About the book - Antique Ottoman Rugs in Transylvania

I think your book is terrific. Very well done indeed. The colour printing is very good, the layout is perfect – I love all the extra pictures of interiors and the line-drawings. But most of all the quality of the text seems excellent (although I still have to read it in detail). I first went to the appendices and found them superb, a great contribution towards the study of these carpets.

Danny Shaffer has asked me to write a review for Hali. In order to give your book the proper consideration that it deserves, it will need to be read very carefully by someone with sufficient experience and knowledge….

Again, well done and congratulations.

With kind regards and very best wishes,

Michael Franses

textile-art London

December 2004

Stefan,

Again, I congratulate you on the success of this project. You

have created something very important and valuable, not only

for Romania, but beyond.

Karin Steinbrueck

Champaign – USA

December 2004

Dear Stefano,

Your book is even more beautiful than I expected. You did a wonderful job producing it. Now, if only I could have one of the rugs for my home!!

Linda L. Wink

Dear Stefan:

Marshall said TERRIFIC! Good color, the paper, the organization (especially), the choice of topics, the layout — all outstanding.

Will the cover of each different language edition be a

different color, so you’ll know at a glance which is

which without doing further examination.

Best from both of us,

Marilyn Wolf

Marshall and Marilyn R. Wolf Foundation

New York

Febbraio 2005

Gentilissimo Signor Ionescu,

Grandi complimenti a Lei! È magnifico! Piu di qello che immaginavo. I tappeti soni bellissimi, i contributi ben composti e di alto livello scientifico. Tutto sommato una opera degna di essere il vero successore del libro del mio nonno. Sono molto orgolioso di aver ricevuto la’opportunita di fare un piccolo contributo. Immagino il impegno e Suo sforzo nella realisazione e Le auguro che diventerà anche un successo economico.

Cordiali saluti

Georg Schmutzler

Milano

February 2005

Dear Stefano

Congratulations – and I really mean it, the book is magnificent – well designed and printed, good colour and packed with useful and interesting information.

We will get back to you with a picture list for the review (Mostly church interiors I think), sometime tomorrow.

Danny Shaffer

Editor, HALI

London

Februarie 2005

Mult stimate Domnule Ionescu,

ier am avut ocazia de a privi cartea care ati trimis- o d- ului Plajer.

Felicitärile mele. Cartea depäseste orice asteptare. Este un volum, care devine o podoabä pentru orice bibliotecä, nu numai unui amator sau coletionar de covoare, ci si fiecare om interesat de artä poate sä se bucure de ea.

Sträduinta Dumneavoasträ a fost räsplätitä pe deplin. Sper cä si editiile în celälalte limbi vor fi la fel de reusite. Spor la treabä.

Cu deosebitä stimä

E. Hellmann

Braãov

Sehr geehrter Herr Ionescu,

ich hatte Gelegenheit die englische Ausgabe des Teppich – Buches, dass sie Herrn Stadtpfarrer Plajer geschickt haben, anzusehen.

Meine herzlichen Glückwünsche. Das Buch übersteigt alle Erwartungen. Der Band ist ein Schmuckstück für jeden Bücherschrank, nicht nur den des Teppichliebhabers oder Sammlers sondern jeder an Kunst Interessierte kann sich daran erfreuen.

Ihre Mühe ist voll entschädigt worden. Ich hoffe, dass auch die Ausgaben in den andern Sprachen eben so gelungen sein werden.

Viel Erfolg auch in der Zukunft.

Hochachtungsvoll

Dipl. Ing. Erwin Hellmann

Kronstad/Braşov Romania

27/02/2005

Sehr geehrter Herr Ionescu,

haben Sie einen herzlichen Dank für den Erhalt des Buches “Altorientalische Teppiche in Siebenbürgen” in englischer Version.

