One Woman, One Weft
By Tad Runge

The author's goal in writing One Woman, One Weft was to demonstrate that Hamadan village rugs woven before WW2 don't always rate the lowly status that they acquired in the heirarchy of oriental rugs. The book contains many examples of creatively designed, attractive rugs with excellent dyes and wool. It presents seventy-five attractive rugs to challenge the common stereotype.The book chronicles the lives and environment of the village women who wove these rugs:

"In a culture and at a time where a woman's primary role was to work for and serve others, the way she wove a rug may simply have allowed her to please herself."

One highlight of the book are the excerpts that author Tad Runge borrowed from Clara Case Edwards' letters found in the archives of Bryn Mawr College. Clara lived in Hamadan from 1912-1923, was the wife of Cecil Edwards, who wrote The Persian Carpet. Another highlight are the photographs Tad obtained from the Edwards' Archives at the Victoria and Albert Museum. A new appreciation for both the creator and the product should result from reading this book.

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Read an article on this book, published by Antiques And The Arts Weekly