“The 370-page volume, the result of 10 years of research and extensive field work, is out. Under the title Rugs of the Orient, this book is a landmark in Greek scientific research on woven textiles and rugs. At the same time, with its 265 photographs, it is the most complete guide for non-professional readers and buyers who seek well-documented and complete information on handmade rugs in Greek.”
“The book’s author has been professionally active in the trade of handmade oriental rugs for many years; she has made countless journeys to the lands where the rugs are manufactured and conducted long-term research among the populations that used to create them, and those who still do. Gathering the results of her research, classifying and recording them, and highlighting the author’s experience in conjunction with the relevant international literature has been an extensive and time-consuming project; the result is this exceptional publication.
We are confident that this book, the product of experience, research, and the author’s deep practical knowledge, covers a large void in the Greek bibliography. Firstly, it provides to the thousands of Greek enthusiasts of oriental rugs a useful tool that will help them assess the offerings on the Greek market. Secondly, to those who love the Orient, it offers an opportunity to vicariously follow the historic and geographical movements of its populations and tribes, and to study its amazing cultures. Finally, it will serve as an important aid in the comparative study of contemporary Greek carpet-weaving and shall contribute to its reorganisation, if ever the conditions are ripe for its development.”
Preface by Euphrosyne Roupa
Art and Applied Arts Historian, M.A.
An exceptional publication on the rugs of the Orient and their history is an important recent addition to the Greek bibliography, with the noteworthy signature of Mrs. Dora Penga, distinguished handmade rugs dealer of Thessaloniki. The author has delved with great interest and love into the history of rugs and in establishing a scientific record of their production methods. She has visited the manufacturing countries in the East and the nomadic tribes several times, and in the 370 pages of this exceptional book she has succeeded in recording the experiences and knowledge she has acquired from years of systematic studies and onsite research.
And so, by indulging in the magic of old oriental rugs and also encountering contemporary manufacturers, Dora Penga has created a book that is rich in useful information and, at the same time, a pleasant narrative, almost like a fairy-tale.
