Table Of ContentORIENTAL
CARPET DESIGN
A Guide to Traditional Motifs,
Patterns and Symbols
P.R.J. FORD
How can one tell a Persian carpet from a Rumanian
copy? Where did today's oriental carpet designs
originate? How do the weavers' ethnic origins influence
the artistic value of tribal rugs?
These are just a few of the hundreds of points
that arc considered in this comprehensive
survey by P.R.J. Ford who, drawing on his
many years of experience in the trade, shows
how to recognize the different structural and
design features of oriental rugs and carpets.
The full range of designs used throughout
the Orient - from the Balkans to Peking - are
grouped not according to place of origin but
according to the essential characteristics of the
designs themselves. This approach illuminates
the cultural background of each design,
revealing at once the similarities and the
differences between the interpretations of the
various carpet-weaving areas.
The author shows the vital influence that
the ethnographic histories of the various carpet-
producing regions exercised over all important
designs. Yet he is basically concerned with the
present, with the millions of oriental carpets
on sale today. Illustrations of representative
examples of modern types, with descriptions
of their key characteristics construction,
materials, sizes, colours and of the clues
which establish a rug's precise origins, appear
together with a balanced appraisal of the
qualities, good or bad, of modern production
from any one town, village or tribal area. The
Introduction presents an account of the general
history and essential features of oriental carpets.
Extensive cross-referencing and detailed
indexes make this a doubly invaluable reference
guide for the professional user or for anyone
who has an appreciation of and an interest in
the rugs of the Orient.
'One of the most useful books to cover
the whole of the field...Mr Ford is to be
congratulated on having produced a work
that should stand the test of time'
Carpet Review Weekly
With over 800 illustrations,
400 in colour and 14 maps
ORIENTAL
CARPET DESIGN
ORIENTAL
CARPET DESIGN
A Guide to Traditional Motifs,
Patterns and Symbols
with over 800 illustrations
400 in colour
P. R J. FORD
Thames & Hudson
To the three who waited
On the cover: Detail of a Qashqai rug featuring the Herati
design. Photo courtesy Teppich Engclhardt, Mannheim
Any copy of this book issued by the publisher as a paperback
is sold subject to the condition that it shall not by way of trade
or otherwise be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated
without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding
or cover other than that in which it is published and without
a similar condition including these words being imposed on
a subsequent purchaser.
First published in the United Kingdom in 1981 by
Thames & Hudson Ltd, 181A High Holborn,
London wciV 7QX
www.thamcsandhudson.com
© 1981 and 1989 Thames & Hudson Ltd, London
Reprinted with revisions 1989
First paperback edition 1992
Reprinted 2007
All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording
or any other information storage and retrieval system,
without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
ISBN 978-0-500-27664-8
Printed and bound in Singapore by Craft Print International Ltd.
CONTENTS
Preface and acknowledgements 7
I I N T R O D U C T I ON
9
How to identify an oriental carpet by its design 10
Classification of oriental carpet designs 11
Fineness of weave 12
Design conditions 12
Rug identification : the professional approach 15
The nature of the rug 15
Materials used 16
Structure 16
The knot 16
The warps and wefts 18
The selvedge 22
The fringe 23
Size and shape 23
The colours 23
1 Dyes tuffs 23
2 Materials 27
3 Washing 27
4 Age and condition 27
Values of oriental carpets 28
Carpet sizes and names 29
A note on knot counts 30
Dates and signatures in carpets 31
New Chinese carpets: structural note 32
The historical origins of carpets and carpet designs 33
New oriental copies of Persian designs 37
Symbolism in oriental carpet design 38
Pronunciation of place names 40
II B O R D ER D E S I G NS i
4
III U N I V E R S AL D E S I G NS i
5
1 The boteh 52
2 The Herati pattern 74
3 Tree designs 106
4 Vase designs 118
5 Prayer-rug designs 126
6 Garden and panel designs 144
7 Picture designs; animal and bird designs 156
IV G E O M E T R IC D E S I G NS
m
1 Geometric all-over designs 174
2 Geometric repeating medallion designs 208
3 Geometric medallion-plain designs 238
4 Geometric medallion/all-over designs 250
V F L O R AL D E S I G NS 6
2 9
1 Floral medallion/all-over designs 270
2 Floral medallion-plain designs 308
3 Floral all-over designs 324
Select bibliography 342
Maps 343
Index of carpet origins illustrated 348
General index 349
PREFACE AND
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book owes its existence to four carpet dealers, without whose generosity the
project would have been unthinkable. They are: Alfred Bohmler, Horst and Eva
Engelhardt and Bryan M. Huffner. Mr Huffner taught me most of what I know
about oriental carpets and spent many hours giving me advice and guidance on
many aspects of the book. Above all, he put the vast carpet stocks of OCM (London)
Ltd at my disposal for the many photographic sessions needed to provide the
illustrations. Herr and Frau Engelhardt were associated with my project from the
beginning and lent me a very large number of outstanding photographs first
published in their splendid exhibition catalogues 'Naturperlen' and 'Teppiche, die
Bilder des Orients' (Carl Winter Univexsitatsverlag, Heidelberg). Herr Bohmler,
although not involved with the book until a fairly late stage, came to my aid with a
further large collection of photographs at a critical moment and gave very generous
assistance in respect of several items I particularly wanted to include but could not
find elsewhere.
