Learn/ Educators/ Curriculum Resources/ Art of the Islamic World/ Unit Six: From the City to the Steppe—Art Beyond the Royal Court/ Chapter Three: The Nomads of Central Asia—Turkmen Traditions/ Suggested Readings and Resources

Suggested Readings and Resources

Diba, Layla S. Turkmen Jewelry: Silver Ornaments from the Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf Collection. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2011.
High school
A comprehensive introduction to Turkmen jewelry with detailed color photographs.

Grass: A Nation's Battle for Survival. DVD. 71 min. Harrington Park, N.J.: Milestone Films, 1992.
A classic silent documentary film made in the 1920s that follows the nomadic Bakhtiari people of Iran on their annual migration. These are not Turkmen nomads, but the documentary provides a good general picture of nomadic life.

Mackie, Louise W., and Jon Thompson. Turkmen, Tribal Carpets and Traditions. Washington, D.C.: Textile Museum, 2008.
High school

Major, John S., Joan Barnatt, and John Bertles. Silk Road Encounters Education Kit. Providence, R.I.: Asia Society and The Silk Road Project, Inc., 2001.
See especially chapter 3 of the Teacher's Guide, "Trading in the Silk Road Cities."

Thompson, Jon. Oriental Carpets: From the Tents, Cottages and Workshops of Asia. New York: Dutton, 1988.
Middle school; high school
A broad introduction to carpet weaving in the Islamic world, featuring contextual photographs of nomadic life, information about how textiles are made, and a full chapter on nomadic weaving.


Previous Section Next Section