Arak Rug Art of Powerful Hands

Arak Rug Art of Powerful Hands

Arak province has a long history in carpet weaving. According to historical evidence and local situation of this province, carpet weaving in certain parts, like Sarough, Farahan, Saraband and Moradabad dates back to ancient times. According to Caroun website, after the Sassanid era, the carpet weaving was neglected for many centuries. Due to such negligence and also because of continuous wars in central regions of Iran, no authentic information on establishment of big workshops and important carpets is available.
In the middle of Nassereddin Shah’s reign, Arak rugs had a perceptible presence, so rugs of this region were known all over the world.
As Arak is near Qom, Kashan, Isfahan and Hamedan, designers and weavers of Kashan, Kerman and Isfahan have directly taken part in reviving Arak carpet weaving some native patterns of those regions can be seen in Arak rugs.
In 1875 (during Nassereddin Shah’s era) for the first time, Tabriz businessmen exported products from Arak and its counties.
Historical references show that people of Arak were experts in preparing dyes, dyeing and weaving carpets until the beginning of the 20th century. In Europe, fine rugs of Iran are known as ’Sarough’ (after a region in Arak).
Particularities and Materials
Arak rug is coarse and well-known for its native-regional characteristics and based on the use of wool, dye, plain and mostly rustic designs. It is noteworthy that coarse rug is thick with long and resistance piles that make it suitable for elasticity. Such quality of Arak rug makes it suitable for cold and mountainous regions of Markazi province.
The basic characteristics of Arak rug are that it uses native wool, hand-spun yarns, local dyes and traditional dyeing methods.
Ancient rugs of Moshkabad (in Markazi province), are well-known for their durability all over the world. It goes without saying that the fame of Arak rug is attributed to dyeing methods and making use from basic designs. However, the most important characteristic of Arak rug is related to making use from long and elastic wool. Such quality is seen in quality rugs of Sarough type (Farahan region).
Wool used in these rugs is mostly fine Iranian wool with long, thick and special crimp which is spun by hand or by common spinning wheel.
Such kinds of wool have been supplied from Sabzevar, Boroujerd, Chaharmahal-Bakhtiari, Hamedan and Kermanshah regions which have the best quality rugs.
Arak rugs are categorized in three groups: Mahal, Moshkabad and Sarough, which are all influenced by a rug named “Sarough“.
There are many different reasons for the high quality of Arak rugs, including numerous native sheep. This wool has all specifications which are required for carpet, like long crimp, thickness and fine elasticity, as well as softness.
Dye and Color
While using colorful dyes in rugs has a positive impact, it must be mentioned which Arak rugs had become well-known for its colors.
Most ancient rugs of Sarough with its famous milky color, Farahan rugs with splendid blue color and Moshkabad rugs with its famous wool have been exported to world markets and now are found in museums and private collections.
Traditional natural and herbal dyes are mostly used in Arak. Cochineal, a colorful insect, which is used as a dye, or azure, which is extracted from cobalt or mine stones.
All of these colors, Farahan’s blue, Moshkabad’s azure or Sarough’s milky-red, are well-known in this region. Green and yellowish cream colors obtained from rich compounds of herbs and walnut shell, vine leaf, pomegranate shell dyes, each has a valuable share in dyeing. Fame of well-known ’Sarough Rug’, like other ancient rugs of this region, is attributed to the use of traditional herbal dyes.

Weaving
If top marks are given to design, dye and use of basic materials in quality and desirability of ancient rugs, the next important parameter will be correct and adequate weaving to preserve reasonable standards of size and knots.

