Oriental Rugs Today: A Guide to the Best in New Carpets from the East [Paperback]

Emmett Eiland (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1999

Interest in Oriental rugs has undergone a renaissance in recent years. New sources have emerged, the use of handspun wool and vegetal dyes has been revived, and new designs are available. All these changes can make choosing a rug confusing and intimidating. This book explains the differences between carpets and maps out the recent developments in this ancient craft.

Editorial Reviews

Review

...[T]his work is invaluable to the trade and consumer alike. ...[A] major achievement. -- Oriental Rug Magazine, Spring 2000

Just about anything you need to know about new Oriental rugs is included in this comprehensive book. -- Sacramento Bee, February 24, 2000

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: Berkeley Hills Books; illustrated edition edition (December 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1893163032
• ISBN-13: 978-1893163034
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,244,736 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best guide i've run across, June 11, 2000

By 

chris benziger (Sonoma CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Oriental Rugs Today: A Guide to the Best in New Carpets from the East (Paperback)

I saw a review of this book in HALI magazine, and have found it clarifies a lot of things that I found confusing and intimidating about buying an Oriental rug. It explains exactly where the rugs in today's rug stores come from, and how much you should expect to pay for them. It's well written and very much on the level-you don't get the impression the author is pushing you to go out and buy something. There's a lot of mystification in the Oriental rug business, and although the book is not an expose in any sense, I felt better equipped to buy a rug and get a good value than I did after reading other books on the subject, most of which seemed out of date. Lots of color plates too.

38 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Very Basic, May 1, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Oriental Rugs Today: A Guide to the Best in New Carpets from the East (Paperback)

As someone who already has an intermediate knowledge of oriental carpets, I was disappointed by this book. It is extremely basic - something akin to a Dick and Jane primer. It provides only a few pages of information on carpets from each region (if you can believe it, Iran [Persia] was lumped together with two other countries, and all three countries were covered by approximately only five pages, including illustrations. It does not provide any information on specific carpets (i.e. Nain, Bokhara, Yahyali, etc.), but did explain the general difference between wool types, dyes, etc. Also, while it did have several photos of carpets, many of them seemed to be photos of novelty carpets, and not of traditional designs. Overall, I believe that this would be good for someone who knows absolutely nothing about oriental carpets and is only looking for general information. In my opinion, there are much better books on the subject for both beginners and experts alike, such as Oriental Rugs, A Buyer's Guide, by Lee Allane.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An informative and engaging introduction to modern rugs, February 13, 2005

By 

A. Dhir (Kentucky) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Oriental Rugs Today (Paperback)

Unlike the gentleman below, I had little knowledge of oriental rugs prior to reading this book. I found it to be a perfect place to start my education. The text was informative, particularly in regards to the "renaissance" in traditional rugmaking techniques over the past 20 years. He does a wonderful job of covering the pros and cons of natural vs. chrome dyes, and handspun vs. millspun wool - again without being overly opinionated or judgmental despite his personal leanings.

The writing was engaging, fair, and accompanied by high-quality photographs (n.b. the photos on his website are the highest resolution I've seen anywhere). He gives equal weight to each country's production. Helpful information is also provided regarding approximate prices per sq. ft.

In fact, I liked his book so much that I just purchased two rugs from him - two years after reading the book, and after looking at dozens of sites on the web and a handful of shops in person.