This is a comprehensive view of Caucasian pilewoven rugs and flatwoven textiles, following recent research. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the consequent liberation of communication and trade links between the west and the newly independent Caucasian republics has resulted in the release onto the market of previously little-known traditional "heirloom" items, particularly flatwoven covers. The authors of this book argue that these new developments call for a re-evaluation of the subject of Caucasian weaving, and that the flatwoven textiles are the truly traditional products of the region's weaving culture. They also argue that large numbers of Caucasian knotted-pile rugs, which have hitherto been assumed to be early village weavings, are in fact products of large-scale commercial production for the Russian and western markets.