CARPETS
The history of carpet weaving goes back many hundreds of years on the Indian sub-continent. The Moghul conquerors first taught the local captives that were incarcerated to weave to occupy their time in captivity. This spread out into the local population around the great cities of Agra, Jaipur and Varanasi. Weaving is concentrated in these areas including Nepalese and Tibetan style rugs in the Varanasi area as Buddha is buried at the holy sight of Sarnath nearby. India has benefitted from inexpensive labour and the ready access to the great quality wools of Australia and New Zealand being part of the British Commonwealth.
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INDO-PERSIANS
Our family has been traveling to the Indian sub-continent for the best part of two decades buying and specifying our purchases of hand-made carpets. The history of weaving in the Bhadohi area of Uttar Pradesh in India goes right back hundreds of years to when the Mogul hordes from Persia overran the northern part of India and what is now Pakistan. The skills were brought to these areas by Persian artisans who settled here after the invasion. They taught the indigenous people these same skills of carpet weaving copying all the various weaving patterns of Persia and Turkey. In many ways the Indian weaver is better than his Persian counterpart weaving straight, flat and almost flawless carpets (only Allah is perfect they say however) for a fraction of the price. We are proud that Canadian Rug Traders are the first North American members of Care and Fair - Action Against Child Labour. A percentage of all our imports from India and Pakistan are returned via this organisation to ensure the elimination of bonded child labour and to build schools and hospitals for all the weavers. Fine Indo-Persians as their name implies are carpets with more knots to the square foot.
Our family has been traveling to the Indian sub-continent for the best part of two decades buying and specifying our purchases of hand-made carpets. The history of weaving in the Bhadohi area of Uttar Pradesh in India goes right back hundreds of years to when the Mogul hordes from Persia overran the northern part of India and what is now Pakistan. The skills were brought to these areas by Persian artisans who settled here after the invasion. They taught the indigenous people these same skills of carpet weaving copying all the various weaving patterns of Persia and Turkey. In many ways the Indian weaver is better than his Persian counterpart weaving straight, flat and almost flawless carpets (only Allah is perfect they say however) for a fraction of the price. We are proud that Canadian Rug Traders are the first North American members of Care and Fair - Action Against Child Labour. A percentage of all our imports from India and Pakistan are returned via this organisation to ensure the elimination of bonded child labour and to build schools and hospitals for all the weavers. Fine Indo-Persians as their name implies are carpets with more knots to the square foot.
VERY FINE INDO-PERSIAN
These very fine Indo-Bidjars, Kashans and Kermans probably represent the best value in rug weaving today when compared price wise with their Persian equivalents. One has the added benefit of rugs being woven in colours much more suited to western taste.
JAIPUR
Jaipur is a stunning city in the northern Indian province of Rajastan. Famous for its beautiful textiles and jewels as well as its skills in dying fast and vibrant colours for all fabrics including rugs. Carpet weaving started here around 150 years ago using prisoners in the central jail. Over the last century there was much European input into improving the dyes and structure of the rugs produced in India. This has meant that you will almost always find rugs constructed and coloured in a far better way than their equivalent Persian counterpart. A fine Indo-Persian, Agra or Jaipur would cost at least three times as much as if made in Iran to the same specification. Because of their skills as dyers the Jaipur carpets have ascended to the top of the Indo-Persian tree with antique and herbal washes being used to soften overall colour balance of the rugs making them eminently suitable for Canadian homes.
Jaipur is a stunning city in the northern Indian province of Rajastan. Famous for its beautiful textiles and jewels as well as its skills in dying fast and vibrant colours for all fabrics including rugs. Carpet weaving started here around 150 years ago using prisoners in the central jail. Over the last century there was much European input into improving the dyes and structure of the rugs produced in India. This has meant that you will almost always find rugs constructed and coloured in a far better way than their equivalent Persian counterpart. A fine Indo-Persian, Agra or Jaipur would cost at least three times as much as if made in Iran to the same specification. Because of their skills as dyers the Jaipur carpets have ascended to the top of the Indo-Persian tree with antique and herbal washes being used to soften overall colour balance of the rugs making them eminently suitable for Canadian homes.
GABBEH
The term Gabbeh does not refer to a particular tribe of people but rather to the style of weaving worked by any one of a number of different tribes. One must remember that the Moghul hordes conquered northern India bringing with them the skills of carpet weaving and other fine artistic artisanship. So do not think of the Indian pieces as mere copies but as an evolution of artistic development. The actual meaning of the word Gabbeh in Farsi is “thick”. They are nearly always naive in their depiction of animals, with backgrounds that reflect the topography of their transient settlements whether it be a desert, mountain or meadow. Hence they can come in a multitude of colours such as a green and multicoloured speckled ground which would represent a field in spring, full of flowers, to the berber natural wools that evoke a desert or barren place.
The term Gabbeh does not refer to a particular tribe of people but rather to the style of weaving worked by any one of a number of different tribes. One must remember that the Moghul hordes conquered northern India bringing with them the skills of carpet weaving and other fine artistic artisanship. So do not think of the Indian pieces as mere copies but as an evolution of artistic development. The actual meaning of the word Gabbeh in Farsi is “thick”. They are nearly always naive in their depiction of animals, with backgrounds that reflect the topography of their transient settlements whether it be a desert, mountain or meadow. Hence they can come in a multitude of colours such as a green and multicoloured speckled ground which would represent a field in spring, full of flowers, to the berber natural wools that evoke a desert or barren place.
NEPALESE OR INDO-TIBETAN
Weaving in the style of this carpet has been carried out in Nepal and Tibet for many centuries but until recently they were mostly unknown in the West. The change came with the communist invasion of 1959, as a result of which many thousands of Tibetans fled to Nepal and northern India, where a considerable weaving industry was established. The knot used is known as the Tibetan knot and it is not tied singly but in a whole chain of knots looped over a rod as the row progresses. This method gives the carpet its ridged texture. Most production nowadays is in a very contemporary styling for which it is most suited.
Weaving in the style of this carpet has been carried out in Nepal and Tibet for many centuries but until recently they were mostly unknown in the West. The change came with the communist invasion of 1959, as a result of which many thousands of Tibetans fled to Nepal and northern India, where a considerable weaving industry was established. The knot used is known as the Tibetan knot and it is not tied singly but in a whole chain of knots looped over a rod as the row progresses. This method gives the carpet its ridged texture. Most production nowadays is in a very contemporary styling for which it is most suited.
SOUMAK
The term soumak is used to refer to a specific type of brocading which is defined as a technique in which the sequence of the progressive wrapping of warp by weft is consistently forward over and back under. Some of our soumak pieces are constructed in a form known as ‘countered soumak’ where the direction of the wrapping changes from row to row giving the top surface its chevron effect. There are also ‘reverse soumak’ which is rare where the pattern is fully distinguishable on the back of the rug. These finishes can only be woven by weavers of the highest skill. They have also used vegetable dyes in the yarns to give these pieces their authentic look and feel.
The term soumak is used to refer to a specific type of brocading which is defined as a technique in which the sequence of the progressive wrapping of warp by weft is consistently forward over and back under. Some of our soumak pieces are constructed in a form known as ‘countered soumak’ where the direction of the wrapping changes from row to row giving the top surface its chevron effect. There are also ‘reverse soumak’ which is rare where the pattern is fully distinguishable on the back of the rug. These finishes can only be woven by weavers of the highest skill. They have also used vegetable dyes in the yarns to give these pieces their authentic look and feel.
We also purchase Afghan Belouchi Soumaks from Iran.