Carpet magic: The art of carpets from the tents, cottages, and workshops of Asia

by Jon Thompson

Learning from Photographs by Young Book 2 (Barbican Art Book)

Genres: Art, Reference

Paperback

First published January 1, 1983

Reviews

[Tim Poston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marvellous book, splendidly illustrated, at the intersection of art, technique and social patterns; and also information for connoisseurs and collectors. I have been in love with weaving since I got a toy loom from my 8th birthday, and can imagine spending my life making rugs like this.

I wish, one of the times the author tells us that a tribal girl weaves her dowry, the author had told us when she starts that work. When she is considered a woman? (By age? By puberty?) When she is a good enough weaver? When her man has been chosen?

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing book on Oriental rugs, perhaps the perfect one. Recently in a review for James Opie’s ‘Tribal Rugs: Nomadic and Village Weavings from the Near East and Central Asia’ I wrote, “To me the perfect rug book will include scenic pictures (weaver's at their looms and sheep in their pastures) of each type of rug to show us where and how the rugs arise as much as what the finished works of art look like.” And I thought Opie’s book came close, but this one certainly accomplishes this!

Jon Thompson set out to make the dazzlingly complex and varied world of Oriental Carpets more understandable to the novice, and chose to organize his book in four basic categories based on how the rugs are made not by the usual listing of them by which town, city, region or tribe the weavers are from. (And this works better than P.R.J. Ford’s 'Oriental Carpet’ which took the different route of organizing by motifs which are shared across various regions and weaving styles, and so ended up lacking somewhat the more personal aspect of by whom and how they are made.)

So, the four categories are; 1) Tribal and domestic weavings, 2) cottage industry, 3) town or workshop carpets, and 4) court carpets. There is plenty of helpful well written text, but the main treat is the abundant photos of people weaving (even toddlers!), people with their animals and camps, people using their rugs in daily life, and of course the rugs themselves, mostly antiques of fabulous quality (all clearly labeled by both which style of weaving and which tribe or town/region), but the people, their daily lives and labors make up at least half the photos. The only thing I could imagine being better about this book would be to have it available in an affordable hardcover copy. 5+ stars!

[Dennis Hedrikson · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book. Anthropology and textiles---with beautiful pictures of both the people and the rugs.

[Peter Tillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best introductory rug book I've seen

If you have any interest in Oriental rugs, you *need* this book. If you don't think you're interested, do yourself a favor & check it out from the library. Would that more art books were like this....

My c. 2005 review: https://www.amazon.com/review/R18H2UN...

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated. Essential information if you want to own tribal rugs.