Mich persönlich hat das Buch beeindruckt. Auch der Kirchenvorstand unserer evangelischen Kirchengemeinde in Mediasch und das Konsistorium unseres Mediascher Dekanats hat darüber lobende Worte gefunden. Das Buch ist sehr schön, harmonisch und vollständig geworden (hat alle Teppiche Siebenbürgens berücksichtigt). Wir haben es mit großer Genugtuung durchblättert und gelesen. Auch meine Frau, die einen ausgeprägten estethischen Sinn hat, war davon sehr angetan.

Mit Hochachtung

Ihr Stadtpfarrer Reinhart Guib,

Bezirksdekan

Mediaş, Romania

March 2005

Dear Stefano,

I received the book yesterday. It is magnificent, and I am reading it with great interest and learning a lot. Thanks to you and Alberto and your other collaborators for producing this volume.

Again many thanks, and congratulations!

Prof. Walter Denny

Amherst, MA USA

March 2005

Dear Stefano

This important new book is a must for anyone interested in on European and Middle Eastern history, culture, art, economics, sociology, and/or politics. The authoritative text is based on archival sources and the illustrations are both comprehensive and of very high quality.

Sarah B. Sherrill, Editor

Studies in the Decorative Arts

The Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the

Decorative Arts, Design, and Culture

New York, NY 10024, U.S.A.

March 2005

Dear Stefan,

I have received with great pleasure the book and had already time to enjoy

it over the week end. Thank you so much for leading such an important

undertaking. The work is not only valuable from the Turkish carpets stand

point but it helped me to discover the nice community of Transilvania.

The book is a pleasure to read , easy to find one’s chapters, very high

quality photographs and printing…..

I belive this will be one of the major works on the Turkish carpets published lately. I was particularly happy to see cat 1, cat 7 and cat 14 in full colour reproduction.

I wish you all the best in your undertakings.

Ali Riza

Geneve, Suisse

Martie 2005

Stimate domnule Ionescu,

Trebuia sa va scriu de mult, cu toate că sînt foarte ocupat. În primul rînd pentru a vă felicita pentru lucrarea care, iată, aţi dus-o la bun sfîrşit şi care este cu siguranţă un punct de cotitură pentru colecţiile acestor covoare din Transilvania. Aş spune că, după reînvierea conştiintei valorii covoarelor care a început spre sfîrşitul secolului 19 şi a culminat cu publicaţia lui E. Schmutzler, este cea mai importanta contribuţie pentru salvarea lor.

……………

Pentru colec†iile noastre de covoare cred ca este esenţial să se creeze şi să se mentină o comunicare continuå între acest mediu de cunoscători şi de iubitori de „artă covoristică” şi cei care le de†in, în a cåror responsabilitate se aflå. Numai astfel, ele vor „tråi” şi vor avea o speranţă de viaţă lungă.

Meritul pentru toate acestea vă apartine.

Vă multumesc din inimă pentru toată activitatea depusă privind covoarele noastre şi vă doresc în continuare mult succes!

Cu deosebită stimă,

Christian Plajer

Stadtpfarrer – Parohia Evanghelicå C.A. Braşov

Aprilie 2005

Mult Stimate Domnule Ştefan Ionescu

Vå mul†umesc pentru superbul album Antichi Tappeti Ottomani in Transilvania. Apreciez în mod deosebit efortul considerabil pe care l-ati depus pentru realizarea acestei opere bibliofile.

Ştiu ca cercetarea dumneavoastră a contribuit în mod decisiv la reu§ita expozi†iei Covoare Anatoliene din Transilvania, secolele XVI-XVII, deschisa la Accademia di Romania, din Roma §i sper că vom avea posibilitatea de a deschide o expozitie, chiar mai completă, la Berlin.

Cu speran†a unei viitoare colaborări,

Cu deosebită considera†ie

Mona Muscă

Ministrul Culturii §i Cultelor – Bucure§ti

Aprile 2005

Indirizzo di Saluto

di Sua Eminenza il Signor Cardinale Paul Poupard

Sono lieto di accompagnare, con questo mio breve saluto, il Catalogo della Mostra Tappeti Anatolici dalla Transilvania, organizzata dall’Ambasciata di Romania presso la Santa Sede ed allestita nella prestigiosa sede dell’Accademia di Romania a Roma.

