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All About Carpet & Rugs |
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The
Origin of Carpets |
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Because of the absence of any solid
evidence, the basic questions of where and why the knotted
carpet originated have never been fully resolved.
Nonetheless, two theories have developed about the origin of
the knotted carpet.
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The first theory being that the
knotted carpet came into being during an early period by nomadic
peoples who were seeking a way to protect themselves from the
cold ground without sacrificing their precious animals for their
skins. Thus, carpets were made on rudimentary horizontal looms
which could be easily dismantled and transported. This theory
contends that the original intent of carpet making was practical
and not artistic. The desire to embellish the interior of their
tents led to an increase in the variety of colors and designs
used, which evolved into the established decorative motifs we
know today.
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The second theory proposes that
knotted carpet was created during a more evolved period and
among settled people already familiar with the vertical loom.
According to this theory the new textile was created in response
to to the desire to decorate the interiors of permanent
dwellings. Only later would nomadic tribes make this new
artifact their own, creating more primitive versions because
they used horizontal looms, a result of their adapting the more
evolved vertical loom to their way of life.
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An important archaeological
discovery in 1947 seems to support the second theory.
Excavations of a grave of a Scythian chief in the Pazyryk
valley in Siberia uncovered a perfectly preserved carpet
that had been encased in a block of ice along with a
chariot, mummified bodies, and household items.
The carpet was made of wool with symmetrical knots on a
densely decorated 74" by 79" surface. The predominate
colors are white, red, yellow and light blue. The carpet's
borders are of particular interest and stand out with
repeating design patterns. The inside border is composed of
a row of elk; the outside border depicts a procession of
mounted horseman, perhaps a funeral procession of the
deceased chief. Datable to the 5th century B.C., the
Pazyryk carpet is the oldest known ancient carpet, and its
refined workmanship seems to confirm the hypothesis that
carpets served artistic uses from their very beginnings. |
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Due to the widespread use of carpets in the Middle East, the
birthplace of the carpet remains shrouded in mystery. The
strongest argument holds that central Asia-more
specifically, Turkestan- was the cradle of carpet making.
Except for the Pazyryk carpet, the most ancient carpet
fragments, datable to the 2nd-3rd century B.C. were found in
Turkestan. |
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