This is by no means a comprehensive bibliography of Tibetan rug books but rather selected highlights from our inventory. Enjoy!
Chodrak, Trinley and K. Tashi Of Wool and Loom: The Tradition of Tibetan Rugs
White Orchid Bangkok 2000
154 color plates 160 pp. 8.5 x 11 Hardback in dustjacket in New condition
The book first presents a brief history of Tibetan carpet and textile weaving, from their early origins, to 'planted pile' textiles, Drumste knotted-pile carpets of the Wangden Valley, and the warp-backed rugs of the Lhuntse region. It then traces the emergence of Tibet as a commercial carpet-weaving centre and outlines steps in learning the art of weaving, from apprentice to master-weaver. In a final chapter, the authors give an account of the wide range of uses of Tibetan rugs: by nomads, the aristocracy, and the cavalry, as well as their ecclesiastical and equestrian uses, and their use as floor rugs. The work includes 124 beautiful colour plates of rugs, showing details of their intricate designs and rich colours, accompanied by detailed descriptions of each. The authors are both natives of the region; not only are both considered to be eminent scholars in Tibetan Studies, but one holds the important position of Director of the Tibetan Museum, while the other is a prominent founder and promoter of sustainable enterprises in Tibet through commercial carpet and wool handicraft production, forestry conservation and ecotourism. -Publisher
Cole, Thomas Dream Weavers: Textile Art from the Tibetan Plateau
Marshall Cavendish Singapore 2004
68 full page color plates with details 188 pp. 9.5 x 11 Hardback in dustjacket in New condition
Tom Cole takes readers through the tribal tradition of the Tibetan weaving aesthetic. The tribal tradition, on which he speculated more than 10 years ago, is validated through the interesting synthesis of ideas and sources, and is discussed in a well-documented historical text that reads like an unfolding narrative. This perceptive text establishes a fascinating new light in which the Tibetan people and their traditions should be viewed. Accompanying the text are complete descriptions and technical analyses of 68 eye-dazzling rugs from the collection of Shirin and Giuseppe De Giosa. The weavings presented here not only reflect the inner warmth of a very soulful people, they represent a cross-section of the breadth of design as seen in the mind's eye of the Tibetan weavers. -Publisher
Cole, Thomas with an introduction by Diana K. Myers Patterns of Life: The Art of Tibetan Carpets
Rubin Museum of Art New York 2010
60 color plates 8 historical black and white photographs 104 pp. 10 x 11 Hardback in dustjacket in New condition
For centuries Tibetans have used carpets for decorative and functional purposes, favoring colorful dyes and lively designs to enrich their homes and monasteries. Not bound by the codified rules governing the creation of religious art, the artisans who wove carpets often demonstrated a delightful sense of imagination in their work, drawing inspiration from a wide range of sources. Carpet motifs such as medallions and checkerboard patterns suggest considerable influence from Tibet's historical textile trading partners, countries as close as China and as distant as Iran. Other popular imagery, such as the snow lion, is indigenous to the region. With exceptional examples of saddle rugs, sleeping rugs, pile pillows, cushion covers, and door rugs, Patterns of Life explores the stylistic variety and uses of Tibetan carpets in the everyday life of the Tibetan people. -Publisher
Danon, Enzo and Roberto Tibet: Tappeti 1850-1950
Textilia Rome 1995
53 color plates 126 pp. 9 x 12.25 Paperback in New condition
Quality dealer catalog of Tibetan rugs.
Denwood, Philip The Tibetan Carpet
Sunflower Warminister 1974 (1978)
25 color plates 85 black and white 120 pp. 8.5 x 12 Hardback in dustjacket in Very Good condition. Blank bookplate on decorative front free endpaper.
GWO 1697. Second printing of the first book devoted to Tibetan rugs. Factually written and sound.
Kuloy, Hallvard K. Fra Tempel til Hesterygg den Tibetanske Teppetradisjonen: Tibetan Rugs
Kuntindustrimuseet I Oslo Oslo 1989
1 color plates 111 black and white 56 pp. 8 x 9 Paperback in Very Good condition. Cover is slightly creased. Includes bookplate of late Oriental rug scholar George O'Bannon.