La Mostra intende far conoscere al pubblico romano ed italiano un ricchissimo ed originale patrimonio, costituito da alcune centinaia di pregiati tappeti di provenienza anatolica, atttualmente custoditi in diversi Musei, o presso le chiese cristiane evangeliche sassoni e quelle riformate magiare.

Alla Mostra si affianca la pubblicazione del volume di Stefano Ionescu Antichi Tappeti Ottomani in Transilvania, indispensabile supporto storico per apprezzare l’importanza di questi manufatti e capirne la finalità ed il particolare uso fatto in Transilvania.

Ci accorgiamo, così, che questi splendidi tappeti hanno una straordinaria storia da raccontare: essi ci rimandano non solo a secolari scambi comerciali tra l’Impero Ottomano e la Transilvania, ma anche ad interessanti scambi culturali che seguono le rotte commerciali, come pure alla vita religiosa di alcune chiese cristiane presenti in Transilvania, in cui si fa largo uso di questi pregiati tappeti per i momenti di preghiera…

Paul Cardinale Poupard

Presidente del Pontificio Consiglio della Cultura

Città del Vaticano

May 2005

Dear Stefan,

I have received your marvelous book from Faik Isik yesterday.

You have created a very impressive reference book in term of information and

also high quality of photos.

Thank you very much and hoping to seeing you in Turkey, soon.

Kind regards.

Ahmet Kesimoglu

Istanbul

May 2005

Dear Mr. Ionescu,

Thank you very much. I have received the book and I would like to congratulate you once more for this magnificant piece of work. The layout and colors are just fantastic. I did not have the time to

read the articles in detail yet but all the credits for your work and efforts.

Now I also regret the fact that I have never been inside the Black Church although I have been to Braãov many times…

Congratulations,

Gokhan Aslan

Ankara

Mai 2005

Covoare fermecate

V-a§ spune o poveste frumoaså. Povestea covoarelor otomane påstrate în regiunea Bra§ov-Sibiu §i povestea pasiunii lui Ãtefan Ionescu pentru aceastå comoarå ignoratå, pe care a reu§it så o redea publicului, îngrijindu-se, cu mari sacrificii, de apari†ia unei cår†i magnifice: Antichi tappeti ottomani in Transilvania, Verduci Editore, Roma, 2005.

Înså adevårata performan†å a prietenului meu constå în apari†ia volumului semnalat la început. E un catalog rezonat. O lucrare exhaustivå, publicatå la standardul indepasabil al cår†ii de artå italiene. În ea, covoristica mondialå î§i fixeazå un nou reper. Reproduceri perfecte, studiu istoric aplicat, fi§e individuale de o tehnicitate impecabilå. Prezentarea e tipologicå, iar colec†iile reproduse acoperå aria maximå (incluzînd Rupea, Sighi§oara, Media§, Sebe§ sau Cluj-Napoca, dar §i fondul påstrat la Muzeul Na†ional de Artå din Bucure§ti sau exemplarele ajunse în colec†ii particulare). Un volum cu o justificat de lungå tabula gratulatoria. Dar care nu ne-ar fi ajuns în mîini – §i nici n-ar fi fost recenzat, spre exemplu, în revistele de talia unei Hali – fårå abnega†ia „nebuneascå” a unui intelectual român „necunoscut” §i expatriat… Bravo, Ãtefan Ionescu ! România î†i datoreazå mai mult decît s-ar crede.

Teodor Baconsky

Articol piblicat în såptåmînalul

DILEMA VECHE, Anul II, nr. 69, 13-19 mai 2005

May/2005

Dear Mr Ionescu,

We received our order and placed a copy in our showcase. My colleagues found your book really beautiful and very interesting. We hope we will sell it as it deserves.

