Aug 28 2006
Carpet Weaving in the City Vs. Country
Written by Joan Guryan
Monday, 28 August 2006
There are differences between Oriental rugs and carpets woven in the country versus those made in the city. Today many rugs are still woven in small villages, much as they were made for thousands of years, although for the past several hundred years the process has been industrialized.
Did you ever think about the difference between antique rugs woven in the city versus those made in the country? To begin with, the country weaver will use the materials at hand. She probably made her loom and used the wool from her own sheep or those of her neighbors. Perhaps the warp and weft was made from cotton because it was available. Also, it easier to weave a flat and straight carpet on a cotton foundation. She more than likely designed the rug herself, perhaps for her own use, without any intention of selling it. The weave may also be looser compared to that of a carpet produced in the city.
The city rug production was entirely different. Rugs were definitely created for a specific market. Probably one person designed the rug, while hired weavers produced the rug on more commercial looms, made for greater production. The weave was probably tighter, and probably, many more colors were used, or, at least, many more were available.
The country rug probably used no more than 5, or 6 dyes, while the rug produced in the city used at least 10. The country rug was more likely to have a design that was bold and geometric, while the city design tended to be more intricate and highly stylized.
