Homes Antiques

There are few sheep in India so

almost all of the wool used is from

New Zealand or Sardinia

The extraordinary thing about rug weaving is the number

of processes that must occur in a specific sequence. To begin

the weft (the horizontal threads) of natural wool must be

wound into hanks for dyeing. Whirling drums catch the light

as they spin the wool. There are few sheep in India and the

quality of their wool is not good so almost all of the wool

used is from New Zealand or Sardinia shipped to India in

vast quantities. The warp (the vertical threads) are a robust

cotton and remain undyed. These are wound into ‘warps’ on a

large frame and will create the backbone of the rug – no warp

threads will be visible in the final piece.

Gelim or kilim?

There are several dierent types of weaving technique and

loom. A horizontal peddle loom (often built into the floor)

is operated by one two or three weavers depending on the

width of the final rug and creates a linear patterned or striped

flat weave. The weavers work in tandem with impressive

precision energetically throwing a wooden shuttle loaded

with dyed wool across the warp threads. ‘Gelim’ rugs

originate in northern Iran and use a specific dip-dyed weft

technique that creates a feathered ikat blur of dynamic colour.

‘Kilim’ refers to another ancient technique that originated

throughout East Asia. These are woven on vertical looms like

a tapestry. The motif is usually staggered geometric

HOW IT ALL BEGAN...

It’s somewhat mysterious how such a powerful rug-making

industry emerged in a place that has none of the natural

resources required. By all accounts some Iranian master

weavers stopped at Madhosingh village near Khamaria in

Bhadohi while travelling in India in the 16th century and

established the rst loom manufacturing the rst carpet in

India. There was also some inuence from the ruling Mughal

emperor of the time Akbar who brought craftsmen from Persia

to weave carpets for the royal courts and palaces.

In 2010 and as a nal endorsement of the importance

of this industry the carpets of the region received the

Geographical Indication (GI) tag which means carpets

manufactured in nine districts – Bhadohi Mirzapur Varanasi

Ghazipur Sonbhadra Kaushambi Allahabad Jaunpur and

Chandauli – would be tagged with ‘Handmade carpet of

Bhadohi’. The rug equivalent of the Champagne appellation it

gives the area and its star product a cultural status worldwide.

ABOVE FROM LEFT Stacks of rugs are piled up ready for shipment across the

world; myriad hand-dyed weft threads in a kaleidoscope of shades FACING PAGE

A completed at weave gelim is photographed against a dramatic backdrop in ‘The

Blue City’ of Jodhpur Rajasthan

116 H&A SUMMER 2017