Tuesday, August 2, 2011

New Acquisitions

Tsareva, Elena with an introduction by Daniel Shaffer and Peter Hoffmeister Turkmen Carpets: Masterpieces of Steppe Art, from 16th to 19th Centuries. The Hoffmeister Collection  
Arnoldsche Verlagsanstalt Stuttgart 2011 185 color plates 192 pp. 10 x 13 Hardback in dustjacket in New condition  Some overlap with Hoffmeister's 1980 publication. "The Hoffmeister Collection is one of the best and most extensive private collections of antique and historic Turkmen knotted carpets in western Europe and America. It competes alongside important collections from Western museums as well as those in Russia and Turkmenistan. With almost 170 objects – among which are distinguished carpets and bags – artistic excellence and historical significance, in particular, come together. As one of the first to do so, Hoffmeister has determined the age of these knotted works of the Turkmen with the aid of radio-carbon techniques. According to the results from the science and technology university ETH in Zurich, the earliest pieces of the collection originate from the sixteenth century. ****Both the cultural significance of the collection and the scientific and artistic value of its pieces are discussed in the book. The readers can literally sense the texture of these knotted wares through the brilliant photography, which carry them away on a journey into the lost world of the steppes folk of Central Asia. ****The author Elena Tsareva is a curator and scientist and worked for some decades at the Russian Ethnographic Museum in St. Petersburg before switching to the Kunstkamera in St. Petersburg. As a specialist for Central Asian and North Eurasian art she particularly dealt with carpets and textiles. ****Discover the fascination of Turkmen knotted works with the masterpieces of the Hoffmeister Collection. Brilliant illustrations and well-informed texts demonstrate the cultural significance of the collection and also the highly scientific and artistic value of its pieces." -Publisher $95  

Walter J. Powischer Wien 2008 458 color plates 626 pp. 9.25 x 12 Hardback in New condition  Massive and well illustrated treatise on the design motifs and composition of Baluch rugs and textiles including geometrical designs, animal heads, horns, human, and floral motifs. Hundreds of examples of rugs with close-ups. German/English text.  $325  
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Columbia University Press New York 1941 39 black and white 130 pp. 9 x 12 Hardback in Very Good condition. Deaccessioned from the Brooklyn Public Library. Edgewear. Lettering to spine with stamps on head and foot of textblock and endpapers.  GWO 1938.  Catalog of these Persian rugs and textiles in this sacred Shia shrine. This copy is the original 1941 edition with the original green buckram cloth binding and gilt-lettered spine.  $1,000  

Rhodos Copenhagen 1987  396 pp. 9.5 x 7 Hardback in dustjacket in Fine condition Scarce. Illustrated in color and black and white. Part I: Patterned Weaves of Han China; Part II: Patterned Weaves of Early Western Asia; Part III: Patterned Weaves of the Mediterranean Region; Part IV: The Eclectic Pattern Weaves of Tang China; Part V: Weaving Implements. $375  

Brill Leiden/Boston 2003 47 Color Maps 110 pp. 11.25 x 14.75 Hardback in Fine condition  An essential resource for those interested in Central Asia and its people, this book contains 47 maps covering the 4th century BC to the present. "Each map is accompanied by a text which gives a concise survey of the main events of the political and ethnic history of the respective period. With special maps on the distribution of the Turkmen, Uzbek, Kazakh, and Kyrgyz tribes in the 19th-20th centuries, as well as the location of major archaeological sites and architectural monuments." -Back Cover. $250  
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Royal Ontario Museum Toronto 1980 320 black and white illustrations and diagrams 216 pp. 8 x 11 Hardback in Very Good condition. Minor tears and edgewear to dustjacket.  $125  

Cáceres Macedo, Justo Tejidos del Perú prehispánico. Libro II / Textiles of Prehispanic Peru. Book II  Justo Cáceres Macedo Lima 2005 88 color plates  20 black and white 197 pp. 6.25 x 8.25 Paperback in Very Good condition.  Edgewear and waterstain to corner.  Examples are from 27 museums including regional museum collections in Peru. An updated and expanded version of the author's earlier 'Prehispanic Cultures of Peru', this volume focuses on textiles with an emphasis on those of Mochica origin.  Spanish/English text. $60  

