Firstly the wool is carded, washed and spun. In the villages of Anatoli in central Turkey and, women can often be seen in the street, spinning the hand woven rug fabric. The particular characteristics of the wool sheared from local sheep is often a subtle feature of the rug in terms of its texture and feel and nomadic carpets are often woven from wool taken from sheep bred by the weavers themselves. Whilst the vast majority of rugs are made from wool, certain more expensive pieces are woven from fine silk.
When a hand woven rug and removed from the loom, it has a somewhat raw and crude appearance. In order to give it a good sheen, it needs to be washed. This also removes loose hairs, settles the lie of the pile and helps give the rugs its natural lustre. Furthermore, it removes excess dye and assists in defining the appearance of the design. Washing demands a lot of experience and technique and is a vital part of the process in achieving a quality result that will do credit to the care and craftsmanship employed in the manufacture of an oriental rug.
Contact Oriental Rugs of Bath today or visit our shop for more information on the hand woven rugs we have for sale.
Labels: Afgan rugs, afghan rugs, hand woven rugs
