Carpets from Islamic lands have been treasured for centuries on nearly every continent on earth. Prized by European monarchs and traded as far afield as Tibet and the Americas, these woven and knotted masterpieces are both distinguished works of art and revealing utilitarian objects that offer a rare glimpse of life in the Islamic world. Carpets from Islamic Lands features more than forty fine classical carpets held in the al-Sabah Collection, Kuwait, along with several important pre-Islamic carpet fragments. Friedrich Spuhler describes this spectacular collection in the context of the history of Islamic art, recounting the carpets' fascinating stories and celebrating their intricate designs and masterful craftsmanship. Including pictures of many carpets never before reproduced in print, and a few that may have been lost forever following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990, this richly illustrated volume is essential reading for modern admirers of oriental carpets, and a treasure in its own right.
Surveys the finest classical carpets created in Egypt, Turkey, Persia, the Caucasus and India, now held in the al-Sabah Collection, KuwaitAbout the AuthorFormerly a curator at the Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin, Dr Friedrich Spuhler is the author of numerous books on Islamic textiles and carpets, including Carpets from Islamic Lands and Pre-Islamic Carpets and Textiles from Eastern Lands.
Reviews'The reader cannot help but be delighted by the quality of the images chosen. Absorbing the text is a pleasure. It informs as opposed to dictates ... a masterful triumph' - Selvedge
Book InformationISBN 9780500970331
Author Friedrich SpuhlerFormat Hardback
Page Count 186
Imprint Thames & Hudson LtdPublisher Thames & Hudson Ltd
Weight(grams) 1280g