Best regards

Linda Giangardella

Librairie Fischbacher

ParisMay 2005

Dear Authors,

Congratulations on the book. It’s a magnificent achievement. Next week I will be delivering a paper on the “Curious Cultural Cocktail of the Transylvanian Carpet” at the Europe and Culture Conference to be held at the Central European University. I was not, unfortunately, able to get a copy of your book before completing the presentation, but your website helped immensely, and I will be praising the achievement of the book in the talk. I will also be putting in a request for the Central European University library to acquire a copy, since it’s exactly the sort of book they should have.

Thanks again.

Jeff Taylor

PHd. Candidate

Cultural History

Central European University – Budapest

July 2005

Dear Stefano Ionescu

The Transylvanian carpet book is giving me a great plasure, both the beautiful pictures and I am learning much from the descriptions. It is really a fine book.

I would like to order another two books for my nephews, they are also interested in art and carpets.

Béla Palikó

Norrköping – Sweden

August 2005

Dear Stefano,

I received your book today. I tell my students that if they want an A in my class, they have to make me say WOW when I read their work. I have spent the last half hour looking at your book and have repeatedly said WOW!

Thank you for this wonderful book Stefano.

Kindest regards,

Greg Skulmoski

Assistant Professor

College of Information Systems

Zayed University – ABU DHABI (UAE)

Gentile sig. Stefano Ionescu, Ottobre 2005

Mi permetto di esprimere il mio giudizio in merito alla Sua opera:

semplicemente entusiasmante per la qualità delle immagini e dei materiali.

Molto efficaci e completi i testi e Che tappeti !!!!!!

Urge che organizzi un viaggio in Romania per “toccare con mano”

Guido Olivari

Nuova Tecnodelta spa

Tigliole (AT) Italia

December 2005

Dear Mr Ionescu,

Thank you very much for sending this book. I have now received it and am delighted! I have not really yet had a chance to look through the text in detail. I note however a number of rugs that I have never seen before. I also very much like the way that it is not just a catalogue of the various rugs in the churches but gives a much more complete view of the situation, including some very nice photography. I can see that it must have involved a huge amount of work and am delighted to have it now in the library.

With my best regards

William Robinson

CHRISTIE’S

International Specialist Head – Islamic Art,

London, King Street

January 2006

Dear Mr. Ionescu,

Yesterday your book finally arrived. From what I knew in advance, I expected much, but what I got was even more: A truly great book! You have all reasons to be proud of researching and writing and editing it. On the one hand scholarly and uncompromisingly devoted to it’s subject, as it should, on the other hand a real feast for the eyes of a carpet lover. Congratulations! Be sure, I am very happy to have it in my library now. (And thank you especially for your kind dedication!)

Once again: Thank you for your book!

Ulrich Brandt

Neckargemünd – Germany

January 2006

Dear Sir,

I received your book while in France. It was beautifully packed, no damage whatsoever.

The content is so beautiful, the setting, presentation, print quality so incredibly impressive, that I have not the slightest doubt, that this book will soon be referred to as a classic. McMullan would be proud of you. And Herrmann most certainly is biting his fingernails, down in Luzern.

I am planning to order some more books, because this is just a piece of art, that will open the eyes to the un-initialised, and make the happiness of the collector.

A GREAT AND HONEST BRAVO TO YOU AND THIS EXTRAORDINARY

ACHIEVEMENT.

I will get back in touch with you, for the subsequent orders.

Michael Fernolend

Basel – Switzerland

——————————

December 2006

Dear Stefano Ionescu,

It was a real pleasure to talk to you on the telephone a few days ago. In the meantime I have read your wonderful book word by word, cover to cover, have looked at every plate several times over, compared them to Schmutzler’s, and found it fascinating from start to finish. In putting it together and illuminating it so lavishly you have done a great service to an excellent, worthy and necessary cause.

Although I am no expert, even I can tell that the print quality is simply outstanding, not only in the reproductions of the carpets themselves, but also in the photographs of the church interiors which bring back the liveliest memories….

Prof. Dr. W. Kühlbrandt

60594 Frankfurt am Main