Textiles

Rugs, trappings and decorative textiles abound.

Whether made for commercial purposes or not, created from the highest grade materials, or endowed with a pleasing design, all display an impressive level of skill and craftsmanship. Many, imbued their maker’s accumulated feeling, have been elevated from honest works of art to masterpieces.

When does a rug become a work of art?

Whether you call textiles intended for the floor rugs, carpets, or kilims, in the western world these types of hand woven textiles can also be called Oriental carpets. Here, we will simply call them rugs.

Rugs can be divided into two categories: commercial, those woven to be sold, and non-commercial, those woven for the weaver’s own use. Generally speaking, commercial rugs do not exhibit as much artistic freedom as non-commercial rugs, but this does not mean they require less labor or are less valuable.

Regardless of the country of origin, rugs in both categories bear the meticulous and painstaking work of sensitive women. In the case of commercial rugs, the weaver is controlled at all stages by a set of people ranging from the rug producer (by whom she is paid), to a designer, and finally, the consumer who determines demand. Commercial rugs are almost always produced in multiples. In non-commercial rugs, the weaver is free to establish every aspect of the finished rug since she is weaving solely for herself. Non-commercial are almost always one-of-a-kind.

In non-commercial rugs the weaver is oftentimes working to impress her loved ones, neighbors, and colleagues. Many times, when discussing non-commercial rugs with their weavers, comments such as “I made this one,” or “My daughter made this one,” or “I wove three parts of this carpet,” or “another part was woven by my mother-in-law,” can be heard. Such comments reveal the true artistic pride and admiration inherent in non-commercial rugs.

A rug becomes a work of art as soon as others appreciate it, although such appreciation is often dearer to the informed eye. Commercial or not, rugs may be made from the highest grade materials, endowed with a pleasing design, and display an impressive level of skill and craftsmanship; but it is only when a rug is imbued with all the weaver’s accumulated feelings – the most notable being love – that it can be elevated from an honest work of art to a masterpiece.