CRAFTSMANSHIP

To really appreciate an oriental rug, you need to look at it as it develops from its most rudimentary beginning. The completed rug is often the work of a number of different people — the weaver, the dyer, the shearer, the washer, and, in the case of intricate city rugs, the artist who creates the design.

Looms and Basic Structure

All rugs from the most primitive to the finest and most intricate, are woven on a simple structure called a loom. The loom is essentially a wood or metal frame upon which is strung a network of threads which forms the foundation of the rug.

There are two basic types of looms — vertical and horizontal. The vertical loom is a relatively permanent structure used by weavers who live in villages, cities and towns. The horizontal loom is essentially the same as the vertical loom minus the side supports. The top and bottom beams are staked to the ground. This type of loom is used primarily by nomads and is designed specifically so that it can be easily rolled up and put on a pack animal. The weavers kneel in front of the loom as the weaving progresses, and sit on the completed part of the rug to continue their work. The weaving process remains the same regardless of the type of loom used.

The first step in making a rug is to string vertical structural threads on the loom. These threads, which run the length of the loom, are called the warp. The warp threads form the skeleton of the rug to which is tied knots of many colors. The density of the warps, or how closely together they are placed, is one factor that determines the fineness of the carpet. The wool or silk knots, which form the pile of the rug, are then tied in horizontal rows. After each row of knots is tied, another set of threads, the weft threads, is woven in a horizontal direction between alternating warp threads. The weft threads are beaten down with a heavy comblike tool to hold the knots in place and to provide stability to the structure of the carpet. The weaver must carefully execute this process as each row of knots is tied. This procedure continues for months and sometimes years, depending on the size of the carpet being made.

The Finishing Touches

After the rug is woven, it is cut from the loom and undergoes several steps that are part of the finishing process. The fringes that you see at both ends of the rug are a continuation of the warp threads. These fringes can be left loose, but most often they are knotted so that the pile of the rug cannot easily come loose. The selvedges, the sides of the rug, can be overcast in several different ways depending on the region where the rug is woven. It is in these final stages that weavers often add their own interesting flourishes — tassels or braids to the corners of the rug or impressive ornamentation atop the base of weft threads at the fringe ends of the rug. The rug is given a final and careful shearing, and then it is washed to remove any loose fibers and get rid of any excess dyes.

Foundation Material

Cotton is the most popular material used for the foundation, that is the warp and weft. Silk may be used for the warp in fine and intricately designed carpets, while wool may be used in nomadic or village rugs. In some rare instances, linen is used as well. The weft threads may be cotton, silk or wool.

Pile Material

The pile of the rug is most often made of dyed wool. The pile may also be a combination of wool and silk with the silk being used to outline intricate designs or to fill in small areas. The rug may also have a completely silk pile.

Knots

It is the knots which form the pile or face of the rug. One type of knot is called the Turkish, Ghiordes, or symmetric knot. It is tied around two adjacent warp threads and the two tufts of yarn come up between these two warp threads to form the pile of the rug. This type of knot is found in Turkish rugs, many Central Asian rugs and in some Iranian rugs. The other type of knot found in carpets is called the Persian, Senneh or asymmetric knot. With this knot, the yarn completely encircles one warp and is then passed around, but does not encircle, the adjacent warp. The Persian knot is generally used in some parts of Iran, and in India, Pakistan, and China.

It is difficult to identify the type of knot used from looking at the back of a rug. However, if you inspect the front of the rug and look into the base of the pile, it will reveal the type of knot used.

The Turkish knot always has a loop crossing two warps when viewed from the front of the rug. You can see both tufts emerging from underneath this loop. If the loop crosses only one warp and only one tuft emerges from under the loop, then Persian knot has been used.

The vertical knot count is sometimes higher than the horizontal knot count. Knot count can vary somewhat in the same rug. This is because the rows of knots are beaten down with a heavy comb or similar tool after the wefts are inserted. This compresses the rows of knots.

Kilims

Another weaving technique is called the flatweave. The entire carpet is made up of the continual intermeshing of warp and weft threads and consequently there is no pile. The term, kilim, is a general term used to refer to these flatwoven rugs. These kilims are also described as "weft-faced" because it is the weft which forms the face of the rug and its pattern.

Designing a Rug

Nomadic and tribal weavers usually weave from memory using traditional designs. Outside of these settings, the original Persian and Turkish designs were indigenous to specific geographical areas. Because of the complexity of some designs a drawing, called a cartoon or naqsh, is needed for the weavers to follow.