Farewell to a Textile Icon: Marla Mallett Passes Away

Marla Mallett passed away on 13 December 2024. She was a renowned expert in oriental textiles and is best known for her seminal work Woven Structures: A Guide to Oriental Rug and Textile Analysis. First published in 1998, this comprehensive handbook remains an indispensable resource for analysing flatweaves and knotted rugs from the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia.

Mallett began her career as a weaver and university lecturer before turning to the trade of antique and ethnographic textiles in 1976. Specialising in flatweaves from the Near East, she travelled extensively to study weaving techniques and discover unique textiles. Her observations and analyses not only shaped her book but also informed her lectures at prestigious conferences, such as the International Conference on Oriental Carpets (ICOC) and the American Conference on Oriental Rugs (ACOR).

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