Description

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A celebration of more than forty of the finest classical carpets created in Egypt, Turkey, Persia, the Caucasus, and India

Among the most beautiful and precious textiles in the world, carpets from Islamic lands have been treasured for centuries. These woven and knotted masterpieces are both distinguished works of art and utilitarian objects that offer a glimpse of life in the Islamic world.



This book features some of the finest classical carpets from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, all from the spectacular al-Sabah Collection. Carpet and textile expert Friedrich Spuhler describes the Collection in the context of the history of Islamic art and recounts the stories behind individual carpets.



The book includes pictures of many carpets never before reproduced in print, and one that may have been lost forever following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1990.

About the Author

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Friedrich Spuhler, formerly a curator at the Museum of Islamic Art in Berlin, is the author of numerous books on Islamic textiles and carpets, including Carpets from Islamic Lands.

Praise For…

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A handsome book, this work is important for scholars. . . . Recommended.
— Choice

Though the book is beautiful to look at, it is
not a ‘coffee table’ decoration, but a scholarly work with textural notes and
an extensive bibliography.
— Shuttle, Spindle & Dyepot