Monday, October 4, 2010

New Books!

The San Francisco Antique Rug & Textile Show is a mere week away. Over 40 dealers with a combined 1,000 years of experience from across the globe will be showing their wares October 12-17. The calendar of events is full with an educational program, local gallery exhibitions, an "Under $500 Bargain Room" and free appraisal days.

On Saturday I will be loading a truck with over a thousand Oriental rug books and will be driving up Sunday morning. Volunteers welcome.

See you in Capristan!

As is custom, below you will find a few titles we have acquired in the last few weeks.

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Adelson, Laurie and Arthur Tracht
Aymara Weavings; Ceremonial Textiles of Colonial and 19th Century Bolivia Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service Washington DC 1983 83 Color Plates (63 are of textiles) 159 pp. 7.5 x 10 Paperback in Very Good condition Traveling Smithsonian exhibition catalog. $45

Arshi, Z. with Photography by N. Kasraian Turkmans of Iran Seke Press Iran 1991 (1994) 183 Color Plates 220 pp. 10 x 12.5 Hardback in dust jacket in Very Good condition. Small chips and tears to dustjacket. Another scarce, quality photography title from this husband and wife team with minimal text in Farsi and English. Second edition. $125

Atil, Esin The Age of Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent Harry N. Abrams Inc. New York 1987 250 Color Plates 18 Black and White 357 pp 10 x 12 Paperback in Very Good condition. Presentation copy signed by the author, "To --- ---, With best wishes, Esin Atil Chicago 20 June 1987" GWO 2184. Splendid museum exhibition catalog of Ottoman art. Includes 60 Color Plates of rugs and textiles. $25

Bjerregaard, Lena Pre-Columbian Woven Treasures in the National Museum of Denmark Corpus Antiquitatum Americanensium (Denmark) 2002 23 Color Plates 91 Black and White 127 pp. 11.75 x 8.25 Paperback in Very Good condition This volume examines the items in the National Museum's collection of pre-Columbian textiles, some of them dating back to 500 BC. Bjerregaard provides a brief but intriguing history of these finds, which were recovered from graves about a century ago by archaeologists and amateurs. $40

Burnham, Dorothy Warp and Weft: A Textile Terminology Royal Ontario Museum Toronto 1980 320 Black and White Illus. & Diagrams 216 pp. 8 x 11 Hardback in dustjacket in Very Good condition $75

Chenciner, Robert Kaitag: Textile Art from Daghestan Textile Art Publications London 1993 80 Color Plates 140 Black and White 208 pp. 10 x 13 Hardback in dustjacket in Very Good condition Historic embroidery from a small district in the Caucasus Mountains. $275

Danon Antique Chinese Carpets Danon Italy (2005?) 26 Color Plates 2 Black and White 32 pp. 9.5 x 11.75 Spiralbound Paperback in As New condition High quality dealer catalog of old rugs from China. No text. English plate captions. $50

Danon, Enzo and Roberto Tappeti Orientali dal XVIII al XIX Secolo (Oriental Carpets from the 18th to the 19th Century) Textilia Rome 1999 24 Color Plates 54 pp. 9.5 x 13 Paperback in As New condition Well produced dealer catalog of East Turkestan, Indian, Chinese and Persian rugs. Italian plate captions. $50

Danon, Enzo and Roberto Cina 1644-1911: Tappeti di Seta e di Metallo Dalla Citta' Proibita (China 1644-1911: Rugs of Silk and Metal from the Forbidden City) Textilia Rome (1998?) 10 Color Plates 16 pp. 9.25 x 13 Paperback in Very Good condition High quality dealer catalog of these Chinese carpets. Minimal Italian text. $50

Danon, Enzo and Roberto Tibet: Tappeti 1850-1950 Textilia Rome 1995 53 Color Plates 126 pp. 9 x 12.25 Paperback in Very Good condition Quality dealer catalog of Tibetan rugs. $50

Danon, Enzo and Roberto eds. Text by Loretta Paderni and Egidio Cossa The Flowers of Buddha: Silk and Metal Carpets From The Forbidden City / Tappeti di Seti e di Metallo della Citta' Proibita Doris Leslie Blau / Danon Gallery 2006 40 Color Plates 136 pp. 9.75 x 12.5 Hardback in slipcase in New condition Beautifully produced dealers (Doris Leslie Blau and Danon Gallery) catalog of silk and metal thread Chinese rugs. $120