Designs and Images
Apparently, fame of traditional herbal dyeing has been the main reason behind attractiveness of Arak rugs. It would be na•ve to relate weaving of the past to limited dyes (though of best quality). Most attractiveness and fame of ancient Farahan region and Sarough, even Arak rugs is found in local characteristics, as well as design patterns and pictures of such rugs.
In the era of Fathali Shah until the end of Nasseredin Shah’s rule, existing rugs had complete regional and local identity. Those known as ancient Farahan and Moshkabad rugs are not related to today’s Arak rugs which have monotonous and conventional images.
Certain traditional images, like fish, paisley, corner-medallion and a pattern belonging to Shalle weaving “Almond“, which come from Kerman or Kashan, on relatively coarse rugs--and also existence of some special images in ancient rugs of Khamseh, Saraband, Lilian, Sarough and Moshkabad--signifies that in the central Iran and near an area called Arak today carpet weaving has been very popular.

The tribal people of Dasht-e Moghan

The tribal people
of Dasht-e Moghan,
Ardebil province
celebrate during a spring festival.(Photo by Kamel Rohi)

Iranian Carpet Weaving Townships Planned

Carpet Weaving Townships Planned

Deputy head of Iran National Carpet Center gave word of the plan for establishing carpet weaving townships nationwide.
Speaking to IRNA, Mohammad Reza Abed added the first township will be established in Tehran as a role model for other townships to be established throughout Iran.
“Townships will be established in industrial cities, in which carpet weaving is not commonplace the way it is in rural areas,“ Abed pointed out.
He also said that INCC is ready to launch carpet stock market.
“Private sector is currently pursuing the issue of establishing carpet stock market in Kish island,“ Abed noted.
He pointed out that there are currently 1.2 million carpet weavers in the country.

Baluch Cultural Festival Held

Baluch Cultural Festival Held

On the occasion of the World Museum Day and the Cultural Heritage Week, Cultural Festival of Baluch Women was held in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan on May 18-19.
Secretary of the festival, Shahin Borhanzehi said: “The flow of information and exchange of viewpoints among Baluch women are aimed at increasing women’s participation in cultural, artistic and social field and finding out the challenges faced by Baluch women during the two-day event,“ reported Press TV.
Cosponsored by Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization’s Research Center of Anthropology, Youth Organization of Farmer’s House, and Sistan-Baluchestan governor’s office, the festival pursues promotion of knowledge of Baluch women, creating more jobs for them and studying women’s status in Islam.

Rugs as language, two groups with a Kurdish Accent.

Rugs as language, two groups with a Kurdish Accent.
Over the years I have assembled a theory that weaving is a form of language. That closely related languages will share similarities in diction and grammar and that rug weaving groups follow the same pattern with weave and structure which is the diction and grammar of this non-verbal aspect of language. Two closely related groups are the Sanandaji (Sine'i, Sina'i, Sineyi) and the Garrusi (Bijari). I pulled a few examples that show enough detail that someone might see what I am saying. Why do they use eccentric wefts? It is because that is their language. See Bijar Shahsavan kilim, circa 1900, Senneh_kilim_late_19thC and Senneh Rugs: Senneh Kelim with close-up of weave.

Folklorist Henry Glassie retires

	Glassie: ‘Look at the overlooked’

Ryan Dorgan • IDS" src="http://www.idsnews.com/news/images/photoholder/P_8683.jpeg" style="border: 1px solid black; width: 150px;"> Professor of Folklore Henry Glassie stands outside Bear's Place Monday afternoon. Glassie will be retiring this year after serving IU for nearly three decades. Ryan Dorgan • IDS

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After more than 40 years of teaching folklore and showing more than 100 doctoral students what he learned in his studies, IU professor Henry Glassie is retiring.

Although the 67-year-old professor will no longer be teaching, his brown eyes still light up with excitement when he explains what he learned during his travels to more than 12 countries while observing everyday people.

“All (countries) offer the same thing,” he said. “I want to make people more aware of how big the world is.”

Glassie was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in Virginia. Listening to his grandmother tell stories about her past and watching his grandfather’s carpentry work fascinated Glassie at an early age.

“I was thrilled with what (my grandfather) could make,” he said. “It’s interesting to think about how people can turn plants into food and mud into pottery.”

