May 14 2006
Bezalel Rugs & Carpets by Joan Guryan
There is just so much to learn about antique rugs! I have spent years studying. Every time I start with a type of rug, it leads me through history and politics. One time I started with Bezalel Rugs, which have been produced in Israel since the late 19th, early 20th century. This production grew out of school in Israel by the same name.
The history of Jewish weavers goes back to the beginning of their religion. And because of their forced exodus into the world they have given and taken from many cultures. But this true of the rug industry in general, weavers have been part of cultures that have conquered and been conquered; many have been nomadic cultures. Maybe that is what is one the of elements that make all antique rugs so interesting; the craftsman can accept and use the designs, and techniques of others, adapting them to their own rug production.
Have ever wondered why so many antique rugs are asymmetrical? It has a religious origin; both Judaism and Islam believe that only what god produces can be perfect.
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