Kilims: Masterpieces from Turkey

Book by Petsopoulos, Yanni

Despite the title, Petsopoulos includes only kilims from Anatolia (Asiatic Turkey) in this book, making it narrower in geographic scope than his Kilims: Flat-Woven Tapestry Rugs ( LJ 1/15/80). Here, he catalogs 100 examples of rare kilims, most never before published and all at least 200 years old. Vivid color photographs of geometric motif rugs in full length and clear closeup show the skill and artistry of anonymous weavers. In her 20-page commentary to the plates, art historian Belkis Balpinar discusses the probable origin of each kilim as well as design, structure, and reference to published sources of similar examples. Preliminary chapters treat history, weaving techniques, and motif symbolism clearly enough for the lay reader. The excellent illustrations in the plates section are well numbered, but closeups interspersed throughout the text are undocumented, forcing the reader to hunt for corresponding plates. Publishers' names are omitted from bibliographic references. Still, this book is an attractive introduction to a specialized subject, especially for libraries lacking Petsopoulos's earlier book, now out of print.
- Therese D. Baker, Western Kentucky Univ. Libs., Bowling Green
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.