Danon, Enzo and Roberto eds. Text by Massimiliano Policetti Dragons: Imperial Court Carpets from the Qing Dynasty Orientalis Italy 2009 12 Color Plates 8 Black and White 48 pp. 9.75 x 12.25 Hardback in slipcase in As New condition Beautifully produced dealer catalog of 18th-19th century metal thread Chinese rugs and the dragon in Himalayan symbology. $95

Danon, Enzo and Roberto eds. Text by Nina Clara Danon Tiger and Bamboo: Tiger Rugs from Inner Mongolia / Les Tapis Tigres de la Mongolie Interieure 1880 - 1950 Orientalis Italy 2008 31 Color Plates 56 pp. 10 x 13.5 Hardback in box and slipcase in New condition Beautiful, high quality dealer exhibition catalog. English/French text. $95

Danon, Enzo and Roberto eds. with text by Anna Villari Indigo Flowers: A Collection of Blue and White Carpets from Rajasthan 1800-1930 Orientalis Italy 2008 12 Color Plates 48 pp. 10 x 12.75 Hardback in box and slipcase in New condition Quality dealer publication of Indian Indigo rugs. English/Italian text. $95

Debets, G.F. Physical Anthropology of Afghanistan I-II Peabody Museum Cambridge MA 1970 97 Black and White 219 pp. 8.5 x 11 Paperback in Very Good condition Mug shots of different Afghan tribal groups conducted by Soviet anthropologists. $20

Drooker, Penelope Ballard and Laurie D. Webster eds. Beyond Cloth and Cordage: Archaeological Textile Research in the Americas University of Utah Press Salt Lake City 2000 125 Black and White 339 pp. 7 x 10 Hardback in dustjacket in Very Good condition Scholarly overview of current research on New World archaeological fabrics. Scarce. $150

Franses, Michael The Great Embroideries of Bukhara Textile and Art Publications London 2000 48 Color Plates 70 Black and White 18 x 14 Boxed Album in As New condition Large format custom made box of loose leaf color plates plus life-sized details and a softbound 104 page catalog raisonne. Massive and beautiful. The hand-embroidered covers presented in this superb new publication are among the most beautiful objects known from the high period of the art of needlework in the former Central Asian Emirates of Bukhara and Kokand, the areas known today as the Republics of Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. They are known as 'suzani', derived from the Farsi word for 'needle'. The oldest examples can be attributed to the eighteenth century - although they may in fact be older - and the tradition continued into the early twentieth century. Each embroidery formed part of a suite made by a bride and her family as dowry gifts. Weddings were significant events in the tribal society of Central Asia, representing the binding together of two people and two families. This important new publication will certainly be invaluable to collectors and connoisseurs of textile art as well as to designers and architects. The publication comprises fourteen large format loose leaf colour plates of selected Large Medallion suzani, with another eight huge life-size colour details, accompanied by a separate bound volume with duotone illustrations of almost all the known examples and a text by Michael Franses that provides a general introduction to suzani and discusses this spectacular and important group of textiles in detail. $375

Franses, Michael and Hans Koenig Glanz der Himmelssoehne, Kaiserliche Teppiche aus China 1400-1750 (Splendour of the Sons of Heaven, Imperial Chinese Carpets) Textile and Art Publications, Ltd. London 2005 Over 245 Color Plates 228 pp. 9.5 x 14 Hardback in dustjacket in New condition German language text, with essay on structure analysis in English. Chinese carpets from the 'classical' period, 1400 to 1750, possess a serenity and balance that are quite unsurpassed. These attributes did not come about purely by chance, but rather through centuries of tradition and refinement. In order to create these beautiful objects, the Chinese master weavers used highly elaborate methods of weaving incorporating a huge repertoire of knotting techniques, far more than in any other carpet- making region. The range of colors and the use of varying shades of each color were the result of more than two thousand years of usage and development of natural dyestuffs. Probably fewer than six hundred Chinese carpets survive today from the classical period. The Palace Museum in Beijing has the largest collection, with fewer than one hundred; the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has some fifteen rugs and a similar number survive in The Textile Museum, Washington, D.C. A few other museums possess just one or two examples, often gifts they received by chance. The main body of examples is held in private collections in Europe and the United States of America. They have survived through the foresight, care and connoisseurship of their owners. Due to their scarcity, classical Chinese carpets have remained virtually unknown. Their beauty is admired superficially, but their meanings and tradition remain a mystery. It is hoped that through projects such as this, a light can be kindled that encourages others to research the subject more deeply. $200

