Indian Carpets by Erwin Gans-Ruedin. Thames and Hudson, London 1984

Indian Carpets by Erwin Gans-Ruedin. Thames and Hudson, London 1984
Indian carpets became sought after by western collectors when the 1851 Crystal Palace Exhibition in London revealed their magnificent color, design and workmanship to an international audience. The fifteenth century had seen the advent of the knotted carpet in India, and once introduced in Kashmir, the Persian influenced rugs achieved a degree of perfection, unrivalled elsewhere. Carpet- making reached its height in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries during the reign of the Mughal emperors, who had united ted India and whose legendary love of luxury encouraged artisans to compete with each other in creating ever more intricate work. After the 1851 Exhibition, English companies opened workshops in Srinagar, Amritsar, Mirzapur and elsewhere, often unfortunately supplying low- quality wool in order to bring prices down, and changing the designs to suit prevailing Western tastes. The situation changed dramatically after the end of World War II. Highly qualified workers trained in government sponsored schools now produce carpets that rival the best examples from the most famous carpet regions in the world. Indian carpets with 500,000 knots, or more, per square meter are no longer exceptional, and the imported wool used in their production is of superior quality that results in a pile with rich sheen. Today's carpet-producing centers offer an abundant choice of motifs among those that embellish traditional Indian carpets and other fabrics. All the major carpet-producing regions are covered, including Agra, Jaipur, the Punjab, Benares and Kashmir. A chapter on the techniques of weaving gives information on materials, dyes, motifs, looms and knots. The numerous color plates and drawings show a wealth of hues, patterns and designs. 

1st edition hardback with dust jacket Nice copy quarto 318pp., colour & b/w plates, text ills., map, glossary, bibliog., index, Definitive text & beautifully illustrated with full-page colour photos