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India being
an erstwhile conglomeration of princely
states and reign has seen many
inimitable births of Indian art forms
in
handicrafts. For instance, the Mughal p eriod
paved the way to a whole new era of
patronized work on carpets. Initiated by
the great Mughal emperor Akbar in 16th
century, he sent for skilled artisans
from Persia to come to India and
permanently settle down. He ordered them
to weave the similar eccentric forms of
carpets the way Persian courts flaunted.
As history is evident, today we see such
a treasure of various antique forms of
traditional carpets and rugs woven as
marvelously luxurious examples.
Mughal
emperorJahangir, Akbar’s son is
attributed for the introduction of
floral themes on the carpet due to his
fascination towards botanical forms.
With the passage of years, the beautiful
Persian motifs and directional layouts
of Persian origin were incorporated in
the Indian style of craft too. However,
there are slight differences in the
usage of motifs and the inevitable
characters woven in an Indian carpet.
Traditional
rugs are still seen today as an evolved
form of the carpets and rugs originally
woven in India. Such historic
traditional rugs are hard to resist.
Although, for a beginner, it could be
difficult to differentiate between the
various styles of traditional rugs
woven, the beauty of their designs and
colors term them as exotic creations.
They also portray the imaginative as
well as the cultural beliefs of the
region too. India could never be
credited for the origination of the
carpets as in whole but it boasts to be
one of the centers of carpet
manufacturing and export in the world.
For instance, Agra Rugs are named after
the place where they are woven. They are
also woven with geometric designs into
the rugs and carpets in Agra that have
descended from the designs of Persia.
Natural
fibers like wool, silk, and cotton are
used extensively to weave such magical
creations. Always woven in asymmetrical
or Persian knot, traditional rugs sport
Persian styles of decoration such as
Tabriz, Keshan, and Sarouk. Indo-Isfahan
style of carpet is equally loved by
people. The exquisite palmettes
and the medallions really turn a
rug into an awe-inspiring collectable.
Many of the rugs also describe a
complete story embellished with
naturalistic details like a dragon or
birds perching on a cliff. Mesmerizing
prayer rugs, displaying a mihrab
looks aesthetically sacred as well as a
product of the intermingling customs and
styles adopted.
Such
collectables that are hand knotted bring
out the shine of the naturally dyed
threads derived from vegetative species.
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