Carpets for comfort

In Malta, mainly because of the excessive heat of the long summer months, most houses boast carpets that are rugs and can be removed and cleaned and stored during the summer.

To trace the history of the Persian carpet is to follow a path of cultural growth of one of the greatest civilisations the world has ever known- Sonja Kralj

As winter approaches, out come the carpets to create a cosy atmosphere and to counteract the colder weather. Most people are very keen to own Persian carpets and, although they are very costly, they certainly add a touch of class and luxury to the home.

Persian carpets go back a long way, as far back as 2,500 years. The Iranians were among the first carpet weavers of the ancient civilisations and, through centuries of creativity and ingenuity, building upon the talents of the past, they achieved a unique degree of excellence.

Iranians feel that their carpets are an exquisite form of expression and the best specimens available today rank among the highest level of art. In fact, an Iranian’s home is bare and soulless without its treasured carpets and this is a reflection on the deep-rooted bond between the people and their national art.

To trace the history of the Persian carpet is to follow a path of cultural growth of one of the greatest civilisations the world has ever known. From being simply articles of need, as pure and simple floor entrance coverings to protect the nomadic tribesmen from the cold and damp, the increasing beauty of the carpets found them new owners – kings and noblemen, those who looked for signs of wealth or adornment for fine buildings.

The element of luxury with which the Persian carpet is associated today provides a marked contrast with its humble beginning among the nomadic tribes that at one time wandered the great expanse of Persia in search of their livelihood.

In its early days, the size of the Persian carpet was often small, dependent upon the size of the tents in which tribesmen lived.

Besides being an article of furniture, the carpet was also a form of writing for the illiterate tribesmen, setting down their fortunes and setbacks, their aspirations and joys in the patterns of their carpets. The carpet also came to be used as a prayer mat by thousands of Muslim believers.

Thus began a process of people handing down their skills to their children, who, in turn, made improvements and handed down the closely guarded family secrets to their offspring.

Many people in Iran have invested their whole wealth in Persian carpets and there are underground storage areas in Tehran’s bazaars that are full of fine specimens, kept as investments by shrewd businessmen.

For many centuries, the Persian carpet has received international acclaim for its artistic splendour. In palaces, famous buildings, rich homes and museums throughout the world, a Persian carpet is among the most treasured possessions. In fact, today, Iran produces more carpets than all other carpet-making centres of the world put together.

To make a carpet in those days required tremendous perseverance. Even when carpet making developed to the stage of workshops, with several employees working on the same carpet, it was a question of months and often years of painstaking work.

Although cotton came to be used for the warp and weft of the carpet, the herds of sheep that surrounded the tribes provided the basic material, wool. The cold mountain climate provided an added advantage in that the wool was finer and had longer fibres than wool from sheep in warmer climates.

It is therefore easy to understand why the finished article is so very expensive, if it is the genuine Persian carpet.

Of course, there is a variety of carpets to choose from, not merely Persian; there is Turkish, Pakistani, oriental and European. The rugs that adorn the homes of people in hot countries are insufficient to provide the necessary warmth and protection. In England, for instance, almost all homes have carpets which cover an entire room area and are loosely referred to as ‘wall to wall’ carpeting.

The carpet is commonly made in widths of 4.6 metres in the US and four and five metres in Europe. Where necessary, different widths can be seamed together with a seaming iron and seam tape (formerly it was sewn together) and it is affixed to a floor over a cushioned underlay using nails, tack strips (known in the UK asgripper rods), adhesives, or occasionally decorative metal stair rods, thus distinguishing it from rugs or mats which are loose-laid floor coverings.