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The
certainty of carpets origin is not
known. The first traces of the carpet’s
existence can be said to be found in the
words of Assyrian clay tablets. The use
of knotted carpets and textiles as floor
coverings can be traced back to 19th
century. Seemingly, by the first half of
the second millennium BC, the
Babylonians had a word- Kasiru- to
designate the knotting craftsman. This
confirms that the carpets were present
during the period of Mesopotamia.
Some
documents suggest that the origin of
carpets can be traced back to the
Neolithic age around 7000 B.C. in the
dry steppe regions inhabited by the
nomads. The nomadic tribes of the region
engaged themselves in weaving wool from
their herd into a simple carpet. The
carpets were spread on their tent floors
or hung from the walls to provide
protection against the creeping insects,
dirt and cold winds. They were even used
as seat covers, saddlebags, bedcovers to
sleep or to pray on. The rugs and
carpets were woven with the patterns of
flowers, animals, trees, their culture,
tradition and religious beliefs.
One of the earliest carpets till date
has been found in the tomb of a Scythian
prince in southern Siberia and it dates
back to 5th century B.C. The place of
its manufacture is still a matter of
debate. This region is inhabited by the
followers of Islam, a religion wherein
each carpet design or pattern speak a
different language. Graduating from a
necessity to a luxurious art of
decoration, carpets or rugs have
undergone tremendous changes in terms of
designs and quality over the years.
Owing to the places of origin, carpet
manufacturing has been a long
evolutionary process. For instance,
Chinese and Tibetan rugs have a
different design and style. These rugs
encompass symbols and designs from
Buddhism and Taoism religions. On a
similar note, in India the art of
weaving woollen carpets was present as
early as 5th century B.C. Later, the
Mughal dynasty drew the attention
towards Persian carpets which was with
time modified as per the Indian taste.
The evolution of carpet weaving has been
affected by social, economic and fashion
pressures. Recent developments in
fabrics or fibres loom widths, designs,
machine efficiencies etc have led to
changes in tastes and preferences.
Places of Origin
The places where carpets originated
stays shrouded in a mystery. Some
analysts strongly suggest that Turkestan
in Central Asia was the cradle of carpet
weaving. People migrating from Turkestan
then spread this form of textile to the
West: to Persia, the Causasus and
Anatolia, to the East: China and later
to the South: to India.
Some theories also state that while
traveling in Persia, Marco Polo
discovered some of the earliest fine
Orientals in the 13th century. During
that time, the general areas where the
art of carpet weaving originated could
be in Persia (Iran), Turkmenistan,
central Asia Mongolia and China. More
often these areas were referred as the
‘Carpet belt’.
The first uses of carpets
Carpets have offered protection, served
as matting, wall coverings, and added
décor to homes. As early as the 7th
century, the antiques of the Christian
saints were wrapped in costly materials
for shipment at great expense from
Middle East. This was the Merovingian
age when European Abbots, on their
pilgrimage from Rome, never failed to
procure holy relics, while
simultaneously acquiring fabrics worth
their weight in gold. From the high
middle ages onward, therefore, western
artists were familiar with Oriental
motifs, primarily Sassanian origin, but
progressively enriched by a formidable
mélange of Asiatic, early Christian,
Byzantine and Islamic cultures.
Chronological classification of
carpets
Carpets made before 1920 are included
within the category of antiques. But
coming to a precise classification
Antique carpets are generally defined as
traditional carpets that didn’t make use
of chemical dyes. They were introduced
in the period 1860-1870, even before the
chemical dyes were invented. From this
period till the early 20th century,
carpets manufactured in this time period
can be called as semi-antique or old
carpets. Modern carpets were produced
since 1920-1930 that showed conformity
towards market demands from the West.
Literature on Carpets
Egypt
From pharaonic Egypt, there is no text
available that mentions anything about
the manufacture or utilization of the
carpet. According to the Greek writer
Athenaeus, the luxurious court at
Philadelphia in the era of Ptolemies was
described in his writings that mentioned
about the carpets used. He wrote ‘In
front of the beds lay deep-pile rugs
made of fine wool and dyed purple. They
alternated with flat woven rugs from
Persia, decorated with animal figures
and other representations.’
Some researchers also believe that in
the history of Egypt, Cleopatra- the
most beautiful Queen presented herself
to Caesar by rolling inside a carpet.
The manufacturing of a carpet, however,
cannot be traced with reference to a
specific period. Carpet was considered
as a luxurious art that was mostly found
by the upper classes.
China
The first documented evidence on the
existence of carpets, came from Chinese
texts dating back to the Sassanid
Dynasty (AD 224 - 641). In AD 628, the
Emperor Heraclius brought back a variety
of carpets from the conquest of
Ctesiphon, the Sassanian capital. The
Arabs also conquered Ctesiphon in 637,
and among the spoils brought back were
said to be many carpets, one of which
was the famous garden carpet, the
"Spring time of Khosroe".
This carpet has passed into history as
the most precious of all time. Made
during the reign of Khosroe I (531 -
579) the carpet was 90 feet square. The
Arab historians' description is as
follows: "The border was a magnificent
flower bed of blue, red, white, yellow
and green stones; in the background the
colour of the earth was imitated with
gold; clear stones like crystals gave
the illusion of water; the plants were
in silk and the fruits were formed by
colour stones" However, the Arabs cut
this magnificent carpet into many
pieces, which were then sold separately.
The Turkish Impact
After the period of domination by the
Arab Caliphates, a Turkish tribe, named
after their founder, Seljuk conquered
Persia. Their domination (1038 - 1194)
was of great importance in the history
of Persian carpets. The Seljuk women
were skilful carpet makers using Turkish
knots. In the provinces of Azerbaijan
and Hamadan where Seljuk influence was
strongest and longest lasting, the
Turkish knot is used to this day.
The Mongolian Inspiration
The Mongol conquest and control of
Persia (1220 - 1449) was initially
brutal. However, they soon came under
the influence of the Persians. The
palace of Tabriz, belonging to the
Ilkhan leader, Ghazan Khan (1295 - 1304)
had paved floors covered with precious
carpets. The Mongol ruler Shah Rokh
(1409 - 1446) contributed to the
reconstruction of much that was
destroyed by the Mongols and encouraged
all the artistic activities of the
region. However, the carpets in this
period were decorated with simple
motifs, which were mainly geometric in
style.
The most remarkable time in history for
Persian carpets came however, when Shah
Abbas rose to power. He initiated
workshops for carpets, and utilized the
skills and craftsmanship of designers.
Trade to Europe was also opened.
Invasion of the Afghans in 1722 cut
short these glorious years. It was only
much later, towards the end of the 19th
century when carpet making made a
comeback.
When traced back to the history, many
carpet designs, fabrics, colours,
patterns emerged. Types or
classification of carpets that came into
existence since the discovery of carpets
are as under:
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