edition: 4th edition
- Publication Date: November 15, 1998
- Language: English
- Binding: Hardcover
- Page Count: 352 pages
- ISBN-10: 9780821225486
- ISBN-13: 978-0821225486
- Item Weight: 0.01 ounces
- Dimensions: 9.63 x 1.5 x 12.38 inches
Benefits & Use Cases
This book is ideal for individuals who wish to deepen their understanding of oriental carpats beyond surface-level appreciation. Whether you’re evaluating a potential purchase, researching historical textiles, or designing interiors with authentic patterns and textures, the content offers practical knowledge grounded in tradition and expertise. Collectors will find value in the identification guides and historical context, while students of art or anthropology can use it as a foundational text. Its structure supports both casual reading and serious study, making it versatile for various audiences.
Interior designers seeking to incorporate authentic cultural elements into their projects benefit from the detailed descriptions of regional motifs, color palettes, and weaving techniques. The book helps distinguish genuine handwoven carpets from machine-made imitations by explaining subtle differences in texture, knot density, and dye methods. For academic researchers, the work provides a reliable source for tracing the diffusion of weaving traditions along ancient trade routes and understanding how socio-political changes influenced design evolution.
Craftspeople interested in textile arts gain insight into traditional loom setups, natural fiber preparation, and dye extraction processes. The explanations of geometric symbolism and narrative storytelling embedded in patterns offer deeper layers of interpretation beyond aesthetic appreciation. This knowledge empowers buyers to make informed decisions at auctions, galleries, or private sales, recognizing authenticity markers and assessing condition accurately.
Reader Feedback Highlights
Customers consistently describe this volume as an invaluable reference that exceeds expectations for depth and clarity. Many note its utility spans casual browsing to intensive research, with particular praise directed toward the section on Chinese carpets—highlighted as exceptionally well-researched and illustrated. Reviewers appreciate how the authors balance technical precision with accessible language, avoiding unnecessary jargon without sacrificing scholarly rigor.
Several readers emphasize that despite being published over two decades ago, the foundational principles outlined remain relevant today. The preservation of traditional methods discussed continues to influence contemporary artisans worldwide. Some users mention pairing the text with visual resources enhances comprehension, though they acknowledge the absence of embedded images in this format may require supplemental viewing.
Important Notes
The information provided is based on the original publication from 1998, reflecting the state of research and scholarship at that time. While no explicit limitations are stated, readers should be aware that some references may not reflect recent developments or discoveries. The product does not include physical images or illustrations within this description, but visual elements may be present in the actual book or associated galleries. Customers are advised to review current pricing and availability, as shown on the product listing.
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11 reviews for Oriental Carpets: A Complete Guide – The Classic Reference
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Vincent Poirier –
Beautiful book, thorough monograph on oriental carpets
Caveat: You won’t know a thing about rugs until you start to shop around, until you start touching them. You’ll have to look at the knots, at the foundation and the edges, and run your hands over the pile. You’ll need to feel the difference between a silk weave and a wool weave. That said, this book gives a thorough informational grounding in the topic.The book starts with an account of what little is known of the origins of carpet making. The next chapter describes how carpets are constructed. Weavers make short knots that form the visible pile; the pile is woven on an invisible foundation of warps and wefts. There are many types of knots, and surprisingly many types of warps and wefts as well! The book then explains what materials are used–mostly wool, cotton, and silk–how they are spun into yarns, and how they are colored, with either natural or synthetic dyes. The colors are of course central to a carpet’s designs, which is the topic of the following chapter.The authors then proceed to review the great carpet making regions. There’s a huge chapter on Persian rugs, followed by a chapter on Turkish rugs. These are followed by shorter chapters on the rugs of the Caucasus, India & Pakistan, China, Turkestan, Tibet, North Africa, and the Balkans.Rugs are like wine, or like any fine object. One cannot learn the topic from a book, one must learn from the things themselves. A good book though is invaluable in reducing how long it will take to feel comfortable with the topic.One last word. There are 348 illustrations of extremely high quality, making the book itself a very beautiful object. It’s a great coffee table book.Vincent Poirier, Tokyo
Michael H. Kaplan –
The best all around book on Oreintal rugs.
Pretty detailed but a little dated. Informative but you need to dig for that info. A little pedantic and too scholarly but still a book most people interested in collecting Oriental carpets will want to have.The above was my original review but I sat down and started to actually read the entire book. The section on dyes is worth the price of entry. The details are the point and worth reading through. The section on China is excellent – better then his 1979 book on Chinese and Exotic Rugs. A must have for anyone interested in Oriental rugs. The big five are this one, How to Read Islamic Carpets by Walter Denny, Oriental Carpets from the Tents, Cottages and Workshops of Asia by Jon Thompson, Oriental Rugs Today by Emmett Eiland, and Tribal Rugs by James Opie
Robert P –
Wonderful Book !!
Detailed , descriptive and erudite with marvelous plates. The best book I have found on the subject and obviously the result of time spent, travel and research. A pleasure to read and a real source of information.
DelHome –
Oriental Carpets: A Complete Guide – The Classic Reference
Bought for myself as a tool to help teach myself about Persian rugs, this book is so wonderful I gave it as a housewarming present to a friend of mine, freshly divorced who is decorating his new house. Perfect! The authors, the Murray Eilands Jr. and III, a father and son team, are experts in their field. The father, a practicing psychiatrist in California, has been studying and collecting Oriental rugs for almost 40 years, and his son has a doctorate from Oxford in Near Eastern archeology (including textile development), so you would be learning from very special, knowledgeable accomplished folks who love their textiles and rugs. I recommend this book highly.
Steven Lauw –
Very satisfied.
Fast delivery
Judith Anderson –
Four Stars
Great reference book for anyone interested in carpets.
Shaf –
Comprehensive
I wanted to educate myself about Oriental rugs as I am thinking of importing the same. A must have for a person who wants to educate himself about rugs. The authors are very comprehensive and knowledgeable. They have done their research and the reader gets an idea about the history, weaving and different types of Oriental rugs. A great read.
Marko Vucic –
All positive
Really fast delivery. Item as described.
Paul W –
Very comprehensive and well written. Beware – book’s heavy, it’s so packed with information!
Amazon Customer –
Very pleased with purchase. Came well wrapped and in excellent condition as described. Recommend.
Amazon Kunde –
An very interesting book with much information.It has a fresh view on many opinions that seem no longer adequat.It is very much focussed on the American situation.The rugs which are presented in the book are rather specific.