Persia’s Unique Hand-knotted Carpet
By “Awake!” correspondent in the Middle East
AMIRA’S nimble fingers move skillfully, tying knot after knot. She crams five hundred knots neatly into a space one inch square. This seven-by-five-foot carpet will take over 2,500 working hours to complete. An arduous task indeed. But work rewarded by a product par excellence.
Persian carpets are extremely ornate in pattern, with an abundance of flowers, leaves, vines, birds and animals worked into the design. Amira, seated on a wooden bench, ties the knots swiftly and with an accuracy that is astounding. Her fingers seem to know the pattern, for half the time her eyes are not on her work. Untrained eyes try in vain to follow the twistings of her small fingers.
A Family Affair
Amira grew up around the family loom. When she was six years old she rolled yarn and passed it to her older sisters, who did the actual weaving. Then she learned to beat down the rows of knots after the weft threads were thrown across the loom. The first actual weaving she did was on the broad central faces of solid colors. In time she worked up to handling complex patterns. Corner and border patterns are the most difficult and were her final test of skill.
When married at sixteen, Amira was already an accomplished weaver. And as with many an Iranian girl, she had her own loom. Now she is training her children in this Persian art. This is not to say that only girls do weaving. There are many young men, too, that are master weavers.
Amira’s husband handles the business end of carpetmaking. Customers supply him with material and, in return, receive a finished carpet. However, they have to wait some months to get it. But when they do, it is a carpet of design, color harmony and excellent weaving. And it is unique, since such products of human hands are never identical.
In Iran, still called Persia by some, carpet weaving remains largely a family affair. The art has been handed down from generation to generation.
The Loom and Weave
The loom is composed of two parallel beams, which are light or heavy depending on the weight of the material, and two crossbeams. The cotton warp threads are stretched between the upper and lower crossbeams. The closer the warp threads, the finer the carpet will be. Fastened on the upper warp beam hang the spools of multicolored yarn. The rug pattern is in front of the weavers, showing the design to be achieved knot after hand-tied knot.
Two basic weaves are used in fine quality carpets. One employs what is called the Sehna or Persian knot. This knot produces a close, fine, velvety surface. The other uses the Ghiordes or Turkish knot.
Once a row of knots is completed, the weft threads are passed along the width of the carpet. These are beaten down by a comb to give the fabric strength and firmness. The strands are then cut to carpet level.
History
Little is known about the beginnings of the ancient Persian art of carpet weaving. By the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries it reached its artistic peak. The few masterpieces of those two centuries that remain are found in museums. A few years ago it was reported that a sixteenth-century Persian silk hunting carpet was sold to a United States museum for “about $600,000.”
After the sixteenth century, Persian carpetmaking went into decline. The art of making good-quality carpets was almost lost. During the latter part of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century, more deterioration took place when the carpet industry was commercially exploited. In recent times, however, steps have been taken to counteract the trend.
In 1936 the government of Iran organized a company to protect the quality standard of the Persian carpets and to promote their export. To this end, 15,000 looms in all parts of the country were set up with 20,000 master weavers. Schools were opened that teach carpet design, dyeing and weaving. This has resulted in carpets of better quality.
An Investment
Fine quality Persian carpets are viewed by many persons as a good investment. This is true of antique carpets, which have increased rapidly in value. The Kayhan, a Tehran English newspaper, of June 4, 1973, reported: “The limited supply of old exportable carpets has caused prices to rise by as much as 60 per cent and the trend seems set to continue.”
New carpets also have real value. When a carpetmaker is in need of a bank loan, he takes a recently completed carpet to the bank. His loan will depend on the quality of the carpet, which is retained by the bank as a guarantee of payment.
To the surprise of some, perhaps, these lovely rugs are at times treated with seeming casualness. Carpets are spread in alleys to be trodden on by passersby, run over by bicycles, carts and even cars! But the owner does not view such treatment as ruining the carpet. It makes it look older and increases its “value”! Exporters in Tehran send representatives to the villages in search of “old” carpets.
Unlike most modern rugs, the nap of Oriental Persian rug is on a 45-degree angle so that constant use improves its colors and deters deteriorating. In fact, exposure to light and atmosphere actually mellows the colors. A unique rug indeed.
Rugs from the cities of Isfahan, Kashan, Mashhad and Tabriz are considered by some as the best. But even those woven in the same place vary in quality, beauty and value. So a person does well to check carefully any rug that he plans to buy.
Here are a few helpful hints. A good carpet, if new, is always stiff. The ends when doubled should meet evenly. The colors should be fast; especially is it wise to check the white border for any bleeding. A fine quality rug also can be discerned from the back. By holding it up to the light, one can determine whether the foundation stitches are strong. The number of knots per square inch and the tightness of pile are important too.
Surely, one who acquires a fine quality, hand-knotted Persian carpet acquires a thing of enduring value and beauty.