Oriental Carpets: A Complete Guide - The Classic Reference

by Murray L. Eiland

This comprehensive, authoritative volume by the most regarded names in the field reviews the history of the art of weaving & explains basic carpet-making materials, tools & techniques.

352 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 1998

Reviews

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Authoritative and comprehensive this guide to Oriental rugs and carpets, flat-weaves and utilitarian bags, although focusing most on the core regions in and around Persia, touches on all the weaving regions from Morocco to China, India to the Balkans. This book has quickly become my go-to reference as the writing is both engaging and informative (with detailed specifics about the origins, designs, looms, materials, yarns, dyes and knots involved, as well as the regional and tribal histories and a town by town description of the changing qualities of rug production over the years), and it also is well illustrated with an abundance of color photos of both beautiful rugs and the people who weave them. Essential!

[Dennis Hedrikson · Rating 1 out of 5]

A combination of info on how rugs are made---which I already knew---and lots of detail (trivia?) about the various locales and weavers, such as tribal affiliation. The pictures are poor, and 95% black & white.

[Peter Tillman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good guidebook, but I think it's a bit out-of-date now. Still a decent reference book.