Has anyone been through Jürg Rageth’s “Turkmen Carpets, A New Perspective”? It could perhaps be interesting to discuss it here on Turkotek?
Anyway I can highly recommend the book (even though it has a hefty price tag). Its a beautiful and very very thorough description of both individual rugs, and of their connections in a broad perspective of historical design developments. It to me seems to be the most ambitious book on the Turkmen rug in a long time, if not the most ambitious ever.
Some of Rageth’s highly interesting suggestions might be disputable, for example the suggestion of a direct lineage between specifically the Salor tribe and the Sogdians, but sure a very interesting thesis based on both design development and lingustics.
Rageth also have a focuspoint on the Peikam border and its relation to Kufic ornamentation and the niche/prayer rug, a subject which I personally stil find highly fascinating
The heydays of interest in the Turkmen rugs may be over, but if so Jürg Rageth’s book sure is a worthy and beautiful finale
All the best
Martin