Gugel, Ernst and Rudolf Wuhr Zweck und Zier: Antike Taschen aus dem Kaukasus und Nordwest-Persien (Ancient Bags from the Caucasus and Northwestern Iran) Stadtische Galerie Traunstein 2010 79 Color Plates 1 Map 88 pp. 11.75 x 8.25 oblong Hardback in New condition Gallery exhibition catalog of old, mostly soumak bags from three private collections. German text. $65

Hassan, Mehmet The Art of Central Asia, China and Tibet Mehmet Hassan Asian Art Bangkok 2005 31 Color Plates 56 pp. 10 x 12.5 Paperback in Very Good condition Beautifully produced dealer catalog of sculpture, jewelry and textiles for the 2005 International Asian Art Fair in New York. $50

Kent, Kate Peck Prehistoric Textiles of the Southwest University of New Mexico Press Santa Fe 1983 18 Color Plates 161 Black and White 315 pp. 8 x 10 Hardback in dustjacket in Very Good condition. Dustjacket has a few tiny tears. Slight foxing to head and fore-edge. In this definitive study of prehistoric textiles, Kate Peck Kent traces the history of weaving in the Southwest long before the Spanish conquest. She has recorded and examined thousands of woven articles-archaeological finds-all the evidence available to her in museum collections and published reports. Her research will interest many more than those who think of southwestern weaving as synonymous with Navajo weaving. The author illustrates the antecedents of Navajo weaving as she follows the course of the indigenous tradition back through the arts of the early Pueblo Indians, the Basketmakers, and the Mogollon peoples. We are led through the 'Gran Chichimeca' to the roots of southwestern weaving in the textile arts of the high cultures or Mexico, Central America, and Peru -Cover $120

Kirby, Jo Dyes in History and Archaeology: Vol. 18 Papers presented at the 18th Meeting, Brussels, 1999 Archetype Publications London 2002 116 pp. 6.75 x 9.5 Paperback in New condition Papers on various aspects of dyes and dyeing presented at the annual meeting of the Dyes in History and Archaeology group. $50

Kirby, Jo ed. Dyes in History and Archaeology: Vol. 16/17 Papers presented at the 16th Meeting, Lyons, 1997, and the 17th Meeting, Greenwich, 1998 Archetype Publications London 2001 222 pp. 6.75 x 9.5 Paperback in New condition Papers on various aspects of dyes and dyeing presented at the annual meetings of the Dyes in History and Archaeology group. $50

Kraybill, Donald B. A Quiet Spirit, Amish Quilts from the Collection of Cindy Tietze and Stuart Hodosh UCLA Fowler Museum Los Angeles 1996 Many Color and Black and White Illust. 231 pp. 10 x 10.5 Paperback in Very Good condition $30

Mexican Hand-Knotted Rugs Tapetes Mexicanos, S.A. (Mexico) 1974 100 Color Plates 5 Black and White 64 pp. 8.5 x 11 Paperback in Very Good condition Catalog of a business venture to have Indians make knotted pile rugs from native folk art designs. $50

[Monuments of the Culture and Art of Kirghizia (Ancient and Modern)] Leningrad 1983 22 Color Plates 105 Black and White 80 pp. 6 x 8.5 Paperback in Very Good condition Exhibition catalog of ancient Central Asian artifacts including jewelry, ceramics and metalwork. $45

Migeon, Gaston L'Orient Musulman: Musée du Louvre. Armes, Sculptures, Bois, Ivoires, Bronzes et Cuivres, Tapis, Tissus, Miniatures Albert Morancé Paris 1922 4 Color Plates 48 Black and White 40 pp. 7 x 9 Hardback portfolio in Good condition. Minor foxing throughout. Scuffed cover and splits to spine. Deaccessioned from a museum research library with minimal markings. First volume of the two volume set. Two of the hand-colored plates are of rugs. Text and plates are loose. $35

Migeon, Gaston Les Arts Musulmans Librairie Nationale d'Art et d'Histoire Paris/Bruxelles 1926 64 Black and White (3 Rugs & Textiles) 48 pp. text 7.5 x 10 Paperback in Fair condition. Covers are loose. Pages are uncut. $15