Determined to learn how other people from around the country and the world shaped their environments, Glassie received his Ph.D. in folklore from the University of Pennsylvania. He taught at IU from 1967 to 1976. He then continued his teachings at the University of Pennsylvania until 1988, after which he returned to IU, where he stayed ever since.

“IU has the best folklore department in the U.S.,” Glassie said. “It does a good job at bringing the world to IU.”

Glassie’s recent struggle with kidney failure earlier in the school year caused him to make the decision to retire. Glassie said he never went to a hospital until he experienced serious pain. Glassie’s wife, Pravina Shukla, also an IU folklore professor, recalled the horror of seeing her husband undergo the experience.

“It was the worst day of my life,” she said.

IU journalism professor Michael Evans is one of Glassie’s friends and former students. Evans recalled being concerned about Glassie’s condition but knew he would be OK in the end.

“We were quite concerned for him, but we also knew he was quite strong,” he said.

Glassie is now in stable condition, but after losing the time he could have spent traveling, he made the decision to retire from teaching in order to continue to travel and write. Glassie said if the kidney failure hadn’t happened, he would have continued to teach.

“Some of my students are already retired,” Glassie said with a chuckle.

Because Glassie never learned to type, he wrote out all of his works longhand, even a 1,000-page book, Shukla said. His devotion to his work was one characteristic that attracted her to Glassie when the couple first met in 2000 while they both taught folklore at IU.

“I owe the fact that I am a folklorist to Henry,” she said. “We’ve gone around the world together with a similar eye. Our ideas are compatible.”

Along with being a lovable husband, Evans said Glassie is very devoted to everyone around him.

“Henry is the single most important influence in my life,” he said. “I love him dearly.”

With only pens and paper, Glassie has written more than 20 books on the art, culture and architecture of many countries. He has won countless awards in his writings on Ireland, Bangladesh and Turkey. He won the Award for Superior Service by the Turkish Ministry for his book, “Turkish Traditional Art Today.”

Glassie recalls experiencing nothing but hospitality and kindness in Turkey and “amazing richness” in the culture. He was determined to break the negative stereotypes that are sometimes associated with the highly populated

Muslim country.

“Muslims were the enemy, according to the (U.S.) government,” Glassie said. “I wanted others to understand how Muslims really are.”

Glassie also broke negative stereotypes associated with Bangladesh in his book “Art and Life in Bangladesh.” The book won the Certificate of Honor from the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Bangladesh.

Glassie recalls feeling anger when former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger called the country a “bottomless basket” in the 1970s. Glassie said he encountered lovable and happy people in Bangladesh, which makes the country wealthy in his point of view.

“What some people call ‘poor’ is rich in my mind,”

he said.

In all of his travels, Glassie discovered that countries he traveled to were not so different from one another, yet each country shaped its own uniqueness.

“People who are alike transform something to make it theirs,” he said.

Another thing that makes countries similar and different is the experiences from colonialism, Glassie said, as he noted similarities between Ireland and Bangladesh. Glassie said colonialism has a terrible history that still haunts countries today, and he dismisses all claims he said some make about the benefits of it.

“You don’t need railroads,” he said. “You need self-esteem.”

Glassie was determined to teach all of his students to be compassionate in their studies and to have the same love for different cultures as he has.

“I want my international students to know how important their own cultures are and not to be intimidated by the U.S.,” he said. “I hope my U.S. students bring back important info that the world needs.”

Glassie and Shukla plan to spend time in Nigeria, studying a famous modern painter and prince named Twins Seven-Seven. Although Glassie will no longer teach, he hopes he can learn more and write more books.

“It’s important to look at the overlooked,” he said, “look for what was left out of

the records.”

Kapildev Sewdial at Zollanvari SA Johannesburg Branch.

Zollanvari SA

Kapildev Sewdial has been appointed salesman at Zollanvari SA Johannesburg Branch.