 Persian
Rugs are sometimes referred to as an Iranian's stocks and shares. There
are underground storage facilities housing untold numbers of Persian
rugs as investments for businessmen. Prized for their beauty and
craftsmanship, Persian rugs were in scarce supply until recently when
the United States lifted the embargo on imports from Iran. Today Iran
produces more rugs than all other rug making centers combined worldwide.
We consider Persian rugs items of luxury used to decorate and enhance
our environments. Although they are functional, they are not
necessities. Centuries ago the nomadic tribes wove Persian rugs as
protection from the cold that ravaged the tents that they lived in.
Since the people were illiterate, the rugs were woven to tell folkloric
tales and as a means of self expression. Persian rug weaving was a
craft taught by parents to their children and continued to be handed
down to subsequent generations. It also became a means of income for
the family.
The folkloric designs on the early Persian rugs were very brightly
colored. The colors were created from substances readily available in
nature such as insects, plants, roots, and tree barks. Their
formulations were well guarded secrets passed down through the
generations. The process of making Persian rugs at that time was long
and arduous. Although cotton came to be used for the warp and weft of
Persian rugs, the herds of sheep that surrounded the tribes provided
wool. The wool had to be washed and dried in the sun to bleach it. Then
it was spun by hand. The wool was dipped into dyeing vats and then left
to hang without being squeezed in order to try to achieve uniformity in
color and later left in the sun to dry.
Today the art of weaving Persian rugs is still a
craft that is passed down from generation to generation. Although we
now employ modern technology for processing cotton, wool, and silk,
hand-knotting continues to be done by expert fingers.
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