A Mystical Art Form
Rug Appreciation
For the curious old souls out there that are forever craving to expand the horizons of their knowledge, capacity, and appreciation - one MUST look into the source of this art-form before truly having the ability to unlock the appreciation it deserves...
Do you see this picture? Believe it or not, this is a rug. It is woven from pure lamb wool from the sheep's stomach and neck, where it wasn't exposed to the sun, resulting in softer wool. This piece even has subtle silk highlights from the Caspian Sea in her ring. This rug was woven in one of the best rug-weaving cities the world has ever known, Tabriz, and the reason I acquired this piece for my personal collection is two-fold:
- First, it reminds me of my great-grandmother - she looks almost exactly like her. I met her a couple times when I was younger but there is a picture that I have of her that reminds me of this woman in this rug.
- Second, it is a reminder of what the faces of the nameless artisans who weave these pieces look like. It is a constant reminder of what grit, determination, dedication, and humility look like.
A Woman's Art
It cannot be overstated how this incredible Art-form was truly mastered by women first. I'm not saying the first rug ever woven 2500+ years ago was by a woman, but what I am saying is that back in the day, when these rugs were truly at their apex, it was the woman who did most of the work to create these masterpieces. In their villages, they would shear the wool from the sheep, followed by sorting and carting the wool, washing the wool, spinning the wool and getting ready to dye them, which was an art on it's own. First they'd gather the flowers, roots, spices, minerals - put them in a vat that sat above a small fire they made from gathered wood from around the environment - then they would dye the yarns at specific lengths and use techniques that were both universal, but certainly some trade secrets from the family. These dyes and which combo of flora created what hue, and how long to keep in the vat in combination with exactly where and how to dry them under the sun, somtimes rotating the batches to get different stridations of light and dark hues in the wool - these are all akin to the way Italian grandmothers eye-balled secret family tradiditons of their sauces teaching one generation and passing these proud family secrets as heirlooms, as they were. Then, it was time to weave, but only after building the loom with larger and stronger wooden pieces, and off they went. One small knot at a time, often side-by-side with their daughter, sister, friend, neighbor, cousin - all while watching the other children and tending to the space itself. I mean, come on - how incredible. Only the Feminine Divine Energy could contain the patience, power, creativity, and determination to create these masterpieces. Later, of course graceful and talented men started weaving rugs as well and brought a unique gift only they could bring to this Art Form - but there's just something about a woman's artistic story-filled heart that comes through so beautifully in their nomadic and tribal rugs.