Ancient Persian Carpets: A Flourishing Rural Craft

Ancient Persian art encompasses a rich tapestry of creations, including architecture, painting, sculpture, metalwork, and, of course, carpets. Carpet production began as a rural craft, likely developed by nomadic or village women. This activity complemented their primary roles related to animal husbandry and cultivation.

Carpets became a source of particular fascination within the Muslim world. Prayer rugs, used for centuries across Islamic countries, are an integral part of the religious experience. Technically, these “piled carpets” are created by wrapping and securing weft threads around one, two, or four warp threads. These wraps are known as “rug knots.” Once rows of knots are complete, weft threads are inserted to secure them, and the knots are trimmed to a uniform height.

In contrast, weaving involves interlacing warp and weft threads with no pile. However, the terms “weaving” and “weaver” are so commonly used to refer to piled carpets that they are often used interchangeably with “knotting” and “knotters”.

Note: Equipment can be purchased from the college.