Peabody Museum Press Cambridge 1992 335 black and white figures 389 pp. 9 x 12 Paperback in New condition  Massive. 57 page chapter on textiles with 38 figures by Joy Mahler Lothrop. "In this abundantly illustrated third and final volume on the artifacts found by Edward H. Thompson in the Well of Sacrifice, specialists analyze the great variety of objects and debate whether they represent evidence of dateable prehistorical ritual. The collection includes the rare remains of hundreds of textiles, wooden objects, and copal incense offerings that were preserved in the waters of this limestone sinkhole, as well as the lithics, ceramics and bone and shell artifacts commonly found in Maya burials and caches and about 250 mammalian remains. These objects are remarkable for having been cut, torn, broken, and burned before they were thrown into the green waters of the sacred well at Chichen Itza." -Publisher. $120  

 Textilia Rome 2000 39 color plates 14 black and white 140 pp. 9.5 x 9 Two volume Paperback in slipcase in New condition  This high quality, two-volume dealer exhibition catalog focuses on 16th-19th century Ottoman prayer rugs and their symbolic connection with palms as the source of "tree of life" motifs. Italian/English text. $120  

Metropolitan Museum of Art New York 2011 265 color plates 25 black and white 264 pp. 9 x 12 Hardback in dustjacket in New condition The Turkmen people of Central Asia and Iran are revered for their carpets and textiles. Less well known, but equally stunning, is the extraordinary silver jewelry created by Turkmen tribal craftsmen and urban silversmiths throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. This catalogue presents nearly two hundred pieces in glorious detail, ranging from crowns and headdresses to armbands and rings, and featuring accents of carnelian, turquoise, and other stones. Characterized by elegant form, geometric shapes, and delicate openwork, Turkmen jewelry has typically been viewed through an ethnographic rather than an aesthetic lens. By highlighting these objects—which come from one of the most significant private collections of Turkmen ornaments in the world—and placing them in the larger context of Islamic art, this groundbreaking publication elevates the vibrant, monumental pieces from folk art to fine art. -Publisher $60  

V & A Publishing / Mapin Publishing Ahmedabad 2011 243 color plates 3 Maps 18 Line Drawings 248 pp. 9.5 x 11.5 Hardback in dustjacket in New condition The textiles and dress of Gujarat in northwestern India are acclaimed for their design and craftsmanship. The sophisticated weaves, dyeing techniques, intricate embroideries, vibrant motifs and embellished dress, and the communities to which many of these are unique, have all been the subjects of extensive documentation. Textiles and dress play a central role in the construction of a visual identity of Gujarat and its people. This book examines the 'social life' of Gujarat's textiles, tracing the historical journey of cloth and dress up to the present day. It looks closely at dyed and painted textiles, and embroidery, and locates their place in culture, trade and commerce, and the role of entrepreneurship in the survival of these handmade textiles. -Publisher "Excellent new book on the traditional textiles of the western Indian state of Gujarat. The author has lived and worked with tribal people, especially the Rabari nomads of the Kutch region, and speaks with deep knowledge of their skills and practices. This book is an important and valuable addition to the bibliography of work on Indian textile crafts." -Talia Attaille   $55  

Temmen Germany 1993 98 color plates 288 pp. 8 x 10 Hardback in Very Good condition  Hamburg museum exhibition catalog of Turkish textiles on display during the 7th ICOC.  German text. $110  

Banca Popolare di Verona Verona 1993 176 color plates 570 pp. 8.75 x 12.25 Hardback in dustjacket in Very Good condition  Massive quality catalog of mostly liturgical vestments and early printed silks from Italy's Veneto region. Italian text.  $125  

Fluck, Cacilia and Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood Riding Costume in Egypt: Origin and Appearance  
Brill Academic Publishers Leiden 2003 43 color plates 71 black and white Plates  32 Figures 416 pp. 6.5 x 9.5 Hardback in New condition Scholarly with English, German and French essays. "An extremely rare and conspicuous find of oriental riding costumes in the late antique necropolis of Antinoopolis (Middle Egypt) brought together a number of specialists piecing together their evolution and historical context. The first part deals with the evolution and distribution of the oriental riding costume in the Middle and Near East through the ages and the historical background on the find spot. The second part focuses on the original costumes in various museum collections including much so far unpublished material, technical researches and reconstructions. Surprising new insights on the social background of their owners has been obtained by carefully studying and piecing together the finding context. Also the representations of riding costumes in and on different monuments are carefully examined. The book is richly illustrated with colour and black and white plates." -Publisher. $115  

