Of Indian Carpets and Carpetwallahs : An Appreciation

Carpets adorn living spaces across the length and breadth of the country and are appreciated for many qualities—their design, their colours, their ‘feel’—but rarely their history. Yet, each carpet has a story hidden within its intricate details, and the value of a carpet is not only determined by what it costs, or by its technical and aesthetic qualities, but also by the story it carries. Of Indian Carpets and Carpetwallahs: An Appreciation tells the stories of Indian carpets by delving into the histories of an assortment of unique carpets—that of delicate Kashmiri carpets, a Herati-inspired carpet made in Amritsar, and even one made in Rampur jail—collected by Norwegian diplomat Jon Westborg over his lifetime.

Of Indian Carpets and Carpetwallahs: An Appreciation melds history, memory, and aesthetics beautifully to create a complete and detailed picture of the Indian carpet-making tradition.