Position:

Associate, subfaculty of Near and Middle Eastern Studies

Faculty / College Address:

Oriental Institute / St Cross College

Email:

jon.thompson@ashmus.ox.ac.uk

Research Interests:

• Carpets and textiles of the Islamic world and neighbouring countries

Current Projects:

• The history of carpets in the fifteenth century
• The study of Sulphur isotopes in wool

Courses Taught:

• Carpets and textiles of the Islamic courts

Recent Publications:

• Milestones in the History of Carpets., Milan, 2006.
• Silk, National Council for Culture Art and Heritage, Doha, 2004.
• ‘Early Safavid Carpets’ in Hunt for Paradise: Court Arts of Safavid Iran 1501–1576, edited by Jon Thompson and Sheila Canby, Milan, 2003.
• ‘Looms Carpets and Ta’lims’ in Technology Tradition and Survival, edited by Richard Tapper and Keith McLachlan, London 2003.
• The Nomadic Peoples of Iran edited by Richard Tapper and Jon Thompson, London, 2002.
• ‘The Persian Zilu Loom of Meybod’, with Hero Granger-Taylor, CIETA Bulletin 73, 1995-1996, pp. 27-53.

Further Info:

Dr Thompson has retired as May Beattie Fellow in Carpet Studies, though he remains involved in research and continues to give seminars and lectures on the history of carpets and textiles.