Celebrating Public Domain Day
Every year at this time, I am eager to explore the works that are entering the public domain each year. For a list of 75 highlights of this year’s works, you can read this great post at Everybody’s Libraries.
But today I am highlighting a book that was published in 1990, with the unusual feature of open permission for reproduction and transmission. All the publishers asked for was that the material to be credited.
It is Turkish Handwoven Carpets, published by the Turkish Republic Ministry of Culture.
Turkish Handwoven Carpets cover
The unusual page giving permission for the content to be shared.
There are over 100 carpets from the 18th and 19th century, and each one gets a two-page spread, with a full-color picture of the entire rug, an explanation of some of the symbols, and a chart in case you want to reproduce part of the design!
Rug 0235, a 19th century rug from the collection of the Ethnography Museum in Ankara.
Beautiful motifs and colors of Rug 0235.
Companion page with part of the design charted out, and some of the symbols explained.
Rug 0208, 19th century, collection of the Ethnography Museum, Ankara.
Chart of part of the design.
Symbols of Rug 0208 explained.
The copy I have is Volume 3, which I was lucky to find at a used book store. I once found Volume 2 at Better World Books, but when I received it, it turned out to be Volume 3 as well, just marked wrong in their inventory. So I have to get by with just the one volume.
It is a rich source of design inspiration, and I am grateful the publishers made it easy to share.
Very unusual and how lucky for you to find even One of the 2 copies!! Fascinating reading.
Thank you for this.
I am glad you liked it. If I ever get to Turkey I will be roaming through their bookshops looking for another volume! 🙂
What have you made based on these designs?
Honestly, nothing yet! I have a Dover book of North African carpet design charts too, and I have been meaning to recreate them in either quilts or weaving — some day! 🙂
Lovely book. And here I was noticing that Winnie the Pooh is now in the public domain.
I must have sensed that change coming when I titled my Christmas post “A Little Smackerel…” 🙂
I didn’t know about public domain day, but I like it!