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“A World of Difference”

Creating the Persian Carpet

A process steeped in history and tradition

First we need dyed wool

The Wool is spun

Afghan man spinning wool

Traditional spinning methods still hold today

Qashqai tribal women spinning wool

Making the Dyes

There are many types of ingredients for making dyes……..

Flowers

Indigo

Saffron

Chamomille

Roots and Tubers

Turmeric

Madder Root

Beets

Fungi and Lichens

Lichen

Coral Fungus

Berries and Nuts

Pomegranate

Buckthorn

Walnut

Even Insects

Cochineal

Kermes

…And then you get this

Dying today, is still done by

traditional methods

Checking to see if the wool is ready Dyeing vats and Dyed wool drying

Once the wool is dyed and dried

It is then ready to be made into a rug

Next we need to make a loom

Typical vertical Loom

Typical ground loom

Vertical Looms

Vertical looms are generally morepermanent structures. They are used to make rugs of a finer weave.

Ground looms are less permanent. They are primarily used by tribal peoples, and are designed to be packed away andmoved, even with a carpet half finished still on the loom.

Ground looms

Then we weave the carpet

The skills of weaving are passed from generation to

generation

Weaving is very much a communal effort

Weavers working on a ground loom

The weavers will sometimes sing a song to help everyone maintain the correct knot counts.

The carpet pattern is drawn first…

…usually on graph paperso the weavers know how many knots of each colour they need to do.

For longer rugs…

The carpet can be rolled onto the lower beam

On full size looms

Benches are moved up, as the pile is created, so the weaver can remain in as comfortable a position as possible.

The knot

Two types of knots are used in the creation of a Persian carpet; the Turkish (Ghiordian) and the Persian (Senneh) knot.

The Tools

Weaver at work

Anatomy of a rug

After the knotting is completed

It needs to be trimmed

…and then washed

And finally dried

Then we have a completed carpet

Ready for market and….

Ready for your home

TheEndThank you for watching