GWO 1722. Oslo Museum of Applied Arts loan exhibition catalog of a variety of carpets from Tibet. Norwegian-English text.
Lipton, Mimi The Tiger Rugs of Tibet Thames and Hudson London 1988
108 color plates 50 black and white 191 pp. 9 x 12 Hardback in dustjacket in Very Good condition
GWO 1736. The most comprehensive study of this type of Tibetan carpet showing 108 various design examples.
Miller, Daniel ed. Auspicious Carpets: Tibetan Rugs and Textiles
Daniel Miller Manila 2009
94 color plates 22 color and 23 black and white anthropological photographs 160 pp. 7 x 7 Hardback in dustjacket in New condition
Articles by Thomas L. Guta, Ted Worcester, Daniel Miller, Rupert Smith, Bob van Grevenbroek and Charles Gay. More than just another book on rugs. With evocative images and insightful text it is as much an ethnography of the inhabitants of the Tibetan landscape -- the nomads who raise the sheep that produce one of the best carpet wools in the world and the weavers who fashion this wool into textiles and rugs -- as it is an introduction to the aesthetics of the Tibetan weaving and textile traditions. –Cover.
Newark Museum Tibetan Rugs: A Book of Postcards
Pomegranate Communications Petaluma, CA 2005
30 color postcards 1 page of text 7 x 4.75 Paperback in New condition
Thirty richly colored postcards illustrating carpets of Tibet from the permanent collection at the Newark Museum.
Pacific Asia Museum; Tom Rutherford Woven Jewels: Tibetan Rugs from Southern California Collections
Chris Pearce / Pacific Asia Museum (Pasadena) 1992
120 color plates 95 pp. 9 x 12 Paperback in New condition
GWO 1760. Museum exhibition catalog of Tibetan carpets from the Rutherford collection.
John and Serina Page London 1990
73 color plates 155 pp. 8.5 x 10 Hardback in dustjacket in New condition
GWO 1755. Priced dealer exhibition and sales catalog.
Since the Chinese occupation of Tibet thirty years ago these rugs have found their way, via Katmandu into the Western world, leaving behind their secrets of origin.
There has been a huge upsurge of interest in Tibetan textiles and culture. Our collection of over 80 stunning rugs show the complete range of amazing colour and design over the last 100 years. Tigers, Dragons, Phoenix Birds, Art Deco, Abstracts and Lush Florals. Such diversity of design and colour do not appear in any other group of textiles.
These rugs were never intended for walking upon as in the European tradition, but used for sleeping, sitting, meditating on and monastic decoration. Several of our most spectacular rugs were made for High Lamas. -Cover
Serindia Publications Chicago 2011
186 rugs are shown in 412 color illustrations 12 historic black and white photographs 294 pp. 8.5 x 12 Hardback in dustjacket in New condition
The best book thus far published on Tibetan carpets. Rugs have been woven and used in Tibet for centuries, but until recent years, have been ignored by collectors and scholars alike because available examples were generally brightly colored, chemically dyed, clearly modern commercial production of little aesthetic appeal. This situation changed in the mid-1980s when the Chinese authorities began to allow tourism and foreign visitors discovered early, naturally dyed examples that had not been seen in the West. The Piccus Collection of Tibetan Rugs was formed during the exciting window of opportunity that existed during the 80s and 90s to collect in this previously little-known area. The Collection demonstrates the genuine aesthetic sense and cultural achievements of the unknown Tibetan weavers who produced these masterpieces. The book tells the story of the rugs' collection, the individuals involved and the evolution of scholarship in this field. Beautifully illustrated, the book is divided into design categories, including Tigers and Leopards, Dragons, Tantric, Geometrics, Medallions, Warp Face Backs, and Nomadic, among others. It also includes technical information and a visual glossary that will be useful for collectors and designers alike. The book documents a previously little-known aspect of Tibetan history and culture that deserves to be recognized and is an essential addition to any collector s and design libraries. -Cover
2 comments:
www.rupertsmithtextiles.com used to be another article on Tibetan rugs
but we've changed to a more commercial site now.I am however holding more than 1000 images of Tibetan rugs and textiles and sometimes working on a text!
many thanks for your work on the subject.
rupert.Smith.
ruptext@hotmail.com
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