The Oriental rug has ancient traditions
The Oriental rug has ancient traditions. It is not known when and where rugs were first made but it was certainly in prehistoric times. The oldest rugs probably had no pile; they were probably smooth like Kelim or Sumakh rugs, as far as can be told from archaeological excavations of the Pharaohs’ burial chambers. However, a Knotted rug, approximately 2,500 years old, was found during excavations in the Altai Mountains near the border of Mongolia. This rug, known as the Pazyryk rug, is almost square and measures approximately 6 ft. 3 in. X 6ft. 4 in. or 190 x 200cm. it s made with the Ghiordes knot, and the pattern consists of a central field broken up into small squares and surrounded by borders with horsemen and animals. Considering its great age, the greater part of this rut is in surprisingly good shape.
Rugs are depicted on several reliefs that are more than 2,000 years old. There is one in Persepolis, which shows an ambassador from a foreign power presenting rugs as a gift to the Persian King. Ancient writings also testify that knotted rugs were to be found in palaces and temples in most oriental countries. Among the ancient rugs that still exist mention can be made of 13.th-century rugs in the Ala-ed-din mosque in Konya, Asia Minor, and the Ming and Mabry rugs from the 15th century. The last can now be found in the Statens Historiska Museum, Stockholm.
It was only natural that the nomads of the past needed rugs, both for protection from the cold and as an ornament in their tents. In those days the rugs had relatively simple patterns with repeating geometrical of stylized designs. The material for pile was wool, goats ‘hair, camels’ hair and occasionally silk. Gold and silver threads and precious stones were included in the finest rugs intended for royal palaces and temples.
Development
The reign of Shah Abbas in Persia in the late 16th and early 17th centuries was one of the most important periods in the history of carpets. The Shah understood and encouraged the manufacture of rugs, organized large court factories and obtained outstanding artists who composed wonderful patterns with flowers and figures that are still being woven today, nearly 400 years later. Shah Abbas father, Shah Tahmasp, had the famous Ardabil carpet made, which is now in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and is regarded as one of the most magnificent rugs in the world. In measures approximately 17 ft. 5 in. x 34 ft. 5 in. or 5.30 x 10.50 metres, is quite tightly woven, has about 32,500,000 knots, a warp and weft of silk and the Sehna type of knot, i.e., the Persian knot. According to the inscription on the carpet it was woven by maksud of Kashan, slave of the Temple. This is one of a pair; the other carpet is in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.
Other rugs from this time are a magnificent example in silk belonging to the Swedish Royal family and the Danish “Coronation Rug” in Copenhagen. Quality, charm of design, lively colouring and excellent handicraft characterize these rugs and make them works of art of the highest order. After the death of Shan Abbas carpets had a chequered history. It is true to say that the standard of rug production was highly dependent on the interest shown by the reigning prince. The continuous feuds and wars, with frequent changes of ruler, prevented much interest being paid to this industry.
New days
The majority of early dyes were vegetable. The first attempts to produce completely new ones came in the late 19th century, with the range of chrome dyes; these, however, were not fast. Aniline dyes, from coal tar, were manufactured commercially about 1860, and were immediately exported to the East where they met a long felt want for certain colours not obtainable from the natural dyes the available. These colours were a deep purple, bright green, strong pink, mauve and bright yellow.
It is understandable that the rug-maker was attracted by the new dyes. They saved him the time-consuming process of extracting his dyes from animals and plates, while the actual process of dyeing was both simpler and more convenient; but they were not very waterproof and they tended to fade in the light. In time the Persian authorities prohibited their use. Later synthetic dyes reproduced the older vegetable ones such as indigo and madder. Modern chemical dyes are highly sophisticated compounds produced with a known degrade of light-fastness which is measured according to an international standard.
Production
Form the end of the 19th century the demand for oriental rugs rose sharply and exports to other parts of the world shot up. In Turkey a completely new rug production was organized, in sizes more suitable for contemporary requirements. Persian patterns where copied, the weaving was coarse, patterns and colours became stereotyped. The more important types among these new rugs came to be known as Ushak (the name of an important group of carpets dating from the 16th-17th centuries), Eskisher, Spara and Ghiordes (where some of the finest prayer rugs had been made in the 18the century).
Since the Second World War, a number of new problems have arisen in manufacturing carpets in Persia. The industry has expended enormously and absorbed both labour and raw materials. Wages have risen and with them the standard of living. The price of wool is now a more important factor than it was, as a result of the industry’s increased demand for this material.
All this has forced the factories to rationalize production, to concentrate on a limited number of different qualities in respects of both density and wool quality, and to spin and dye the wool in larger batches (unless spinning and dyeing are done at the weaving station) in order to reduce the cost of transport. Even so, rugs are still being made in all qualities, from simple, cheap bazaar rugs to the highest grades. Thus Tabriz and Kerman, for instance, one can order any size, any dyes and any patterns one likes. And one can still buy wonderful qualities with more than 650 knots per square inch (1,000,000 per square metre) and made with the best wool in the world.
Among the nomads and in the village, rugs are still being made in the traditional patterns and colours. These weavers aim at producing rugs as god as those made by their ancestors more than a thousand years ago, using the same simple tolls. Here one still find tradition and a feeling for dyes and patterns.
Finally, it must be emphasized that all true oriental rugs are always knotted by hand; all talk of mechanical production is simply slander. This handicraft is too valuable to the Orient to be spoiled. The materials in an oriental rug are chiefly wool or silk combined with cotton. Flax and jute are used to a small extent only.
The pile is of wool, goats ‘hair and camel hair or silk. Te warp may be of wool, cattle hair-or a mixture of the two, cotton, silk, flax and, in India, jute as well. The weft is made from the same materials as the warp.
