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People’s heritage and the
history of rug-making
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Rug-making is one of the oldest crafts known to humankind,
and can be traced back through the ages to various
civilizations and societies. It is believed that nomadic
Eurasian, Mongolian, and Siberian tribes first engaged in
rug-making thousands of years ago. Realizing that their
sheep could provide a valuable material for rug-making, the
nomads experimented with thick, warm wool, which replaced
animal skin coverings. Because of the nomads’ mobility, the
art of rug-making was exposed to other people, and in this
way the craft passed to other cultures. It is widely agreed
that rug-making found its highest and most elaborate,
skilled expression in Asian and Islamic cultures. Initially
made strictly for utilitarian purposes, with the intention
of keeping tribes warm while in the most brutally cold parts
of our planet, over the years the rug has become not just a
useful floor covering; it has become an art form in its own
right. In fact, many galleries and museums around the world
are renowned for their collections of ancient and
contemporary rugs. Even though the word “rug” evolved much
later than the craft itself, first coined in 1551,
archaeologists have discovered rugs in tombs that date back
at least four |
thousand years. The most famous of these rugs, which was
preserved from destruction because it was encased in ice, is the
so-called “Pazyryk Rug,” which is the oldest rug ever to be
discovered. It was largely intact at the time of its discovery, and
it has been dated back to the 5th century BC. The
discovery of the Pazyryk Rug tells us a great deal about how rugs
were actually made, and how rug-making styles evolved over the
centuries. The Pazyryk Rug was made in a knotted pile style, a
common early form. These kinds of rugs were made by hand and
required no primitive or sophisticated needles, looms, or machinery
of any sort. Nevertheless, one need only glance at these rugs to
realize that their makers possessed a keen artistic eye; their
designs are complex and richly detailed, not just in their design,
but in their color as well.
| As the rug made its way into other
cultures, those cultures adapted rug-making to fit their own local
needs and their individual ingenuity. Both vertical and horizontal
looms were developed. Knotting styles diversified, as did designs.
New touches were added, such as fringe finishes on the corners and
edges of rugs. Another important evolution was the introduction of
new materials into the rug-making process. While the nomadic tribes
had relied upon wool because it was readily available, other
societies, such as the Chinese, chose to experiment with other
materials, such as silk. Diverse natural products such as seeds and
plants, continued to be used for dying. In no case, however, were
non-natural materials used.
Today, many rugs are machine-made;
however, the art and craft of rug-making has not died by any means.
Persian and Oriental rugs are still handmade by proud craftspeople
who uphold centuries of traditions, and rug vendors and collectors
agree that a hand-made rug will always be superior in longevity,
design, and quality than a machine-made rug. |
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