A very well-researched and comprehensive book. The authors appreciate not only the aesthetic qualities of the rugs (their descriptions are perceptive and often amusing) but also the process of producing the needlework, which often required the fibre artist to be skilled in several crafts (spinning, weaving, dyeing) before she could even pick up needle or hook to begin the work on her rug. They describe the techniques of the various rugs, some quite unusual, in enough detail that a competent craftsperson could probably produce any of them. The history is fascinating. And the rugs photographed are amazing. I was startled and delighted to see a fabulous rug featuring jungle cats designed and worked by Dahlov Ipcar, one of my favourite illustrators of the early 20th century; I was possibly even more delighted by the naive rug with the two kittens PINKY and WINKY. Winky is pink. Pinky is orange. I picked up this book on spec not knowing if I'd keep it. It's a keeper, and I'm thrilled to have it to add to my collection of books about textile history. ( )