Persian carpet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The
Persian carpet or
Persian rug (
Middle Persian:
bōb,
[1] Persian:
فرش
farsh, meaning "to spread"; sometimes
قالی qālī)
[2] is an essential part of
Persian art and culture.
Carpet-
weaving is undoubtedly one of the most distinguished manifestations of
Persian culture and
art, and dates back to
ancient Persia. In 2008,
Iran’s exports of hand-woven carpets was $420 million or 30% of the world's market.
[3][4] There is an estimated population of 1.2 million
weavers in Iran producing carpets for domestic markets and international export.
[5]
Iran exports carpets to more than 100 countries, as hand-woven rugs are
one of its main non-oil export items. The country produces about five
million square metres of carpets annually—80 percent of which are sold
in international markets.
[6]
In recent times Iranian carpets have come under fierce competition from
other countries producing reproductions of the original Iranian designs
as well as cheaper substitutes.
[6]
The designs of Persian carpets are copied by weavers from other
countries as well. Iran is also the world's largest producer and
exporter of handmade carpets, producing three quarters of the world's
total output.
[7][8][9] Though in recent times, this ancient tradition has come under stiff competition from machine-made products.
[10] Iran is also the maker of the largest handmade carpet in history, measuring 60,546 square feet (5,624.9 square metres).
[11][12][13]
Persian
carpets can be divided into three groups;
Farsh /
Qāli (sized anything greater than 6×4 feet),
Qālicheh (
قالیچه, meaning "small rug", sized 6×4 feet and smaller), and
nomadic carpets known as
Gelim (
گلیم; including
زیلو Zilu, meaning "rough carpet").
[2] In this use, Gelim includes both pile rugs and flat weaves (such as
kilim and
soumak).
History
The art of carpet weaving existed in Persia (or Iran) in ancient
times, according to evidence such as the 2500-year-old Pazyryk carpet,
dating back to 500 B.C., during the
Achaemenid
period. The first documented evidence on the existence of Persian
carpets comes from Chinese texts dating back to the Sassanid period
(224–641 AD). This art underwent many changes in various eras of the
Persian history to an extent that it passed an upward trend before the
Islamic era until the Mongol invasion of Persia. After the invasion, the
art began to grow again during the Timurid and Ilkhanid dynasties.
[1]
With the passage of time, the materials used in carpets, including
wool,
silk and
cotton, will decay. Therefore
archaeologists
are rarely able to make any particularly useful discoveries during
archaeological excavations. What has remained from early times as
evidence of carpet-weaving is nothing more than a few pieces of worn-out
carpets. Such fragments do not help very much in recognizing the
carpet-weaving characteristics of pre-
Seljuk period (13th and 14th centuries AD) in
Persia.
Early history
The
Pazyryk Carpet, the oldest known surviving carpet in the world, 5th century BC.
The exceptional
Pazyryk carpet was discovered in 1949 in an archaeological excavation in 1949 in the Pazyryk Valley, in the
Altai Mountains in
Siberia. The carpet was found in the grave of a
Scythian prince. Radiocarbon testing indicated that the Pazyryk carpet was woven in the 5th century BC.
[14] This carpet is 283 by 200 cm (approximately 9.3 by 6.5 ft) and has 36 symmetrical knots per cm² (232 per inch²).
[15]
The advanced technique used in the Pazyryk carpet indicates a long
history of evolution and experience in weaving. It is considered the
oldest known carpet in the world.
[16] Its central field is a deep red color and it has two wide borders, one depicting deer and the other Turkish
[citation needed] horsemen.
The Pazyryk carpet was thought, by its discoverer
Sergei Rudenko, to be a product of the
Achaemenids.
[17][18]
Currently, whether it is a nomadic product with Achaemenid influence,
or a product of the Achaemenids remains the subject of debate.
[19][20]
Islamic period
From the yarn fiber to the colors, every part of the Persian carpet is
traditionally handmade from natural ingredients over the course of many
months.
In the 8th century A.D.
Azarbaijan Province was among the largest centers of carpet and rough carpet (
ziloo) weaving in Persia (Iran). The Province of
Tabarestan, besides paying taxes, sent 600 carpets to the courts of caliphs in
Baghdad every year. At that time, the main items exported from that region were carpets, and small carpets for saying
prayers (also known as prayer mats). Furthermore, the carpets of
Khorassan,
Sistan and
Bukhara, because of their prominent designs and motifs, were in high demand among purchasers.
[1]
During that era dyeing centers were set up next to carpet weaving
looms. The industry began to thrive until the attack on Iran by the
Mongol army.
[1]
During the reigns of the
Seljuq and
Ilkhanate dynasties, carpet weaving was still a booming business, and a mosque built by Ghazan Khan in
Tabriz,
in northwestern Persia, was covered with superb Persian carpets. Sheep
were specially bred to produce fine wool for weaving carpets. Carpet
designs depicted by miniature paintings belonging to the Timurid era
lend proof to the development of this industry at that time. There is
also another miniature painting of that time available which depicts the
process of carpet weaving.
Oriental carpets in Renaissance painting from Europe are often given detailed depictions that help fill in gaps in the record of actual surviving carpets.
The designs share a common style with Persian decoration in other
media, such as tilework and non-figurative pages in manuscripts with
Persian miniatures.
It is thought that the designs for carpets made for the court were made
by the court artists and sent to the weavers, and the court commissions
led the development of style the used in other works.
The most famous Persian carpet from this period is a large
Safavid (1501–1736) example known as the
Ardabil Carpet, in the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London, which in fact is now a combination of two original carpets, with another piece from the second in
Los Angeles.
[21] This has been the subject of endless copies ranging in size from small to full scale. There is an 'Ardabil' at
10 Downing Street and even
Hitler had an 'Ardabil' in his office in
Berlin.
[22][23]
The carpets were woven in 1539-40 according to the dated inscriptions.
The foundation is of silk and the pile of wool with a knot density of
300-350 knots per square inch ( 465-542 thousand knots per square
meters). The original size of both carpets was
34 1⁄2 by
17 1⁄2 feet (10.5 by 5.3 metres).
[24] Los Angeles County Museum of Art See also
Victoria & Albert Museum
There is much variety among classical Persian carpets of the 16th and
17th century. There are numerous sub-regions that contribute
distinctive designs to Persian carpets of this period such as
Tabriz and
Lavar Kerman. Common motifs include scrolling vine networks,
arabesques,
palmettes,
cloud bands, medallions, and overlapping geometric compartments rather
than animals and humans. Figural designs are particularly popular in the
Iranian market and are not nearly as common in carpets exported to the
west.
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