The Rich History Behind Handmade Turkish Rugs

 

 

Artisans of yesterday and today weave together culture and craftsmanship in functional art

Think of all the ways we use rugs in our homes. They make a design statement by adding personality to a room. We use them to divide spaces into zones, to unify other elements in the room through shared colors, and to add visual interest. Rugs also serve a utilitarian purpose by dampening sound, catching dirt and debris at the door, and protecting floors. They have always been a combination of art and practicality, beginning thousands of years ago when nomadic Turkic tribes first began weaving rugs to use as insulation on the walls of their tents. By the 11th century, weavers brought their knowledge and traditions to the Anatolia region, which is the Asian part of modern-day Turkey. By the 15th century, European noblemen began buying these finely woven rugs for their homes. Since an ancient trade route passed through Anatolia, it became easy for other cultures to discover the beauty of Turkish rug-making. 

From these humble beginnings, Turkish rugs have gained a well-deserved reputation for high-quality craftsmanship. Age-old weaving techniques, learned over generations by female master weavers, continue today in Turkey’s modern companies, such as Hadosan Carpet in the Cappadocia region of the country. It’s an industry dominated by women who begin their weaving careers as young as eight years old, perfecting them over their lifetimes. “It takes a long time for them to learn the process and work quickly at it, deftly weaving the double knots, known as the Ghiordes knot, that identifies fine, handwoven Turkish rugs,” says The Wren’s founder, Lori Bate, who recently traveled to Turkey’s Cappadocia region to visit Hadosan Carpet and watch the women weavers design rugs on their looms. “Men traditionally don’t learn the craft because they don’t stay in the house [where the women weave] and their fingers aren’t delicate enough. The women spend so much time perfecting their art that they usually only each learn two or three patterns in a lifetime.”

Over the years, weavers have designed several patterns and motifs and used them repeatedly in their carpets. The patterns often hail from certain regions in the country and thus are used to identify an antique rug’s ancestry. Patterns can be geometric, such as hexagons and squares, or naturalistic, including flowers and leaves. Motifs woven into the rugs are symbolic, with deep cultural meaning and sometimes personal meaning for the individual weaver. For example, an octagonal medallion motif on Oushak rugs symbolizes eternity. The tree of life is inspired by nature and represents the interconnectivity of all living things. The eye motif is thought to ward off harm, while woven animal horns signify power. Colors, historically created by using plants to dye yarns, also carries special meaning.

Today, the tradition continues with companies such as Hadosan Carpet, whose weavers create rugs using wool, silk and cotton threads. Women spend time learning and mastering the craft, just as their ancestors did hundreds of years before them. And while rugmakers have modernized parts of the process and expanded the color palette by introducing chemical dyes, it is still an artistic endeavor that has great cultural and historical significance. From small, flat-woven kilim rugs to larger, lushly knotted hali rugs perfect for heavy foot traffic, the beauty of all rug varieties are in their colors, patterns, and Old World handmade quality.

“We celebrate the women who dedicate their lives to learning and blessing us with the beauty of artistically hand-knotted Turkish rugs,” says Bate. “We want to connect these authentic sources of fine rugs with The Wren’s customers, so homeowners can add a functional piece of art to their homes that will be a legacy to pass down to future generations.”