A Foreshadowing of 21st Century Art: The Color and Geometry of Very Early Turkish CarpetsChristopher Alexander owns what many now believe to be the finest collection of early Turkish carpets in the western world, with perhaps half being the only specimens of their kind anywhere. In this richly illustrated, oversized volume--featuring four hundred illustrations, eighty in full color--Alexander takes readers on an engaging tour of his fabulous collection. Readers will see a 13th-century Seljuk Carpet with Dragons, a 15th-century Animal Carpet, a scarlet-niched Transylvanian Prayer Rug, a turquoise Lattice Carpet from Alcaraz, a 16th-century blue Medallion Keyhole Design from Bergama, a rare 16th-century White Field Bird Carpet, the dazzling color and brilliant geometry of a 15th-century Karapinar with Three Gulls, and perhaps Alexander's favorite, a 15th-century Star Karapinar with Flowers (whose designs he describes as "the high point of all Sufi art, the state of liberation, in which the artist is so free, that he is able to be completely natural"). In addition, Alexander elaborates on his theory that these carpets teach structure to artists and architects through the beauty of their form. This lavishly produced volume makes an important contribution to the world of rug scholarship. Equally important, Alexander's thoughtful meditations on these pieces will fascinate the many architects, artists, and planners who follow his work. |
Common terms and phrases
15th century Amy Briggs ANATOLIA animal carpet appears archaic arrowhead artistic beautiful Bergama carpet Beyshehir bird carpets blossom blue Book of Kells cartouches central century carpet collection color complex contains create diamond Divrigi dragon carpets drawing earlier early carpets endless repeat Erdmann example exist feeling field design figure floral Fostat fragment geometric green grid hooks illustrated interlock Islam Museum kilim knot design Konya kufic Ladik lattice lobes local symmetries look Lotto carpet Mamluk MEDALLION CARPET Medreseh mihrab minor border motif niche octagon original painting pets positive space prayer rug Rumi Seljuk carpet shape similar small pattern Holbein spandrel spirit square STAR CARPET subsymmetries 6 subsymmetries Sufi symmetries system of centers Tabriz Textile tile tilework Timurid Timurid carpets tion tradition triangles Turk Hali Turk ve Islam Turkish carpets unity Vakiflar weaver weaving whirling white field whole yellow Yetkin