Sirjan Handwoven Carpet

Sirjan rug and its features

In the past centuries, the method of carpet weaving was common among the tribes and nomads of Kerman province, especially in the Afshar tribe in the Sirjan region, and it was used to weave tablecloths and salt shakers. But for several decades, there have been changes in the way of weaving in this region; In this way, the woven screw is used on the entire surface of the rug and it is known as "Shiriki screw rug". After it emerged as an independent weaving method, the twist weaving method was combined with carpet weaving and a type of Shiriki Pich rug named "Glim-Gali" was formed, and the rugs that were only in the form of twist weave became known as "Needled rugs". . The Sirjan carpet, which is a unique hand-woven and specific to the same region and has its own characteristics, has a very high reputation in terms of beauty in color and pattern as well as weaving technique; So that it is one of the few traditional arts of Iran that has been registered globally. In this article, we would like to introduce the design and pattern, material, weaving technique, and in general the characteristics of this original and beautiful handwoven.

Introduction of Sirjan carpet and its historical background

"Pichwoven rug" appeared in the Kerman region at the beginning of the Safavid period, about five centuries ago, at the same time as the state and the immigrant tribes, the most important of which is the Afshar tribe. In the past, the method of carpet weaving was often used to weave and decorate tablecloths (a hand-woven rug and known as a flour table) and salt shakers (in the form of small bags for storing salt and spices) along with small motifs in the weaving nomadic areas of Kerman province such as Sirjan, Jiroft , Baft, Shahrbabak and Bardsir have been used. With the passage of time and in the past decades, the way of weaving Pich Baf was produced as an independent hand-woven under the name "Shiriki Pich Rug" in two types of "Needled Rug" and "Carpet-Carpet" in the areas of Sirjan, Baft and Erzuye and then Jiroft.  
In fact, the method of production of "Glim Pich Baf" in different regions of Kerman province is very similar to each other due to the historical and ethnic commonality, and minor differences can be seen in the products produced. The Sirjan rug is a semi-embossed hand-woven rug, often with the use of underlay, which is woven mentally based on ethnic and Ili traditions in Kerman and especially Sirjan. In fact, when weaving a rug-carpet, the weaver artist mentally engraves the patterns he has learned from the past on the rug text without using any pre-drawn map.  
Shirki Pich or Sirjan rug-carpet is one of the most exquisite, beautiful and high-quality rugs and carpets in Iran, which is produced in the Kerman weaving region in addition to Sirjan. One of the unique features of this type of rug is that in this type of texture, the weft does not create a pattern and its use is only to connect the yarns and threads together. The Sirjan rug is very similar to a carpet in terms of its texture. The only difference is that it does not have piles like a carpet and has preserved the beauty and originality of the carpet well.

Sirjan carpet material

Afshar, Bachaghchi and Shul clans settled in the Kerman region, especially Sirjan and Baft, in the past centuries due to the favorable conditions for animal husbandry in Kerman province. Nomadic women spun wool, which was their main product, using tools called "spindle" and "spindle" for optimal use of the family's capital, and used it in the weaving of their rugs and carpets. In fact, the Shiriki Beech rug is hand-woven with all wool. All the parts of Sirjan's "Carpet-Carpet" from the warp and weft to the pile and the yarn (the thread used in the weaving of the carpet is called the yarn), are made of wool, but in the needle-woven carpet, fluff is usually used. Of course, fluff here means fine sheep wool, which is obtained from parts of the animal such as under the neck and armpits, and is softer than wool.

How to prepare fibers

In the Sirjan region, all the steps of spinning and dyeing of fibers were done by hand and simple hand tools such as spindle and spinning wheel. But currently, the weavers of Sirjan procure a significant part of the fibers they need in the weaving of rugs and carpets from Mashhad, Kashan and Isfahan spinning factories. For the texture of "needle rugs" due to their elegance, fine wools imported from countries such as New Zealand, Uruguay and Australia, including Merino wool, are often used; However, the woolen thread used in "Glim-carpets" which are thicker and coarser than the "needle rug" are made with native Iranian wool, and if they are as fine as the needle rug, fine foreign wools are also used in their texture. . In fact, the indicator of the use of imported wool is the degree of elegance of the rug, and foreign wool is used in delicate rugs, both "Needled Carpet" and "Carpet-Glim". In "Glim-Carpet" weave, despite the fact that two types of weave are used, i.e. twist weaving and carpet weaving, the fibers of the carpet weaving part and the carpet weaving part are the same and are woven with the same type of wool. It should be noted that the wool of Kerman region is also excellent and high quality for carpet weaving.

Weaving tools in Sirjan rug-carpet

The looms for carpets in Sirjan were horizontal in the past. This type of dar with a very old age is still common in some areas of carpet weaving that are engaged in nomadic and nomadic life. The reason for the use of the earthen tent by the nomads is its portability and the fact that it can be easily collected and easily spread in another place. But today, a small percentage of rug-carpet weaving looms in Sirjan are vertical. The experience of carpet manufacturers has shown that the Persian revolving loom, which is common in Kerman carpet weaving, is not suitable for carpet weaving. Therefore, the dars of Shiriki Bich weave are in the form of "fixed Persian revolving dar". A comb for beating the fabric, knife and scissors are other weaving tools in Sirjan region.

