Document Type
Book Chapter
Date of this Version
1988
Publication Source
The Social Life of Things: Commodities in Cultural Perspective
Start Page
195
Last Page
235
Abstract
Oriental carpets have been recognized as prestigious furnishing in the West since the Middle Ages. In many ways, they represent the epitome of Western concern with alien things - especially utilitarian alien things. Carpets entered the Western cultural arena as a rare alien item of interest and eventually became a commodity. But commoditization does not adequately explain their continuing success in the market or the special attention they receive from collectors.
Copyright/Permission Statement
This material has been published in The Social Life of Things: Commodities in Cultural Perspective edited by Arjun Appadurai. This version is free to view and download for personal use only. Not for re-distribution, re-sale or use in derivative works. © Cambridge University Press.
Recommended Citation
Spooner, B. (1988). Weavers and Dealers: The Authenticity of an Oriental Carpet. In A. Appadurai (Ed.), The Social Life of Things: Commodities in Cultural Perspective (pp. 195-235). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Date Posted: 28 October 2016