Proper care of Oriental carpets make them a good investment

By M. Z. Iqbal

JAKARTA (JP): The true spirit of a nation is reflected in its history, culture and art. The arts and crafts of a nation serve as a symbol of identity and act as a guideline for future generations.

Carpets are one of man's most important artistic creations. The etymology of the word "carpet" goes back to the Greek tapesetos. The modern neo-Persian term mentioned in the Arabic lexicon is farash. The English term carpet originated from the old French term carpetia, which is derived from the classical Latin word carpita, from the verb carpera, meaning "to tear" because of the strip-like shape. The Anglo-Saxon word rug is a Scandinavian word which has its origin in the Swedish word rugg and Icelandic rogg. Both words originally carried the concept of a ruffled tuft of grass or lock of hair.

Carpet weaving has existed since the dawn of human civilization, when men used to sleep on the bare, cold floor. They learned to use the natural materials around them. First, mats and floor coverings were prepared. The next step was to utilize the skin, wool and hair of animals. This might have been when the first carpet came into existence.

The history of world civilization shows that every nation has its own traditional weavings which resemble carpets and rugs.

Carpet weaving as an art flourished over time in Persia, Turkey, Central Asia, India, Spain, northern Africa, Egypt, Afghanistan, China and Pakistan. At present it is the main occupation of the rural communities in modern Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, India, Turkey and Pakistan.

Most hand-knotted carpets are knotted in the rural areas or by nomadic tribes. This art has been the main source of income for thousands of families in Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, India and the Central Asian republics. For example, in Iran alone more than three million people are engaged in this occupation. According to one rough estimate, four out of every 1,000 Westerners have Iranian carpets.

The main factor that has enabled the communities of these countries to master this art lies in the centuries-old traditions which have been supported by the availability of fine quality materials such as wool. In those areas sheep rearing has been a traditional and ancestral occupation.

A special kind of wool, obtained from a three-month-old sheep, is called kurk wool. It is utilized for very fine and artistic carpets. Another material used is cotton, which has long been grown in fertile plains and valleys for textile necessities.

The third important material used in this industry is silk. This material is also grown in abundance in some parts of the Orient, China in particular.

Carpet weaving is an art which requires great patience and craftsmanship. A single carpet can take an individual, group or family months of labor. It is the art that gives the life to the handful of threads which have been dyed naturally with colors prepared from the extracts of vegetables, plants and even animals. It is really a work of love and devotion.

The Persian poet Arabzadeh says:

Show thy art ability, do not talk so much

When accomplished all will see, is done

Colors

After the selection of materials is the dying of the materials. The most prized and sought-after color of red is obtained from the Cochineal, or scale insect, especially the female Coccus Cati which is mostly found in Mexico. The famous American red is extracted from the insect Porthyrophora Hamelii. Persians get this red color from Kermis Vermilio, which thrives on a special type of oak tree. It takes up to 100,000 insects to make one kilogram of dye.

Another widely used red dye is obtained from the roots of maddar or Rubia tintctorum plant. Its roots take three to six years to grow before they can be used. A particularly bright red highlighted with fine pinkish hues is produced by adding dried yogurt to the maddar roots. The red color extracted from the leaves of Dracaena from Zanzibar (Tanzania) is called Dragon blood. A dark red can also be obtained from the Henna plant leaves.

The most beautiful and sought after yellow color is extracted from saffron, a plant which grows abundantly in Iran. This color is very expensive. It takes 4,000 stamens to make 30 grams of color. The other sources for yellow are sumac, a spice, and turmeric roots.

A silk dye is extracted from the flower called Delphinium Zalil. Pomegranate skin is also used for some combinations. A fine quality blue is extracted from the leaves of the Indigofera tinctoria plant, which grows in abundance in Baluchistan and Bengal. A beautiful green color can be obtained from the Isparang plant and its Persian berries. A dark brown dye is produced from the hulls of the walnut tree.

There are a large number of combinations and processes to get natural vegetable colors, most of which are costly and take a long time to prepare.

Designs

The following are the most important Persian and Oriental rug and carpet designs:

The Triangular Citron Design (Lackak Toranj): This is one of the most beautiful and popular Iranian designs dating back to the 10th century Hijrah (Islamic calendar).

The Altar Design (Mehrab): This design is inspired by the altars found in mosques.

The Vase Design (Guldanin): This design presents vases full of flowers in the main part of the carpet.

The Framed Design (Ghabghabi): This is one of the framed designs in the art of carpet weaving. It includes frames, usually on four sides. A carpet of this design kept in the Carpet Museum of Tehran has scenes from the stories of the famous Persian-Roman Shahnameh (Stories of the kings) by the poet Ferdowsi.

The Floral Design (Boteh): This design has been used as an ornament for thousands of years on precious carpets and other works of art. It is believed that it symbolizes the sacred eternal flame of Zoroasterism, the pine tree fruit, the chestnut, the womb, the bird which is the guardian of the paradise, a prince's seal, or even the jewels of a king's crown. This design is very popular throughout Iran and Kashmir.

