Guide to Turkish Rug & Carpet Books

Anderson, June. Return to Tradition, The Revitalization of Turkish Village Carpets. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1998

From the Publisher:
"Return to Tradition" describes the rebirth of an almost extinct cultural tradition - the hand knotted Turkish carpets made in remote villages on the Aegean Peninsula - and the lives of the women who make them. it is the story of a unique project, called DOBAG, that reintroduced natural dyes, restored the integrity of this ancient folk art, and formed village cooperatives to organize production and marketing of the carpets. It also includes information about the designs, colors, motifs, and symbolism of the carpets which continue to evolve aesthetically in response to the weavers' needs and the consumer market. Although there are many books on antique rugs, this fills the need for information on contemporary carpet-weaving Turkey and on the village women who weave the carpets. In Turkish villages today, very little has changed in the technology of carpet making since its early beginnings. Women still use the drop spindle for spinning, and weave on the same type of loom as their ancestors. Villagers shear the sheep, card the wool, and dye the skeins much as their forebears did in ancient times. These traditional folk ways have survived to this day, an unbroken link with the past.

Since 1981 the DOBAG cooperative has produced about 1500 carpets annually, distributing them throughout the United States and Europe. DOBAG, an acronym for Dogal Boya Arastrima ve Gelistirme Projesi - the natural Dye Research and Development Project - is supervised by Marmara University in Istanbul. ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 80 PAGES

Böhmer, Harald. et al Koekboya: Natural Dyes and Textiles A Colour Journey from Turkey to India and Beyond 2002

From the Publisher:
Koekboya is a Turkish word. Literally translated it means root-dye. It is used in Turkey for all kinds of natural dyes, whether they are actually made from roots ... flowers, leaves tubers or seeds. Even insect dyes are included in the Turkish expression Koekboya

In this book almost 100 dye plants from Turkey and around the world are introduced on a scientific basis: their botany, their qualities for dyeing, their cultural and historical importance, and - in light of the world-wide Renaissance of natural dyeing - aspects concerning their reintroduction for practical use or as a hobby

Dr Böhmer and his associates, Prof Dr Nevin Enez and Dr Recep Karadag teach on the Fine Arts Faculty of Marmara University Istanbul.

Davies, Peter. The Tribal Eye. Antique Kilims of Anatolia. 1993,

From the Publisher:
The authoritative account of the acclaimed and collectible kilims, the tribal flatwoven rugs of Turkey. From fleece, yarn, dyeing, looms, and weaves, to the visual language, tribal weavers, and meaning, origins, and aesthetics of the kilim, this book provides an ideal summary of the subject. It is illustrated with over 80 colorful examples, fine ethnographic photographs, and drawings that explain structural features and designs. 80 color and 70 black-and-white illustrations. Originally published in a previous edition as The Tribal Eye.

From the Publisher:
Anatolian carpets have been a part of European culture since the 14th Century, and they are among the most sought-after of all carpets by museums and collectors today. The Classical Tradition in Anatolian Carpets takes a fresh and concise look at Anatolian carpets dating from the 16th to the 20th century. It investigates the ways in which artistic traditions in Anatolia developed from roots in a "classical" period of carpet design, whose masterpieces have exerted a compelling influence on many generations of Anatolian weavers in subsequent centuries...
Drawing heavily on The Textile Museum's collection of masterpieces of Anatolian carpet weaving amassed by the Museum's founder, George Hewitt Myers, this book also includes carpets from a number of leading private collectors, The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art, and the Jewish Museum in New York. In this book, published to coincide with and exhibition of the same title at The Textile Museum, Washington DC, Walter B. Denny's accessible text combines the latest research with new thinking on carpet designs, history and meanings.

Eiland, Murray L, Jr. and Eiland, Murray L. III Oriental Rugs A Complete Guide. Boston: Little Brown and Company, 1998 4th edition.

The single best collectors book on Oriental carpets. This completely blows away the 3rd edition and that was the best book in the field before this one.

Koll, Borger (Koll Collection) KULTKELIM Ausgewahlte Anatolische Flachgewebe 1999. Edition of 500.

Zipper, K and C. Fritzsche: Oriental Rugs: Volume 4 Turkish ; Munich: 1989.

Excellent comprehensive guide to Turkish rugs and carpets. This is one of the best and most useful books for most Turkish rug collectors.