Rajshmar in Galim- Farsh Sirjan

The Rajshmar of Sirjan carpet-carpet is not as diverse as the carpet, and it is often the case that it is about 62 knots per 10 cm for the needle-woven carpet and the fine carpet, and about 52 knots per 10 cm for the coarser carpet-carpets. In Sirjan rugs-carpets, the weaver does simple weaving at the beginning and end of the weave, about 5 to 8 cm, using a thick weft and in the Persian weaving style.

Common sizes in Sirjan rug-carpet

Shiriki Beech carpet is woven in various sizes from the smallest size of 10 x 10 cm to the largest size, which usually reaches 4 x 6 meters. The most common sizes in this handloom include the following:  
- Cooking handle in dimensions of 10x10 and 15x15 cm  
- Telephone under the size of 20x20 to 50x50 cm  
- Places for paper towels, handbags and wallets in various sizes  
- Vault in dimensions of approximately 30x90 to 30x180 cm, which is used to decorate surfaces with a small width.  
- Tables and tablecloths in the dimensions of 90x90 to 175x175 cm, the texture of these dimensions is less common.  
- Side with a width of 75 cm and a length of 2 to 6 meters.  
- Common sizes that are woven from padri in dimensions of approximately 60x90 to large rugs in dimensions of approximately 4x6 and 6x8 meters. Currently, the texture of this group of Sirjan carpets is more popular and used.

Weaving technique in Sirjan rug-carpet

The combination of twist weaving with carpet weaving is a development that Sirjan's twist weaving rug has experienced in the past decades in terms of weaving method. Sirjan rug-carpet or rug-carpet is woven using the "half-loop" method. In this weaving technique, some borders and flowers are woven on the carpet like a carpet with Persian knots and then finished. In fact, the lifetime of the carpet-carpet weave and the combination of carpet weaving and carpet weaving in Sirjan is not more than two decades. But the weavers of Sirjani artist during these twenty years have offered a different hand-woven that has found a special place in the domestic and foreign markets of Iranian carpets. It should be noted that the majority share in "carpet-carpet" belongs to screw weaving and a limited area of carpet is always allocated to carpet weaving or carpet cutting.

The density and quality of weaving in the Sirjan rug-carpet

The texture density is high in Sirjan rug-carpet. So when you hold this handwoven rug , you will notice that it weighs almost the same as a handwoven rug . Shiriki Pich Sirjan is the only rug in the world that is woven symmetrically and knotted. Unlike other rugs and jajims, needle and screw rugs are not double-sided, so they are mostly used as underlays, tablecloths, and rugs. While double-sided rugs often have a lighter texture and can be used as a bedspread or a bag, etc.

Color in the carpet - Sirjan carpet

The colors in the traditional Shiraki Pich rug are usually dark and baked colors. But in the samples of new texture, it is sometimes seen that in order to be liked in the market and sell more, more diverse colors are used in its texture. For dyeing the fibers used in the texture of this type of carpet, natural dyes are used and chemicals are rarely used. Some of these traditional dyes are as follows:  
- Lacquered red color is usually obtained from plants such as runas, poppy, cherry and even red seed.  
- Indigo pigments and eggplant skin are used to dye the fibers blue.  
Yellow color is usually obtained from coloring plants such as saffron, turmeric and pomegranate peel.  
-    To obtain the orange color, the fibers dyed with the Ronas pigment are put in a dye bath containing a decoction of pomegranate peel, until it turns orange.  
- Dark green fibers are obtained using natural dyes such as walnut leaves, yellow + indigo.  
- Brown color is obtained by boiling plants such as tobacco, walnut skin and leaves.  
- Black color is also extracted from the pigment in walnut skin.

Patterns of the Sirjan carpet

In addition to the strength of this type of carpet, twist weaving in the method of weaving Shiriki rugs also creates features similar to carpets for the weaver in patterning; Because in Shiriki Pich, unlike simple rugs, the weft is not the factor that creates the pattern, but it is the yarns of the rug that create the pattern by twisting around the threads with different colors. Alastair Hall, the author of the book "Rugs of Iran", believes that twist weaving enables the weaver to weave interesting textures and creative patterns that cannot be seen in other rugs. In fact, each turn in the rug-carpet is like a house in the rug map, with the difference that complex patterns can be executed in the turn rug like a carpet.  
Therefore, unlike the common form of rugs, which are always woven geometrically due to the texture and structure, in rugs with twist texture, including the beautiful Shiriki Pich of Sirjan, in addition to delicate geometric motifs, rotating and curved motifs can be used, such as Weaved the flowers as well. The motifs in this type of weaving are usually symmetrical; But in some cases, patterns are observed in an asymmetrical, but balanced and harmonious way. The motif of Bete Jaqeh with two round flowers woven in a spiral pattern is one of the most common and famous motifs found in Shiriki Pich Sirjan.  
The fringes of the Sirjan rug are often woven in a chain pattern, which includes a repeating geometric shape that is located between two parallel lines. This type of motifs are also called wheel borders. Among the motifs of the text part of the carpet rug, motifs such as Kashmiri, Musa Khani, Samavari, Kara, Abbasi tulip, Kermani flower, pair of Hashmati flowers, pot and tree are more famous and useful than other motifs.  
It should be mentioned that most of the available Shiriki Beech rugs have a striped pattern or similar to Muharram. In such a way that they have vertical or horizontal rows and in each row, there are small traditional motifs.

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