Weaving fiber into cloth is one of the world’s oldest technologies, and one of its most important. Cloth provides clothing, shelter (in the form of tents), and floor coverings (carpet and rugs). Cloth is functional, but it’s also decorative as an outlet for creativity. Among the most enduring examples of cloth’s ability to combine function and beauty are carpets. They have filled both roles for thousands of years.
“Threads of Empire: A History of the World in Twelve Carpets” by Dorothy Armstrong is a spellbinding history of carpets. Armstrong looks at 12 carpets, examining how and when they were manufactured, and the impact each had. She looks at their role as a marker of status, the culture in which they were created, and how different societies interpreted each featured carpet.
