RugHistorian

Asking questions. Researching Answers.

RugHistorian aims to prove the need for independent research on the history of carpets and carpet-making.

The project is led by Nikoletta Sinko-Toth, a historian by degree, and an expert on weaving techniques. Awarded Young Master of Folk Art for ‘outstanding artistic performance in carpet weaving’ (2001, Ministry of Culture, Budapest).

After spending many years on research, writing thousands of notes, and studying hundreds of books and documents, together with personal and professional experience in Hungarian and Transylvanian handweaving, a new carpet history concept has been traced. A carpet history, that is proven with historical facts and data, and the surviving carpets.

Complex research. Complex methodology.

RugHistorian looks for contradictions and loosely supported statements in existing carpet history concepts and challenges them by introducing factual evidence from deeply hidden and hard-to-access, newly uncovered and yet unresearched original sources. The project aims to detect any new sources and connections that can help better understand the origin and history of textiles.

The research covers areas and uses methods from history, art history, ethnography, anthropology, literature, and economics; studies archive documents and modern scholarly literature; visits natural features and building heritage; analyzes human-made symbols on different natural and hand-made surfaces in the context of the users’ geographical, historical, and social situation and heritage, and religious faith.

Research areas.

  • Surviving carpets in Transylvania: Research in the context of the use and the users of the carpets.
  • Carpets in churches, and church carpets: Research of carpets used in Christian churches.
  • Carpets in paintings: Research the meanings and reasons for the carpets in paintings.
  • Carpet scholarship: Research the history of carpet scholarship and methodology.
  • Carpet collecting and forgery: Research the carpet collecting and forgery in the 20th century.
  • Carpet philosophy: The “carpet” in the antique carpets.

Contact

info@rughistorian.com