The Arts And Crafts Of Turkestan
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: N/A
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
A richly detailed survey of Central Asian decorative arts, The Arts and Crafts of Turkestan presents the vibrant material culture of the Turkestan region, encompassing the nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples of present-day Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and neighboring territories. Johannes Kalter chronicles the full spectrum of traditional craftsmanship — from the intricate geometric patterns of hand-knotted carpets and flatweaves to the ornate metalwork, jewelry, embroidery, and ceramics that defined daily and ceremonial life across the steppes and oases. Written with scholarly authority yet accessible in tone, the work illustrates how these art forms served not merely as aesthetic expressions but as deeply coded systems of cultural identity, tribal affiliation, and social status. Kalter draws on extensive fieldwork and museum collections to detail the techniques, materials, and symbolic vocabularies employed by artisans across distinct ethnic groups, offering a comparative framework that enriches the reader's understanding of regional variation. An indispensable reference for collectors, ethnographers, and anyone captivated by the artistic heritage of the Islamic world, this volume stands as a landmark study of a craft tradition too often overlooked by Western scholarship.
Author: Johannes Kalter
Format: Hardback
Published: 1984, Thames and Hudson
Genre: The arts
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: N/A
Pages: Good
Markings: No markings
A richly detailed survey of Central Asian decorative arts, The Arts and Crafts of Turkestan presents the vibrant material culture of the Turkestan region, encompassing the nomadic and semi-nomadic peoples of present-day Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, and neighboring territories. Johannes Kalter chronicles the full spectrum of traditional craftsmanship — from the intricate geometric patterns of hand-knotted carpets and flatweaves to the ornate metalwork, jewelry, embroidery, and ceramics that defined daily and ceremonial life across the steppes and oases. Written with scholarly authority yet accessible in tone, the work illustrates how these art forms served not merely as aesthetic expressions but as deeply coded systems of cultural identity, tribal affiliation, and social status. Kalter draws on extensive fieldwork and museum collections to detail the techniques, materials, and symbolic vocabularies employed by artisans across distinct ethnic groups, offering a comparative framework that enriches the reader's understanding of regional variation. An indispensable reference for collectors, ethnographers, and anyone captivated by the artistic heritage of the Islamic world, this volume stands as a landmark study of a craft tradition too often overlooked by Western scholarship.