Afghan Carpets

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Penn collection
Department of Anthropology Papers
Degree type
Discipline
Subject
Anthropology
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Funder
Grant number
License
Copyright date
Distributor
Related resources
Contributor
Abstract

In the history of international trade. Oriental carpets are something of an anomaly. Although other exotic crafts have found a market in the West, no other has been so successful for so long, and marked by such lack of communication between producer and consumer. In the most extreme situation a rug is woven by women in a nomadic encampment in central Asia. It is meant for domestic consumption as a primary item of furniture. However, when times are hard, as in the recent famine, the nomad takes it to a local bazaar center where it is sold for cash. Through resale it finds its way to an emporium in a major city. Along with many others it is then exported by an Oriental merchant to a dealer in the West. The carpet may then be subjected to certain treatments which would affect its colors or sheen, and so enhance its appeal to the Western consumer. The cultural criteria according to which the carpet was woven were entirely independent of those that influence its ultimate purchaser.

Advisor
Date Range for Data Collection (Start Date)
Date Range for Data Collection (End Date)
Digital Object Identifier
Series name and number
Publication date
1973
Journal title
Expedition
Volume number
Issue number
Publisher
Publisher DOI
Journal Issue
Comments
View this article on the Expedition Magazine website (http://www.penn.museum/sites/expedition/afghan-carpets/).
Recommended citation
Collection