The chapters on Oriental and African rugs cover the history of these finest of floor and wall decorations, including accounts of the finest classic carpets of the Safavid period in Persia and a history of the many different types over the past 100 years. In the European chapters Isabelle Anscombe examines the development of the European carpet industry from its beginnings in Moorish Spain to the highly sophisticated French Aubusson and Savonnerie carpets and modern carpet production in England and Scandinavia. In addition to describing the beautiful traditional rugs and blankets of the great weavers of the Navajo tribe in the United States, the American chapters also examine in detail the early rugs of the 19th century in the United States.

THE CRAFT OF WEAVING rugs and carpets is one of the most ancient of the world.There are references to it in the Old Testament of the Bible and even in Homer's Iliad; the oldest known carpet in existence, the Pazyryk carpet found in the mountains of Siberia, is probably about 2,500 years old.

  More than any other craft or art form, the handmade rug, whether from one of the great carpet making areas of the Orient or from the Indian tribes of North America, has survived the onslaught of industrialization and is now in greater demand than ever. The importance and beauty of antique Oriental carpets have been long understood, an understanding which is now reflected in the immense sums which the finest pieces can command at auction. Likewise, the great Aubusson and Savonnerie carpets of France have always been prized among the highest achievements of European decorative art. But there are many other types o carpet - many of them modern - which deserve the attention of expert and general reader alike.

Techniques and Materials of Oriental Carpet Weaving 9

 by John Siudmak

 Oriental and African Rugs and Carpets 23

 by Ian Bennett

 Historical Introduction 27

 Early Weaving 38

 Safavid Weaving 44

 Early Ottoman Weaving 90

 Mamluk and Ottoman Weaving in Egypt 112

 Rugs and Carpets of Moghul India 122

 Caucasian Weaving 138

 Weaving of the Turkoman and Baluchi Tribes 158

 Far Eastern Weaving 180

 Later Ottoman Weaving 197

 Moroccan and Tunisian Rugs and Carpets 218

 Later Persian Weaving 221

 Flat Weaving 251

European Rugs and Carpets 259

 by Isabelle Anscombe

North American Rugs and Carpets 321

 by Harmer Johnson

 Navajo Rugs 323

 Handmade American Rugs 332

Buying and Maintenance of Rugs and Carpets 335

Glossary 339

Bibliography 344

Index 346

Acknowledgements 351

Picture Credits 352

Maps

Major Weaving Areas of Asia and Africa 24

The Navajo Weaving Centres 322