Oriental Carpet Design: A Guide to Traditional Motifs, Patterns and Symbols

This book has the best information I've found on distinguing one type of rug from another. Many books give information about the major types of rugs...they're a dime a dozen. Ford breaks everything down into what specific tribes and villages weave, and tells us what the weavers use for warps and wefts, distinguishing colors, area motifs and designs, and more. This book is definitely academic in nature, but this is exactly the kind of fact-filled information I've been searching for. I had thought I would find it in Peter Stone's works, but even Stone's 2004 book on motifs does not come close to what Ford did twenty years ago. I currently own about 50 books on oriental rugs, and Ford's book offers the most comprehensive, detailed information of any of them. If you want to move from being a novice to becoming a more knowledgeable buyer and rug lover, you will want this book.

I collect Oriental rugs and Oriental rug books. This book is not for the beginner, but is meant for in-depth study of the subject of Oriental rugs. As you read you are directed to other pages for study and comparison. This is a time consuming but valuable process. If one wants to really study Oriental rugs this book can elevate you from beginner to a person who is comfortable with the subject and able to talk with experts. I used this book as a self teaching text book and loved it.

I live in the Middle East and my Afghani carpet dealer recommended this book calling it "the Bible" for any collector. The color pictures and pattern by pattern breakdown help you get a feel for the beauty of this unique art form. My only complaint is that the carpets pictured are all museum quality and not on offer to your average collector! If you are just getting started or if you've been collecting rugs for a while, this book is an essential addition to your reference library.

This book is indeed an excellent source of information for those who are interested in this fascinating subject and enojy collecting persian rugs. It is extremely well illustrated with some very informative tips on each region, and what to look for when buying a rug. I higly recommend it to those who are interested in traditional designs.

This book has been my "bible" on the subject of oriental rugs for about 5 years. It has been a source of knowledge and great pleasure as I have learnt more and more on this fascinating subject and purchased many rugs in the meantime. It never stays in the bookshelf very long, as I am frequently referring to it as the rug buying "bug" hits me. The book is comprehensively illustrated and has detailed information on subtleties of pattern design, which help in the identification of different rugs, even within a single district. I cannot recommend this book too highly as an attractive and informative book for novice or experienced rug lovers alike. In comparison, I have been a little disappointed with "Oriental Rugs, Vol 2,PERSIA", which I purchased recently (see separate review).