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.