Carpet Diem

A colorful and enthralling tour through the beautiful, historic world of oriental carpets that is also an exquisite meditation on their powerful allure.

One day, prize-winning poet George Bradley took notice of a carpet that had been beneath his feet for decades. Carefully studying its weave and pattern, he was startled by the artistry behind it-a fascination and curiosity that unexpectedly sent him on a thrilling adventure and introduced him to a little-known realm in which beauty, artistry, business, and history collide.

Carpet Diem chronicles Bradley's captivating journey through a land of oriental carpets where he fell in love-not only with a collection of magnificent rugs but their histories-including the dealers, collectors, scroungers, restorers, and connoisseurs connected to them. As he brings together his own story with that of these artworks, he recalls the compelling history of Central Asia itself. Like Scheherazade, Bradley spins story after story about the rich beauty found on the floors of mansions across Europe and America, identifying what's draped in the portraits of Titian and Vermeer, unearthing hidden treasures in the faraway caves of Persia and Afghanistan, and revealing secrets lying under piles in bespoke shops in the wealthy enclaves of Manhattan, the Hamptons, and Westport, Connecticut.

Weaving the mesmerizing storytelling of The Arabian Nights with the fascinating pilgrimage of history that unfolds in The Silk Road and the dramatic compulsion to possess rare elegance that propels The Orchid Thief, Carpet Diem is an unusual and gorgeous memoir of understanding and relishing the warp and woof of the world.

Carpet Diem features eleven full-color photographs throughout.