Oriental Rugs from A to Z (Schiffer Book for Collectors) [Hardcover]

J. R. Azizollahoff (Author)

Book Description

Series: Schiffer Book for Collectors | Publication Date: April 2004

With this valuable book, novices and connoisseurs alike will be able to correctly identify the most distinctive styles and purchase contemporary Oriental rugs in traditional designs of the highest quality. Over 270 beautiful color photos, including many close-up shots, display these fascinating carpets to their best advantage. The authoritative text provides valuable information on unusual rugs, rug pedigree and discernible workshop style, knot count, dyes, the Lotus design, and specific rug weaving areas--including India, Pakistan, Persia, Turkey, Nepal, Tibet, China, Egypt, and Romania. The text also provides essential rug-buying tips and recommendations for rug care. Values are provided in the captions. This book is a must not only for prospective rug buyers, but also for everyone who admires the intricacy and beauty of Oriental rugs!

Product Details

• Hardcover: 124 pages
• Publisher: Schiffer Publishing (April 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764319957
• ISBN-13: 978-0764319952
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #208,104 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars A good guide for visiting his store but neither comprehensive nor balanced, March 17, 2010

By 

A. Rush "Seriously amateur" (Forest Hill, MD USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Oriental Rugs from A to Z (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Hardcover)

Let me start with the positives. The book is large with absolutely beautiful images of rugs inside. The color plates are fantastic and high quality, and the book is well made overall. The images let you see a wide variety of rugs and definitely provide a good range of rugs, though far from a comprehensive one. The book is great if you are interested in Chinese, Indian, Pakistani, or Nepalese rugs. The author has some good discussion on selecting the right rug and caring for them as well.

However, the selection of Iranian/Persian rugs is poor, and the author is a big fan of the chemical fading process used by some rug producers to "antique" the look of a new rug. The vast majority of the rugs in the book are faded, antiqued ones, and there are very few examples of the vibrant examples produced in Iran in particular. Silk rugs are only a small, nearly overlooked section, and the author glosses over that large segment of rugs (including not really discussing rugs with silk highlights and wool rugs with silk weft). The author also lumps Persian rugs into one section and never even touches on the differences in cities within Iran: Isfahan, Nain, Tabriz, Qom, etc. To me, that's an inexcusable omission akin to saying that American cars are all the same. To me, the book seems to focus on the types of rugs that the author has in his store, as if it were one big advertisement. No, he doesn't write, "Shop at my store!", but the selections within the book follow the same theme of the antiqued designs. While undoubtedly some will gravitate toward those rugs and find this book useful, I do not and prefer that my rugs antique by themselves as I enjoy them in my home for years to come.

For anyone interested in Persian rugs, I would steer clear of this book. For others, you may find it a useful guide particularly with array of rug images, but I would look elsewhere for an introduction to Oriental rugs. I found Caroline Bosly's Rugs to Riches a vastly superior introduction despite its age. While Oriental Rugs from A to Z is a beautiful book, it's ultimately just a pretty face to me and not very educational.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mostly Pictures, May 29, 2007

By 

A. Panagakos (Albuquerque, New Mexico) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Oriental Rugs from A to Z (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Hardcover)

Illustrations and photographs were breathtaking. Price comparisons were helpful, but very little content on rug parameters and significance with regard to final results and quality.

9 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well Done, July 26, 2004

By 

NWP - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oriental Rugs from A to Z (Schiffer Book for Collectors) (Hardcover)

Beautiful. A clear and concise readable guidline. There were a lot of wonderful pictures and all the information was very clear and understandable. A very valuable source for anyone who is thinking of buying an Oriental Rug.