In expressing my thanks to these four I should not like to forget the many friends,
museums and other organizations throughout the world who have provided
photographs for use as illustrations and who are named individually in the list of
photographic sources overleaf; and those who have helped by filling in the many
detailed gaps in my knowledge. In particular my thanks are due to R. D. Parsons
for frequent advice on the important Afghan and Beluch sections of the book; to
H. G. Cros for guidance on the Hamadan area; to Roland Malek-Karam in respect
of the Bakhtiari carpets; and to H. Russ, editor of the magazine Heimtex, for several
times helping me obtain suitable illustrations.
P. R. ,J. FORD
SOURCES OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Except as noted below, all photographs of carpets reproduced in this volume show
pieces from the stocks of OCM (London) Ltd; in addition to thanking the company
for allowing special facilities for photography, the author is also grateful for
permission to use the description 'Kaimuri' which is registered as a trade mark by
OCM. The maps (the majority are based on the OCM map of the Orient) and line
illustrations (except where otherwise indicated) were drawn by Bridgewater &
Grain. The sources of the remaining illustrations are as follows:
Galerie Ammergasse, Tubingen 369; Bodleian Library, Oxford 144; Einrichtungs-
haus Bohmler, Munich 53, 73, 81, 85, 94, 102, 120, 164, 226, 267, 277, 287, 300,
301, 320, 322, 323, 326, 331, 353, 411, 413, 445, 457, 470, 480, 481, 497, 502, 540,
564> 568> 573) 58i> 594> 596> 598, 632, 633, 635, 648, 563, 656, 664, 671, 672, 683,
697, 706, 711, 723, 725, 726, 731, 735, 736, 748, 778, 784; British Library 607, 743;
7
British Museum 57, 61, 237, 740; Burrcll Collection, Glasgow 327; Bussesche
Verlagshandlung, Herford 62, 123, 136, 500, 787; Cairo Museum 742; Camera
Press (photo Wim Swaan) 182; Christie's, London 288; Cleveland Museum of Art,
Ohio 609, 733; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. 170; Yolande Crowe
285, 328; Teppich Engelhardt, Mannheim 1, 12, 14, 16, 41, 42, 49, 54, 69, 77,
81, 84, 86, 90, 93, 99, 107-109, 112, 117, 118, 137, 145, 146, 155, 165, 166, 195,
199, 210, 228, 247, 269, 274, 280, 282, 289, 290, 299, 303, 304, 310, 317, 325, 344,
355' 382, 383, 386, 387, 392, 396, 397, 400, 402, 404, 405, 422, 434, 435, 447, 450,
454, 460, 464, 473, 487, 488, 490-5, 500, 511,516 8, 522, 534, 538, 539, 552, 555,
577, 59°) 601, 603, 604, 634, 636, 639, 647, 662, 673-7, 700, 701, 705, 713-8, 764,
786; after Erdmann 330, 388; Olga Ford 618; Christina Gascoigne 266; Teppich-
liaus Germania, Hanover, 297; Musee des Gobelins, Paris 177; after Grote-
Hasenbalg 179, 185, 189; Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon 608; Hans
Hassler AG, Aarau 278; Hermitage Museum, Leningrad 56, 58, 59, 60; Jaipur
Museum 329; Jarrold Colour Publications, Norwich (by permission of Lord Astor
ofHever) 205; Norbert KirchhofF, Paderborn 696; Kunsthistorisches Museum,
Vienna 441; Teppichhaus Kutz, Cologne 13; Richard Lannoy 284; Louvre,
Paris 670; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York 181, 292, 738; National Portrait
Gallery, London 394; Office du Livre SA, Fribourg (photos Rene Bersier and Leo
Hilber) 187, 250, 364, 410, 431, 535, 582, 606, 739. Osterreichisches Museum fur
angewandte Kunst, Vienna 68, 178, 183; Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek,
Vienna 616; Galerie Ostler, Munich 249; Heinz Pelzer, Duisburg 461; Private
Collection 43, 44, 48, 87, 106, 152, 200, 240, 321, 336, 354, 391, 458, 567, 737, 762;
Richard Ringrose, London 116; Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto 610; Humbert
Saemmer, Munich 356; Galerie Sailer, Salzburg 131; Sotheby & Co., London
261 3, 271, 281, 361, 614, 622, 628, 686, 688, 690, 759, 776, 777, 779, 780;
Staatliche Museen, Berlin (East) 65, 174, 305; Staatliche Museen Preussischer
Kulturbesitz (Museum fiir Fslamische Kunst), Berlin 188, 390; Textile Museum,
Washington, D.C. 184; Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, Lugano 190, 739;
Topkapi Seray Museum, Istanbul 752; University Museum, Uppsala 741;
Victoria and Albert Museum, London 9, 10, 11, 64, 66, 67, 92, 111, 119, 122, 135,
i69» '71, r75, l8o> l86> !9l> 270, 346, 359, 36°, 379, 423, 61 !> 746, 747, 749, 750,
753-5; Modehaus Wagner, Kempten 467, 637; WHER Collection 745; Roger
Wood 309.
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