Classification of Iranian handwoven carpets according to size
With the expansion of urban life during the past centuries and as a result of creating new patterns in urban life, changes were gradually made in the traditional dimensions of handwoven carpets. Because carpets with small and portable dimensions, which were the necessity of rural and nomadic lifestyles, no longer met the needs of urban life. Therefore, the dimensions of handmade carpets also increased gradually over time. In this article, we are going to examine and evaluate the types of handwoven carpets in terms of dimensions and sizes.
Changing the dimensions of the carpet over time
In the past and in the course of rural and nomadic life, weavers were not required to observe specific dimensions for carpet weaving; Because living in small tents was a requirement of nomadic culture and even after many nomads settled down, the dimensions of their rooms were so small that the weavers only weaved carpets in small dimensions, such as a half-inch rug. , two cubits and a maximum of 6 meters. In addition, the portability of the carpet and also the carpet loom was of special importance in the nomadic life; Therefore, until the spread of urban culture, there was no need for carpet weaving in large dimensions. But after the expansion of communication and mass communication tools with the cities and the acquaintance of carpet producers with urban culture and new patterns of urbanization, and also since the weavers saw their art as a profession and a way to earn economic income, they started increasing the dimensions of the carpet and They created variety in the texture according to the needs of the city dwellers. As a result, today we see the weave of various sizes of handwoven carpets, from all kinds of small carpets of one and a half and two meters to large carpets of 12 meters, and sometimes even artistic and special carpets in larger dimensions. In the following, we will examine each of the common dimensions of handwoven carpets in Iran.
Common dimensions in handwoven carpets
As mentioned, handwoven carpets are woven in different sizes according to needs and applications, such as back, foot, side, one and a half, two and a half, and types of rugs in different dimensions. In the following, the common dimensions of handwoven Iranian carpets have been examined:
Iranian handwoven rugs
- Very small carpets, generally known as padri, pashti and patakhti, with approximate dimensions of 50x60 and 60x90 cm. The application of these small rugs, as its name suggests, is as a back cover, a padri, and a bedspread. The suitable size for padri is usually 30 x 40 cm, and the cities of Kerman and Sarab are among the areas where padri weaving is popular. Also, in some areas such as Tabriz, Kashan and Kerman Baft, a type of carpet called "Perspective" is popular, which is bigger than padri in terms of dimensions but smaller than one square meter. The perspective carpet is usually decorated with motifs of nature, flowers and plants and is installed on the wall as a decoration.
- Small rugs known as zare and half with dimensions of 100 x 150 cm and similar dimensions. In the carpet market, rugs smaller than zare and nim are known as zare and charak. The common dimensions of Zare and Charak rugs are about 130 x 80 cm.
- Rugs known as "Mosul" with a size of about 130 x 200 cm.
- Carpets with medium dimensions known as sajjadei or two-armed rugs and its approximate dimensions are about 210 x 150 cm.
- Carpets known as "kanare" that are woven with a width of 60 cm and a variable length of 4, 8, 10 meters or even more. In addition, sometimes the weavers weave short sides, which are called "kharq", according to necessity. The approximate dimensions of the vault are about 80 to 90 cm wide and 230 to 180 cm long. Side and vault carpets are usually used to cover empty spaces without carpets in the room.
Curtain carpets
- Small carpets, or in other words, large carpets, which are called "curtains" and are woven with approximate dimensions of 250 x 150 or 280 x 170 or similar sizes. Regarding curtain carpets, one thing should be mentioned that seems interesting. Using carpets as curtains has never been part of Iranian culture and traditions, and the reason for using carpets as curtains should be sought elsewhere. In this regard, Parviz Tanavoli is of the opinion that due to the introduction of the printing industry to Iran and the publication of the pictures of Iranian kalamkar curtains in these books, subsequently the pictures of these kalamkar curtains, which were similar in size to carpets, were inspired and imitated by Iranian weavers. got and the term curtain and woven carpets with curtain function became popular in Iran after that.
Carpet known as Kalgi
- "Kelgi" is a type of carpet that is woven with dimensions of approximately 2x4 or 3x6 and sometimes even larger than this size, and its dimensions are usually such that its length is one and a half to two times its width. These dimensions of the carpet are woven for this purpose, so that by placing two or three of them together, a large room such as a gathering hall or public bar can be furnished. The use of Kalgi carpets and curtains has been mostly for use in palaces and palaces of kings.
Dimensions of handwoven carpets
- Generally, all carpets that are more than six meters in size are named as carpets. Sizes less than 4 square meters are also called carpets (small carpets). Small and large carpets are woven in the dimensions of 2x3, 2x5.3, 3x4, 6x5.4, or similar dimensions. It seems necessary to mention that in carpet weaving, the difference between the length and width of the carpet is usually considered to be one meter.
Unusual dimensions in handwoven carpets
In addition to the conventional and common dimensions of Iranian carpets that were mentioned earlier, sometimes, especially in old carpets, we come across dimensions that are unconventional and even some of them seem unusual. In such cases, there is an almost certain possibility that the mentioned carpets were woven for use in specific places. In the following, we will explain some of these less common dimensions in handwoven carpets.
Polygonal and circular carpets
In some examples of handwoven carpets, polygonal carpets with unequal dimensions are sometimes observed, so that even the pattern of the carpet is only used for the same dimensions and is suitable for the shape of the particular carpet. It is clear that such carpets are designed and woven only for use in a specific place. Also, in recent years, the texture of circular carpets with different dimensions as well as square carpets with dimensions of 2 x 2, 3 x 3 or 3.5 x 3.5 meters have been very popular and ordered by foreign buyers of Iranian carpets. The texture of square carpets is generally reported from areas such as Kerman, Birjand, Tabriz, Shiraz, Bakhtiari and Nain. Circular and oval carpets are usually produced in the cities of Isfahan, Tabriz and Qom.
Royal carpets
In addition to the above, among the woven carpets, there are sometimes very large carpets with sizes of 20, 30, 40 meters or even larger, whose weaving has been common for the past two hundred years. These dimensions of large carpets are generally used to decorate palaces and government courts or religious places. Even in historical documents and reports, you can see carpets with larger dimensions such as 1000 square meters for Iranian carpets. As an example of such large-sized and special carpets, we can mention the famous and precious "Baharistan" carpet from the Sassanid period, which is one of the largest woven carpets in Iran and belongs to 1400 years ago, according to historical reports. Also, among the exquisite and large-sized hand-woven carpets that have been woven in recent years, we can mention a beautiful carpet with an area of 730 square meters (20.7 x 35 meters) and after four years of continuous work and effort by fifty-two skilled weavers The opinion and supervision of Professor Reza Zayandeh has been completed. The design of this exquisite carpet was done by master Akbar Zarin Naqsh, and its pattern includes a hunting scene among dark blue flowers and bat motifs on a beige background, and its large bergamot background pattern was inspired by the pattern of the interior of the Sheikh Lotfollah Dome of Isfahan. Is. In mentioning the value and beauty of this carpet, it is enough to mention that 1500 kg of pure silk was used to weave the prominent flowers of this very exquisite carpet.
The weaving of the world's largest carpet in Iran
In the group of special and exquisite Iranian carpets, which are not few in number, we should mention a very large carpet with an area of 5627 square meters, which can actually be considered the largest hand-woven carpet in the world. This magnificent and unique carpet is currently used to decorate the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in the United Arab Emirates and in the city of Abu Dhabi. The texture of this work of art, which is decorated with a floral design on green color and middle bergamot, was made by 1200 skilled weavers, and about 47 tons of raw materials in the form of 35 tons of wool and 12 tons of cotton were used in its texture.
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