Lecture by Dr Walter Denny: A Critical Look at the Long and Lively Story of Anatolian Carpet Scholarship
Almost a half-century ago Dr Denny published an article entitled ‘Anatolian Rugs: An Essay on Method’ in The Textile Museum Journal. Since that time these works of art have been treated in a variety of publications, subjected to the theories of New Age collectors, a rogue archaeologist and his Mother Goddess followers, and a plethora of catalogues and books from dealers and collectors. What have we learned – or not learned – about Anatolian carpets in fifty years?
Dr. Denny is professor of art history at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He has curated and published extensively on Islamic carpet and textile history, and previously served as honorary curator at the Harvard Art Museums, and senior consultant at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He has been Charles Grant Ellis Research Associate of Oriental Carpets for The Textile Museum since 2002.