"One of the most useful books to cover the whole of the field...Mr. Ford is to be congratulated on having produced a work that should stand the test of time." Carpet Review Weekly

Demystifying a confusing and intimidating subject, Oriental Rugs Today is the first book devoted exclusively to new pieces. It discusses issues of dye and finish, looks country by country at examples from every major contemporary source, and profiles the artisans who revived the use of handspun wool and natural dyes. Written for both aficionado and novice, this edition includes 20 percent more material and new information on Nepalese and Iranian rugs, making this must-have guide to the subject. 100color photos are included.

This monumental reference work--long awaited by collectors and scholars--fills an important gap in the available literature on oriental rugs. Lavishly illustrated with over 1000 photographs and drawings, it offers clear and precise definitions for the rug and textile terms in use across a broad swath of the globe--from Morocco to Turkey, Persia, the Caucasus region, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and China. Covering priceless museum-quality rug traditions as well as modern centers of production, Oriental Rugs: An Illustrated Lexicon of Motifs, Materials, and Origins draws on classical scholarship as well as current terminology in use among producers and traders in these areas today. It focuses primarily on the rich hand-knotting and hand-weaving traditions of the Near East and Central Asia, but also includes some examples of Scandinavian and Native American weavings. Oriental rugs are receiving ever-increasing attention and recognition in the field of art history. Tribal weavings especially have become a focus for new research, and Oriental Rugs provides a new understanding of many distinctive traditions that were previously understudied, such as the weavings of southwest Persia, Baluchistan and Kurdistan. This concise oriental rug reference book is a must-have for scholars and anyone serious about collecting rugs, selling rugs or the rug trade in general. Additional reference information also includes: Foreign terms Place names The Oriental Rug lexicon Museums with notable rug collections Oriental rug internet sites

This authoritative reference contains a vast amount of information about Oriental rugs. Oriental Rugs: A Complete Guide is the first large volume on the subject to be printed in the past forty-five years is meant for the individual who is interested in purchasing his first Oriental Rug, as well as the collector, museum, and rug importer. The volume is divided into three main parts. Part I, entitled "General Discussion devotes one chapter to each of the large rug weaving countries and includes helpful hints as to what the rug buyer should look for in an particular rug. Part II, "Description of Types," is an alphabetical list of all the names that have been used to identify rugs in the past, as well as the names that are being used at present. Each entry is followed by a full discussion and description of the rug. Part III, “Plates,” contains 194 pictures of different types of rugs, complete with descriptive captions for each. Thirty-nine of the plates are in full color. All of the plates are large, allowing the reader to see the design, and in some cases, the colors used in the particular rug.

* Shedding light on a forgotten age of the Persian carpet, this publication offers a complete reassessment of weaving in the period 1722-1872 in Iran, featuring many previously unpublished pieces in full colorThis publication sets out to investigate a significant yet overlooked era of carpet weaving in Iran. The time-span stretches between two highly significant dates, which are exactly 150 years apart. The first, 1722, marks the downfall of the Safavid dynasty. The second date, 1872, represents the formal start of the modern carpet revival, when increased demand attracted European attention and changed the industry's structure. Prevailing opinion has hitherto been that in-between not much happened and that there was an overall decline in carpet production. Thankfully that is not the case, otherwise this book would not exist. New evidence brings to light a period of design evolution, thriving workshops and prestigious commissions. Through careful study of documentary sources, artworks in different media but first and foremost the hand-knotted rugs themselves, the glory of this forgotten age of the Persian carpet is brought to life.