Oriental Rugs

Oriental Rugs by Peter F. Stone is a must-have reference for anyone navigating the highly confusing rug terminology used worldwide—from Morocco to Turkey, Persia and the Caucasus region, to Central Asia, India, and China.

This monumental reference work is coveted by collectors and scholars alike, as it fills an important gap in available literature. Lavishly illustrated with over 1000 photographs and drawings, it offers clear and precise definitions for rug and textile terms used across a broad region—from Morocco to Turkey, Persia, the Caucasus region, Central Asia, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and China.

Oriental Rugs covers both priceless museum-quality rugs and modern centres of production, drawing on classical scholarship as well as current terms used by producers and traders today. It focuses on the rich hand-knotting and hand-weaving traditions of the Near East and Central Asia and includes some Scandinavian and Native American weavings.

Rug terms can be confusing; the same rug is often called by a baffling array of different names. Some of these refer to a specific geographic or ethnic origin, while others refer to a particular function, method of production, or material. This book makes all these terms accessible and understandable, aiding researchers and collectors by precisely identifying each region and ethnic group and explaining the designs, motifs, and materials used there. It highlights rugs of particular significance and explains technical terms used by local producers and traders.