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By H. Kramer, W.E.*
A city carpet's production is all about
control. Control is best achieved in a factory. The whole process of
production, though still done by hand, can be broken down into specialized
tasks. There are specialists in sorting, spinning, dyeing, and
design. There are specialists in building looms, and painting in the
colors of weaving patterns. There are also specialists in shaving, washing
and repairing. Every task is supervised. As in any factory production or assembly line, the
boss has ultimate control over every aspect of production.
In addition, for city carpets, many of the
processes done by hand in tribal or village productions are mechanized: i.e. sorting, spinning, dyeing, etc. Designs,
however, are produced
by trained designers and are hand painted onto paper or cardboard, knot by knot. Looms are made
of uniform materials- wood or pipe, with a mechanism which uniformly controls
the tension while weaving.
The result is a very fine quality of spun wool,
controlled colors in dye lots, and finely tied knots. Nothing is left to
chance. All aspects which can be controlled are controlled.
Everything is preplanned and well executed, like a well oiled machine. The
only thing human about it are the hands used in dyeing or the hands which tie
the knots. Anything that can be plotted on small squares of graph paper, can be
woven. Curves and floral patterns are achievable because of the fineness
of the weave. Therefore, the designs are intricate, awe-inspiring, and
close to perfect.
Because of the need for precision and
fineness, city carpets are often woven of the finest quality wool. Silk
and cotton are most often used for the warp because these allow for finer knots
to be tied.
City carpets are considered by many to be THE
best. Indeed, they are grand
achievements of color and design. They do have a tendency to take one's
breath away.
In recent years, more weavers have begun to
weave city carpets at home. With modern amenities, the patterns and good
looms are readily available, and city designs and finer weaves often pay better
wages. More and more, only the larger commissioned carpets, for palaces,
etc., are woven in workshops.
*W.E.- Weaver Extraordinaire
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