I suggest you include a new catagory where people introduce and describe a book or publication or site which appeals to them. The show and tell on OUT OF THE PAST the istanbul Grand Bazar by Berry . . .which I believe was presented by Mr. Howe is a brilliant example of how this new catagory should run. The major difference from today is that the topics should not disappear but rather be archived forming a kind of anotated -and discussed- bibliography.

Richard

the topics should not be closed after two weeks but left open for additions and discussions as people have a chance to read and understand the works.

Some books offer alternative ways of understanding collecting and the objects collective and offer an important areas of discussion which could well be as important as a salon

Helfgott's study of the Persia carpet industry,for example, would be a very important topic of discussion but by the time I received it by post the topic had disappeared and references that I made to it in other disucssion were not taken up.

Richard

I think Richard Farber's suggestion here has merit.

And we have sometimes tried to do salons that approaches what I think he is talking about.

For example, not long ago we pretty explicitly based a salon on the Neff and Maggs volume "Dictionary of Oriental Carpets.

"http://www.turkotek.com/salon_00065/salon.html

And a little further back, we drew importantly on Christoper Alexander's "A Foreshadowing of 21st Century Art"

http://www.turkotek.com/salon_00011/salon.html

and "en passant" alluded to the possibility that Heinrich Wolfflin's "Principles of Art History," is a "formalist's" discussion of aesthetics that may be worth pursuing. (No rugs but lots of black and white illustrations of paintings and drawings.)

But neither of these instances is likely quite what Richard is suggesting.

I agree that Helfgott's study would be worth some sustained focus and I have been tempted several time to put up at least a show and tell on Eugene's Schuyler's excellent book on "Turkestan." Schuyler, a very able American diplomat, traveled in Turkestan in the 1860s and 1870s, part of the period of most interest to us. He writes well.

I've also been tempted to do this with George O'Bannon's last two volumes on "The Kyrgyz Carpet." With new books we'd have to consider whether discussion of them intrudes on our "non-commercial" stance. Comments here might well affect sales of a given new book, something we'd want to avoid.

But I think this is an idea to explore further.

What do others think?

Regards,

R. John Howe

In addition to the Salons John mentioned, Jerry hosted one devoted to rug books. I wonder if doing such a Salon from time to time would be more effective or less effective than a books equivalent of the Show and Tell board.

While discussion of a book might influence the sales to some extent, I don't think we have the clout to greatly alter the sale of a particular book. I also think that one of the big reasons we avoid commercial postings is to keep the discussion boards and the site more or less honest. That is, nobody can tout his inventory or badmouth another dealer. I don't see a comparable difficulty with books.

Regards,

Steve Price

the primary difference between a salon discussion and one based on a book is that the one based on a book should not be limited to two weeks because of the time necessary for an interested party to order and receive the book, read it and formulate an opinion. I would think that a format that could be continually added too might be more apropriate.

The fact that i missed the salons dedicated to books that John mentioned -- I've been following this site for less than a year -- is perhaps another indication for an area or board to be dedicated to theory based on research as published for those interested.

Regards

Richard Farber

Helfgott, Leonard Michael, 1937 --

Ties that bind: a social hisory of the Iranian carpet
Smithsonian Institute, 1994

I got a fine inexpensive copy used on a net site . . .

There are a copy of assertations in the study which are, although not stressed, of great import to collectors. One for example is that from the fall of the Safavids to after the middle of the 19th cent. there were very very few carpets made in Persia. Namads [pressed felts] were used as floor covers.

A second is that by the 1900 the persians had found ways to artificailly age carpets. .

there are quite a few like this . .

enjoy the book

Richard Farber