"His Majesty has caused carpets to be made of wonderful varieties and charming texture…"
Wrote Abul Fazl of the Emperor Akbar in the 16^th century.

The high technical accomplishments of classical carpets and their luxurious materials astonished the world; today, more than four centuries later, India remains a major producer of fine quality hand-knotted carpets.

This book in five parts briefly looks at the history and crafts of the carpet in India and is design inspirations, from the early Persian influence to the evolved Indian style. The main production centers are also viewed. Apart from the pile carpet, an account of durries, their antiquity, decline and revival, is also given.

Lavishly illustrated with colour photographs from a number of sources, from museums to weaving villages, this book is a glimpse of one of the most celebrated of Indian textile arts.

ETERNAL INDIA SERIES:
The cultural expression of India is a varied in style as it is in form and this is due partly to the size of the land, its myriad religions, races, beliefs, customs and its many layered history.

The series combines pieces of this splendid mosaic with an eye on the apparent as well as the hidden nuances; on tradition and continuity as well as the winds of change.

About the Author:

AshaRani Mathur is a freelance writer and editor. She has edited and produced books on aspects of Indian life and culture as well as art catalogues and written on subjects as far apart as restaurant food, travel and ancient India. She has also scripted documentaries for television. Her earlier books in this series have been "Woven Wonder", "A Jewelled Splendour" and "Indian Shawls" on textiles, Jewellery and shawls respectively.

two
Mughal Carpets

three
The Great Carpet Areas
Kashmir
Mirzapur and Bhadohi
Jaipur
The Indo-Tibetan Tradition

four
Of Durries and Prisons

five
Preserving The Heritage

Select Bibliography
Acknowledgements & Photo Credits