O'Bannon, George Oriental Rugs, A Bibliography The Scarecrow Press Metuchen, NJ 1994 1 Black and White 744 pp. 5.5 x 8.5 Hardback in Very Good condition Required reading for Oriental rug bibliophiles, this is the most important reference to book in the field. $75

Parker, E.H. A Thousand Years of the Tartars Dorset Press New York 1987 (2nd ed.) 288 pp. 8.5 x 5.5 Hardback in dustjacket in Very Good condition History of Civilization series reprint. $20

Pope, Arthur and P. Ackerman A Survey of Persian Art from Prehistoric Times to the Present Volume XI Plates 981-1106 Textiles Soroush Press Tehran 1964 (1977) 39 Color Plates 125 Black and White 108 Figures 400 pp. 9 x 12 Hardback in Very Good condition. Corners bumped. Former owner's ink stamp and small ink note on title page. GWO 2110. Volume 11 from this seminal publication. Illustrated in color and black and white with plate captions. This volume from the third edition contains an additional 26 plates. $90

Porada, Edith Man and Images in the Ancient Near East Moyer Bell Wakefield 1995 90 Black and White Illustrations 188 pp. 6.5 x 9.5 Hardback in dustjacket in Very Good condition The Frick Collection / Anshen Transdisciplinary Lectureships in Art, Science, & the Philosophy of Culture Monograph 4. $10

Reid, James W. Magic Feathers, Textile Art from Ancient Peru Textile and Art Publications London 2005 Over 350 Color Plates 380 pp. 12 x 13.5 Hardback in slipcase in New condition This lavishly illustrated large-format art book - the first major publication in the world devoted entirely to this magnificent ancient art form - focuses on the aesthetic beauty of the feather textiles and three- dimensional objects, unparalleled in their artistry and sophistication, that were created for the elite of the ancient Andean world between approximately 500 BC and 1550 AD. $650

Rickenbach, Judith Nasca: Geheimnisvolle Zeichen im Alten Peru (Nasca: Mysterious Symbols in Ancient Peru Museum Riethberg Zurich 1999 233 Color Plates 185 Black and White 380 pp. 9 x 12 Hardback in Very Good condition Massive and well illustrated German language museum exhibition catalog of Precolumbian art. 78 Color Plates are of textiles. $120

Schildkraut, Linda. Foreword by Jack Lenor Larsen The Miracle of Ancient Peru at The Merrin Gallery The Merrin Gallery New York 1988 25 Color Plates 32 pp. 10 x 10 Paperback in Very Good condition. Slight edgewear. Some foxing. Former owner's ink stamp on title page. All illustrations are of textiles and featherwork. $55

Textile Society of America Sacred and Ceremonial Textiles: Proceedings of the Fifth Biennial Symposium of The Textile Society of America The Textile Society of America Chicago 1996 298 pp. 8.5 x 11 Paperback in Very Good condition. One page shows yellow highlighting. Scholarly articles on textiles from around the world including major sections on Japanese, Indonesian, and Haitian Voodou (Voodoo) textiles. Illustrated in black and white. $60

Thompson, Jon Silk, Treasures from the Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar Doha 2004 50 Color Plates 96 pp. 9.5 x 13.5 Hardback in New condition Collection of 13th-18th century silk textiles, velvets, and a 14th-15th century silk carpet. $100

Wasserman, T. and J. Hill Bolivian Indian Textiles, Traditional Design and Costumes Dover New York 1981 55 Color Plates 49 Black and White 60 pp. 8 x 11 Paperback in Very Good condition Original Dover publication. $20

Yurchenko, P. Folk Art of the Ukraine Izdatelorstvo Mistetstvo Kiev 1969 39 Color Plates 45 Black and White 48 pp. 9 x 8 Paperback in Very Good condition Uncommon Intourist publication of Ukrainian ceramics, decorative painting, wood-carving, embroidery, carpets, fabrics, hot-shaped glass, glassware, metalware. Printed in the Soviet Union. 10 Color Plates and 7 black and white illustrations are of rugs and textiles. $45

Zhao, Feng Recent Excavations of Textiles in China ISAT / Costume Squad Ltd. Hong Kong 2002 300 Color Plates 42 Black and White 208 pp. 8 x 11.5 Paperback in New condition Exhibition catalog from the China National Silk Museum from the Han to Ming dynasties. Chinese-English text. $125