How Stunningly Beautiful Oriental Carpets and Rugs are Created

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How Stunningly Beautiful Oriental Carpets and
Rugs are Created
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The creation of Oriental carpets and rugs dates
back to a few centuries and is a well-entrenched
tradition followed by the artisans and weavers in
the Orient.In the ancient times, Oriental and
Persian rugs were symbols of regality and
signified royal status. The luxury intent
attached to these rugs meant that only the elite
and the rich could afford these status symbols.
Oriental rugs were first made in the regions of
the erstwhile Persia (modern Iran), Turkey,
India, and the Caucasian countries.
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The Changing Carpet Making Scenario

• While Oriental carpets are still created using
  the ancient traditional method of hand-knotting,
  the introduction of newer tools and technologies
  has brought about a major change in the art of
  making Oriental carpets in the modern world.
  These tools have infused more efficiency,
  precision, and speed in the carpet weaving
  process. Traditional knotting involves months of
  manual work where artisans, designers, and
  workers toil with an unwavering focus on the
  wooden looms.

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The Changing Carpet Making Scenario

• The culture of the Middle East has undergone a
  sea-change because of globalization. Till a few
  decades ago, Oriental carpet and rug making was a
  form of art that people were proud of. However,
  it is apparent that the younger generation is
  less inclined to learn a craft that involves long
  years of dedication and learning. Mastering the
  craft of making the perfect Oriental rug can take
  many years of dedicated effort and practice,
  which does not attract and captivate the younger
  generation of the Middle East.

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Women Are The Real Artisans

• Research shows that a large number of Oriental
  rugs and carpets are still hand-knotted in
  private households. The job is done mostly by
  women and this could be one reason rugs are still
  relatively lower-priced even as it takes months
  of hard work to create an authentic Oriental
  carpet of average size. Researchers are of the
  opinion that as the weavers grow older and with
  the younger generation not enthusiastic to learn
  the art, the future of the art of making
  authentic Oriental carpet and rug does not look
  very encouraging.

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The Processes/Steps Involved In Carpet Making

• There are five to six key steps/processes
  involved in the making of an authentic,
  traditional hand-knotted Oriental carpet. Only
  natural materials are used to create these rugs.
  It may contain one material or a combination of
  two or three. Cotton, silk, and wool are used for
  creating Oriental rugs and carpets.
• Next comes the coloring of the carpet. Again, the
  old school of carpet making sticks to natural
  colors made with the materials available in
  nature. However, the modern rugs making process
  involves using minerals and artificial colors.

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The Processes/Steps Involved In Carpet Making

• The designing process still involves using good
  old paper and pencil. The ancient form of carpet
  making art was different as weavers were not
  literate mostly and created stunning knots purely
  from going deep back into memory lane. The
  knotting process also varies in terms of density
  and the type of knots. The final steps in the
  Oriental carpet-making process involve polishing
  and drying of the carpet before it can be made
  available to buyers.

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Materials Used

• As mentioned earlier, the materials used for
  making original Oriental rugs are sourced from
  nature. This ensures that the carpet is durable
  and has the capability to withstand normal wear
  and tear with greater resilience. The upper part
  of the carpet referred to as a pile in the
  industry is made of sheep wool. It contains some
  natural fat content which helps in protecting the
  carpet from dirt and grime. It also provides a
  high level of protection from moisture.

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Sheep Wool

• The most commonly used material in the making of
  hand-knotted Oriental rugs is sheep wool also
  known as school wool. The wool is procured from
  local herds. Despite modernization in the
  industry, in most carpet making processes, wool
  is hand-spun in the same way as it was done by
  artisans and workers in the past. To ensure that
  the best quality wool goes into the making of
  these carpets, wool from the neck area of the
  sheep is used. Known as cork wool, it stands
  apart because of the higher fat content and
  enhanced level of softness.

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High-Quality Silk

• For making premium-quality fine rugs and carpets,
  silk is the chosen material for many reasons
• It enhances the details of the carpet design
• Silk shines in the light to create a stunning
  effect on the carpet
• It gives the carpet a unique touch, look, and
  feel
• To meet the demand of high-end customers for the
  finest quality rugs, silk is used for making the
  entire pile as well as the weft and warp.
  However, the durability of silk rug and carpets
  are lower than carpets made of sheep wool. They
  are not recommended for use in places where there
  are heavy footfalls or in rooms where dust and
  grime can penetrate easily.

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Pure Cotton

• Cotton threads are not generally used for making
  an entire carpet. They are generally used for
  creating the warp and weft portions of the
  carpet. The flat weaves seen in Kilim rugs are
  made of cotton. This material is the cheapest for
  making carpets and rugs when compared to wool and
  silk.

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A Comparison Of Different Materials

• It is easy to make out the differences in carpets
  made of silk and wool, even for an untrained eye
  or amateur reviewer.
• Silk imparts a natural brightness and rich look
  to the carpets
• Silk carpets reflect a larger portion of light
  than woolen rugs and carpets
• There is a visible difference in the vibrancy and
  feel of carpets made of silk and wool. Silk has a
  richer, premium look whereas wool carpets cannot
  achieve that regal appearance.

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Dyeing/Coloring

• This is an important part of the Oriental carpet
  or rug-making process. For carpets made of wool,
  the material is spun before it is colored. The
  dyeing materials are procured from Mother Nature
  for carpets that are made using the traditional
  manner.
• Dyeing the carpets using natural coloring
  materials is a time-consuming and complex process
  that involves multiple steps. In most cases, it
  can take about two weeks for the dyeing process
  to complete and for artisans to achieve the
  desired color and effect.
• Natural dyes are preferred for coloring carpets
  as they create a unique and natural shine on wool
  that cannot be achieved using synthetic dyeing
  colors. Another key motivation for using natural
  dyes is that they are harmless and hence can be
  handled with relatively lesser caution and care.
  Also, carpets made using natural colors are
  extremely popular and in huge demand in the
  global marketplace.

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Dyeing/Coloring

• Some of the chemicals used for dyeing in the
  modern carpet-making process are
• Minerals
• Aniline
• Chrome dyes
• Synthetic paints
• Synthetic paints provide nearly the same look and
  finish on carpets as natural paints. The gloss
  however does not have the same effect as that
  provided by natural colors. Besides, they also
  fade with time.

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How Rugs and Carpets Get Its Color

• Dyeing of Oriental carpets and rugs are carried
  out in huge containers. As rugs are knotted by
  the artisans at home, they are also dyed at the
  site. The spun yarn is dipped into vats filled
  with the desired color several times until the
  chosen intensity of the shade is achieved.

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How Rugs and Carpets Get Its Color

• In some homemade rugs, the intensity is not
  uniform across the carpet in some cases. This
  happens because they run out of the batch of dyed
  wool and the next batch
• probably had a slightly different shade. It is
  not possible to achieve consistency in the color
  shade with natural dyes, and thats why carpets
  and rugs of ancient times show a marked variation
  in color in some places.

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Why Drying Is a Vital Step

• After the dyeing procedure is completed, the next
  step is drying. The yarn is put out in the open
  to dry naturally. When it dries under the sun,
  the carpet gets a sheen of natural colors thats
  hard to achieve with colors made using synthetic
  materials.
• Drying carpets colored using synthetic materials
  can take several days, even if the coloring
  process is completed at a much faster pace. These
  carpets are either stretched out on a stone floor
  or tied on scaffolding to dry them out.

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