My Favorite Rug Books

Tribal & Village Rugs by Peter F. Stone

I can read a rug book like I read a page-turner novel and over the years I have built quite a collection. The nice thing about these books is that it is impossible to absorb everything in them in one reading. So I get to read them over and over, each time finding something new to marvel over. Since Dar Zerbia features tribal and village rugs I want to share my thoughts on one of my newest books and my current favorite.

As the author says, this book is The Definitive Guide to Design, Pattern & Motif of tribal and village rugs. Anyone who loves these rugs knows that the motifs mean something, whether they are part of a story or a singular design feature characteristic of the place of origin of the rug. We have all gotten lost in a beautiful rug and wondered about these mysterious motifs that read like a lost language from a distant and romantic time. Wonder no more because this excellent book explains it all.

The chapters are organized by regions including information on Anatolian, Baluch and neighboring tribes, Caucasian, Kurdish, Persian, and Turkmen motifs, all of which are discussed from every angle in great detail. And, as a foundation, the concepts involved in understanding motifs and their origins are covered in the Introduction section. As a westerner who knows all about balance, symmetry, and finiteness, I loved the section explaining the framing of infinity and how it applies to these amazing rugs and their purposful irregularities and assymetries.

Did you know that motifs devolve? They do. Usually the motif design devolves from a complex form to a simpler form. They devolve from animal to botanical forms, from animal to geometric, and from botanical to geometric. This takes time, of course. Sometimes centuries. Motifs were as nomadic as the people that created them and they moved with lifestyle, and through marriage unions. Subtle changes started to appear and the new forms of old motifs start showing up in the next generation of rugs. Unravelling this devolution is one way rug historians construct information about the origins and ages of tribal rugs. Fascinating!

All of the information in this wonderful book is truly phenomenol, but it's the stunningly beautiful, graphically designed illustrations that took my by surprise. Photographs of actual rugs reveal alot and are what we most often see in a good rug book. We're used to it. But when we are studying motif designs we really do need precision in the illustrations. These crisp, richly colored graphics make sure the reader doesn't miss a single detail of any motif. Every page has numereous examples to go with the accompanying information, and each section has several full page graphics of whole rugs. "Examples are cross referenced from one chapter to another and that keeps the reader moving through the book frequently getting more and more familiar with the motifs. I am very impressed with this format and how it helps the reader leran the material.

There is nothing like a tribal or village woven rug. The motifs are so interesting and the irregularities innate to the weaving make each rug unique. When you touch one of these rugs you can feel the hands of the weaver and feel the direct connection to the person who lovingly created her art. And for anyone who sells, collects or just loves tribal rugs, this book is a gem. You might want it in you own library. First published in 2004 and now in paperback since 2007 it is affordable at about $22.00.

Enjoy this book and enjoy your rugs.

Diana