These two books give the reader tools for understanding, identifying, and selecting Oriental carpets, which have long been staples of elegant home decor. Sakhai, who comes from an Iranian family of experts, presents inside information about the history, traditions, meanings, weaving techniques, and characteristics of carpets from the many tribes of Persia. Readers will gain appreciation for rugs that are part of the everyday life of these people as they learn how to determine quality and authenticity as well as how to care for these treasures. Gorgeous full-color illustrations are accompanied by individual histories and thumbnail maps of the regions of their origins. Stone (Oriental Rug Repair, 1981. o.p.) attempts to define the linguistically confusing terminology of oriental carpets and rugs. In alphabetically arranged entries that are usually brief, with many cross references, he covers rug characteristics, techniques, design motifs, structures, and materials, as well as persons and places. The geographic scope encompasses not only the Middle East but Northern Africa, Central Asia, the Far East, and even southern Europe and North America, presumably because such carpets share "Oriental" designs. Clear black-and-white drawings and small maps punctuate the entries, with 48 rugs shown in color. This long-awaited reference is accessible to the lay reader yet backed by disciplined research. Both books are helpful guides, with Sakhai's reverential text eliciting the exoticism and Stone's lexicon the facts. Together they make an excellent "starter kit" on the topic for large or small academic and public libraries. Indispensable for consumers, dealers, or museums.?Therese Duzinkiewicz Baker, Western Kentucky Univ. Libs., Bowling Green
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Reader Reviews
In the rug world there is almost a constant competition of scholarship. Very rarely does one person so dominate his field as to be the indisputable authority. One of those rare exceptions is Peter Stone. One rug restoration expert told me that there will never be another major book on rug repair in my life time because "Oriental Carpet Repair" by Peter Stone says it all. Stone's new book the "Oriental Rug Lexicon" may well exceed "Oriental Carpet Repair" as a scholarly triumph. If you are at all serious about collecting or if your rugs are anything more than floor coverings to you, you need this book. The Definative Guide To Rugs, Carpets, and Trappings What Stone has done is to make one large dictionary of rug terms. He has identified and defined them in an interesting and informative manner. As soon as I received the Lexicon I decided to put it to use. The first job was to decipher a page of notes I had made on dyes and dye sources used in oriental carpets that someone had given me. To have a source where I can double check the difference between a flavenol and a luteolin is invaluable. Other questions are solved just as easily such as what is a Medici Mamaluk versus a regular Mamaluk. Rug books have so many alternate spellings that it is nice to have a source that confirms that a Khorjin, Kharjin, Khordjin, and a Khurdzhin, are all the same thing. The book is designed like a dictionary and it is easy to look up individual words. It is not designed to be read cover to cover but as I spot-checked the definitions I found some thing interesting and fun on virtually every page. As long as I am mentioning spot-checking let me say that I spotted no errors. If, indeed, there are no errors, inaccuracies or mistakes, I will be astounded. There is to be found a wealth of rug terms with all the common alternative spellings including some that I have not encountered until now. All in all, it is an amazing resource. The layout of the book is superb. It is packed with informati! on without being crowded. There are many more color pictures than I would have expected with a book of this type and there is an abundance of helpful sketches and line art to illustrate and illuminate Stone's points. Just this week a good friend who has a world class rug collection told me I "have" to buy three books if I want to keep up with things. The total for all three is over $1000 US. I mention this only to make the point that at a list price of $29.95 (US currency for softcover edition, $60 for hardcover edition) Stone's book is about as close to free we are likely to see for a serious rug book. Let me sum up my opinion in just three words: BUY THIS BOOK!
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