Neff, Ivan C., 1928-. Dictionary of oriental rugs : with a monograph on identification by weave / Ivan C. Neff & Carol V. Maggs. [0949937355] London : Ad. Donker, 1977.
Call#: University Museum Library NK2808 .N27

 

A concise and reasonably informative dictionary of rug terms, and ethnographic and geographic information related to the rugs of anatolia, iran, the caucasus and central asia.  Casts a critical eye on much of the literature and lore of earlier books on the topic.  Has a good, detailed insert map.  The dictionary is prefaced by the monograph on identification by weave and an illustrated appendix showing rug specimens from the front and back.  The appendix attempts to document the major point of the monograph, specifically that the provenance of rugs can be determined by their "finger prints", technical details evident in the materials and structure of the weave.  The only thing new here is the exaggeration of the authors' claim.

Edwards, A. Cecil..

Persian carpet : a survey of the carpet-weaving industry of Persia / A. Cecil Edwards.London : G.Duckworth & co., 1960 [c1953]
Call#: Van Pelt Library 745.52 ED92

A standard, but hard-to-find introduction to Persian carpets, written by an English rug dealer who traveled extensively in Iran during the first and second quarters of the twentieth century. Edwards' writing reflects a first hand knowledge of the people and their production, as well as peculiar racial and cultural prejudices of the British middle class. He provides quantitative surveys of village and tribal rug output, and adds lots of colorful anecdotes about rug dealing in the bizaars of Shiraz and Hamadan. As an entreprenuer, his approach is not scholarly, but he does provide useful insights into the rug market during mid century and the general decline of the Persian rug after 1900. Like many books of its time, this one was targeted at consumers interested in the hallmarks of quality and the provenance of Persian rugs.