Origin Of Persian Rugs
Filed Under Antique Persian Rugs, Handmade Persian Rugs, Persian Rug Threads, Persian Rug Weavers, Persian Rug Weaving, Persian Rugs History, Silk Persian Rugs, Wool Persian Rugs |
The carpet is the finest and most exquisite form of expression one can find in Iran. The best Antique Persian Rugs available today rank amongst the highest level of art ever attained by mankind.
Even today, with Iranians increasingly being swallowed up in the whirlpool of a fast expanding industrial, urban society, the Persian association with the carpet is as strong as ever.
An Iranian’s home is bare and soulless without it, a reflection on the deep rooted bond between the people and their national art. The element of luxury with which the Persian carpet is associated today provides a marked contrast with its humble beginning among the nomadic tribes that at one time wandered the great expanse of Persia in search of their livelihood.
Back then, it was an article of necessity to protect the tribes from the bitterly cold winters of the country. But out of necessity was born art. Through their bright colors and magical designs, the floor and entrance coverings that protected the tribesmen from the ravages of the weather also brought gay relief to their dour and hardy lives.
In those early days Persian Rugs were often small and dependent upon the size of the tents of room in which the people lived. Before the dyeing process could begin, the wool had to be washed and dried in the sun to bleach it.
The clean wool as then spun by hand. Since the tribes were constantly on the move and had only small vessels in which to hold the dyes, the dyers were unable to achieve a uniformity in shades, with yarn displaying varying tones of the same color.
The wool was loosely dipped into dyeing vats and left for a time that could be judged only by the expert craftsman. Then the wool was left to hang without being squeezed, which would have left an uneven coloring. Later the wool was dried in the sun.
Certainly when the Mongols invaded the country in the 13th century, they found many Persian homes and tents boasting local carpets. But for the next two centuries, the artistic life of the country, including carpet weaving, declined under the influence of the devastation wreaked by the Mongols.
But, among his few graces, the conqueror Tamerlane spared artisans from his bloody havoc and had them sent to his palaces in Turkistan. Under his successor art began to flourish once more.
His son Shah Rokh put a great emphasis on Tribal Persian Rugs and outstanding specimens began to appear once more from court subsidized looms. The lavish royal support guaranteed the highest skills and the finest materials money could buy. Once more the art was for a great climax.
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