The rugs and carpets of Persia and Turkey, and many other countries of Muslim Asia consitute one of the richest seams of art anywhere in the world. But is is an art that can be part of your domestic environment. Although popular the rugs of the orient are also a nightmare of complexity where the inexperienced would-be-buyer is concerned. How can one be sure that one is buying a good example, that is well made and in good condition? What should the buyer look for, what are the tell-tale signs of inauthenticity? What are the marks of genuineness and quality? This introduction to the subject has: an explanation of the vocabulary of carpets, the techniques of identification, how rugs are made, materials/dyes, the great families of rug styles, a gazetteer of countries, tribes and regions, buying rugs, the truth about auctions and bankruptcy sales, care and maintenance.

only a really experienced dealer can be your guide, and Gordon Walker, for twenty-five years the owner of the Oriental Rug Gallery in Bath, is the man. He also trades as an accredited specialist broker at the International Oriental Carpet Centre in London where he guides his private clients through the stocks of the leading merchant importers.