The Shah Abbas Design: This design is based on certain floral patterns which have been popular since the time of the Safavid, and is known as the Shah Abbas design.

The Arabesque Design: This plant-like curved pattern found its way into Persian art from the art of the Arabs. It is also called eslim (bud) and has its origin in the word Islam. This mostly appears in Bijar carpets.

Kings and Noblemen: This is one of the rare designs found in the carpets of Kirman and Tabriz. The feature the portraits of kings and men such as Christopher Columbus, Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Napoleon and other noblemen.

The Mixed Fish Design: This design originated in Herat (Afghanistan). It is very popular in Kurdistan, Azerbaijan and the central provinces of Iran.

The Four Seasons: This is the most interesting design that has been used over the last few centuries. Each carpet has four pictures, each depicting one season of the year.

In addition, there are numerous designs which are concerned with nomadic tribes.

Symbols

Carpets have been a rich source and medium for the expression of sociocultural, environmental, astrological, religious and traditional feelings.

Gardens are the symbols of paradise in Persian carpets. The Boteh motif in Persian carpets represents the flame of the Zoroastarian temple fire. Various forms of vine leaves and floral motifs represent the concept of assimilation.

The pomegranate advocates the symbol of fertility. The palm tree is a purely Islamic symbol representing the city of Medina and the tomb of the Prophet Mohammad. The Arabesque floral expression is symbolizes the spirit. The stylized birds in Anatolian carpets symbolize the sun. The symbol of the lion in the nomadic carpets of Tabriz is the sign of protection from illness and danger.

In Chinese carpets, the word Lu indicates happiness or the bat. The number five is for happiness. Red is the color of supremacy, and five bats signify the five forms of highest happiness, which are longevity, wealth, health, love of virtue, and natural death.

Lu also means deer and wealth. Hu tieh, a butterfly, represents longevity. The dragon, an imaginary animal, symbolizes Yang (the male, solar, and light), which is the symbol of the emperor. Phoenix, the counterpart of the dragon, represents Yin (female, lunar, and dark), which is the symbol of the empress. The symbol of Pan-Ku represents the first man on earth, according to Chinese mythology.

An eight-corner flower or star in the center of Oriental rugs and carpets represents the lucky star of the Prophet David, Jesus Christ and the Prophet Mohammad. In fact, symbols in Oriental rugs and carpets are a mysterious science of expression.

Oriental rugs and carpets date back centuries. Carpets are mentioned in the Bible, in the book of Exodus Act 36, III and Act 18, III.

The Spring of Chosroes, a classical carpet (in the richest materials of gold, silver and precious stones) dates back before the conquest of Islam of the Ctesiphon (in Iran) in 627 A.D. The first ever old carpet was discovered in 1949 by Russian archaeologists under the guidance of Prof. Rudenko, in the Pazirik Valley, in Siberia, Russia, in a Saka warlord's tomb.

Researchers and experts have come to the conclusion that this carpet was knotted in the fifth century B.C. The carpet is kept at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg (Leningrad).

Another important carpet comes from Konya (Central Anatolia) in the Mosque of Aladdin, from the second half of the 13th century during the times of Seljuk Dynasty. Marco Polo, who was in Anatolia in 1271 A.D. on his way back from Persia, refers to Turkish and Caucasian carpets as the best and most beautiful carpets in the world. Islamic resources show that travelers like Ibn Said and Ibn Battutah maintained that Anatolian carpets of the 13th and 14th centuries A.D. were so sought after that they were exported to Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Persia, India, and China.

In short, the history of Oriental carpets is very old and colorful. The famous masterpieces of oriental rugs and carpets can be seen in museums throughout the world.

The question is, why are Oriental rugs and carpets so expensive?

Hand-knotted Oriental rugs and carpets are knotted from selected wool, cotton, silk and other materials and take a long time to produce. For example, a simple rug or a carpet usually takes more than one year to finish. The artistic ones take between seven to 10 years. The market procedure, taxes, import- export duties and other factors make the prices high.

Carpets are classified into three main categories: the artistic carpets and masterpieces; decorative carpets; and carpets for domestic use.

The first thing to keep in mind is that Oriental rugs and carpets are just like art works.

Buying tips

When buying a a carpet, the following points must be kept in mind: quality of the material, origin of the carpet, importance of the design, and your own taste and satisfaction.

For the care and durability of the carpet, the following points should be kept in mind: do not keep the carpet in a very dark place or a very bright place. Avoid putting the carpet under heavy furniture. Change their position frequently. A carpet should be washed every five years. Do not wash it yourself, consult an expert or a carpet company that will use special materials and procedures.

Oriental rugs and carpets are a real investment and only an art lover can evaluate their value and importance.