Hali London 2011 Color illustrations 100 pp. 9 x 11.75 Paperback in New condition  The Summer 2011 edition looks at the best of Milan Design Week, from the Salone to Fuori Salone and the hottest exhibitions in town. We look at rug designs from Gandia Blasco, Niba, Red Spruce and Vartian. Label STEP reports on the state of weaving in Afghanistan and we put a spotlight on two interesting revivals - Andre Arbus for Lapchi and J.F. Hakimian's mission to reinvigorate artisan weaving. Other highlights include the extraordinary 'rug' installations of We Make Carpets and an insight into the vogue for modular carpets. Product Selector looks at Shibori and tie-die inspired rugs and textiles. We preview some of the highlights from the forthcoming New York International Carpet Show, and the best textile and fashion exhibitions of the Summer. -Publisher $10  

'ana'ana publishing Huahine 2008 
40 color plates 3 black and white 56 pp. 8 x 7.75 Paperback in New condition The tapa cloth of Pitcairn Island illuminates the forgotten story of the Polynesian women of HMS Bounty. Pitcairn Tapa: 'Ahu no Hitiaurevareva rediscovers their beautiful bark cloths from museum archives around the world. These cloths are the surviving material evidence of those courageous women's lives. this book gives remarkable insights into the Pitcairn language and its evolution.  Pauline Reynolds is a descendant of those women and is the leading authority on Pitcairn tapa. Her insights are unique amongst descendants and academics. The linguistic analysis of the evolution of Pi'kern (the Pitcairn language) from Tahitian in those early days along with specialist cultural knowledge is ground-breaking.  English/French text. $75  

Arnoldsche Verlagsanstalt Stuttgart 2010 700 color illustrations 320 pp. 9.5 x 12 Hardback in New condition Of particular interest is 133 pages with 302 color illustrations focusing on the jewelry of Afghanistan, the Silk Road, Central Asia, Turkmen tribes, the Caucasus mountains and Palestine. Other regions with jewelry represented include North Africa and the Sahara, Ethiopia, Yemen, India, Thailand and the Himalayas, the Indus Valley, eastern Turkey and Syria.  $85  

Shroff, H. B. and D.M. Trivedi Some Indian Indigenous Dyes and the Application  
Department of Industries and Commerce, U.P. Bulletin - new series no. 7 Allahabad -1946  73 pp. 6.5 x 9 Hardback in Very Good condition  Dyes and dyeing in India. Department of Industries and Commerce, U.P. Bulletin - new series no. 7. Looks photocopied and rebound in a modern library binding.  $35  
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Warrug Inc. Long Island City, NY 2008 42 color plates 52 pp. 5.5 x 8.25 Paperback in Very Good condition. Cracking to spine. Uncommon publication on this ever-evolving and topical carpet tradition. "The purpose of this book is to document the genesis of the war rug tradition in pictorial rugs -- rugs that developed out of social, rather than commercial, motivations. This gives them ethnographic significance. The work builds on George O'Bannon's work on Afghan aksi, or pictorial rugs". -Introduction. Limited to 100 copies numbered and initialed by the author. $50  

Y & B Bolour / Textilia Rome 1996 74 color plates 112 pp. 9 x 12 Paperback in New condition Dealer exhibition catalog of early 20th century American hooked rugs. Italian/English text.  $65  

Talisman Oriental Rug Cleaning Santa Cruz 1996 Not illustrated. 36 pp. 8.5 x 11 Stapled booklet in Very Good condition Talisman Oriental Rug Cleaning and Restoration booklet published exclusively on the occasion of the 3rd American Conference on Oriental Rugs in Santa Monica. $35  

Museums Fur Volkerkunde Berlin 1976 28 color plates, 138 black and white 348 pp. 7 x 6 Paperback in Very Good condition. Slight scuffing to cover. Museum exhibition catalog of collections of hats acquired 1884-1915 including Rickmers (1902). $125  
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Rug News

For ruggies in the Northern Hemisphere the dog days of summer have been busy ones. The International Conference on Oriental Carpets in Stockholm has wrapped up, the Textile Museum announced that it is joining George Washington University in DC and local rug clubs are humming along. This Saturday our local club, the Textile Museum Associates of Southern California is hosting Patrick Weiler, private collector and President of the Seattle Textile and Rug Society for his talk on "The Luri Tribes of Iran and Their Weavings".

The third  San Francisco Antique Rug and Textile Show is scheduled for October 20-23 at the Motel Capri in the Marina district. It has become the most important tribal and antique rug show in North America and we are pleased to be exhibiting again (Room 102). The entire building will be taken over by 40 or so dealers from all over the globe along with an exhibition on Turkmen bags, and the ever-popular "Under $500 Room". Book your flights and make reservation because this is not a show to miss!