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Ignoring rural-produced handicrafts in development plans means an
apparent negligence of the economic, cultural and social potentials and capabilities of a
nation.
Over half of the Iranian
population, directly or indirectly, cash in on the revenues of handicraft sales.
The oldest kilim found in Iran
dates back to the Arsacide era.
Yarns used in weaving kilim
should be of 100 percent pure, washed silk.
Permanence of colour,
condensation of woofs, and weightlessness are aspects defining the quality of a kilim.
Although India, China, Pakistan
and Japan have a long record of crafting inlay, their products are not as beautiful and
fine as that of Iran.
Iranian inlay artists
predominantly utilize domestically produced wooden strips and rarely use foreign-made
products.
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Outline
Art is a fine industry which can be relied upon as a major pillar of the
country's macroeconomic development.
In order to ascertain the appropriate position of handicrafts in the society, one needs to
understand the unique characteristics of the handicrafts industry, such as, the potential
scope of employment, scant investments, high added value, and close proximity with the
Iranian lifestyle.
Generally speaking, the recipe to any country's development lies in the sum total of its
unique conditions. Therefore, excluding the rural industries from the development plans
translates into actual ignorance of the vast social, economic and cultural potentials and
capabilities of a nation.
Development never takes place accidentally, or happens to bear fruits provisionally. One
cannot overlook the handicrafts and rural industries on the account that they employ old
and out-dated technology. The handicrafts industry is home to a work force of several
million, producing hundreds of types of artistic pieces.
Along with their artistic and cultural value, handicrafts are a major source of income for
Third World nations, because several thousand rural communities and families eke out their
living by producing handicrafts.
There are presently nine million Iranians, either on a full- or part-time basis, involved
in the production of handicrafts and other rural industries.
The part-time workers chiefly consist of farmers and rural residents. As a matter of fact,
the seasonal nature of agricultural activities impels the farmers into getting involved in
part-time jobs.
Half of the Iranian population by average draw, directly or indirectly, some kind of an
income from handicraft sales.
From an optimistic point of view, such professions will prevent the villagers from
immigrating to the metropolitan areas.
One of the unique features of the handicrafts industry is that all its needed material is
produced inside the country. According to experts, over 80 percent of the raw materials
and equipment sought by manual craftsmen are supplied from domestic producers.
The amount of investments needed by this sector is virtually dwarfed by that of the
machine-made products.
Compared to other industrial sections, education is readily available in this sector.
Handicraft techniques are primarily and directly transferred from the master to the
apprentice.
Handicraft items are more practical than ornamental. Because, our ancestors created
handicrafts to fill a gap in their daily life, they can still be applicable to present
settings. Indeed, we can replace machine-made products used in our daily life with their
handicraft counterparts.
Handicrafts, according to experts, possess an outstanding artistic and cultural value,
which is virtually the key to its attraction and long life span. So, it is necessary to
investment in promote, and expand handicrafts, which are an epitome of our nation's
ancient history, culture and civilization.
The handicrafts artist incorporates his personal experiences to his knowledge, passed on
from one generation to the next, so as to enrich future generations. Concurrent with this
trend, high-tech equipment and facilities should be introduced in the different branches
of handicrafts industry to raise their quality, and make their prices competitive.
Thus, the continued production of handicrafts, as a key economic output, depends on the
proper application of new instruments and equipment, to upgrade the quality of local
products so that they can compete in the international markets.
Technical progresses made in transport and communication sectors have contributed to the
expansion of international commerce and allowed the export of handicrafts to the farthest
markets of the world. Such developments will surely entail and guarantee the survival of
this industry over the ages.
Moreover, massive efforts should be exerted to enhance the quality of this lucrative
business. Iran Commerce magazine also devotes part of its issues to the introduction of
national and local handicrafts in Iran. Following all feature articles on kilim and inlay,
preceded by two news items on carpet and handicrafts.
Handicrafts Exports
Deputy Minister of Industries, and the Head of the Iran Handicrafts Organization (IHO),
Ali Danesh Monfared, announced in early February 1999 that 716 million dollars of carpets
and other handicrafts had been exported since the beginning of the Iranian new year, March
21 1998.
"Carpets account for 700 million dollars of the amount, while the remaining is
related to handicrafts," he told the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA).
"Among the major handicraft items were kilims, block printed pieces, potteries,
inlays, decorative glasswares, ceramics, enamels and Pateh Duzi (a kind of
needlework)", he said, adding, "the products do not include the items taken out
by the foreign-bound passengers and the Postal Organization.
"Along with the Iran Handicrafts Organization (IHO), the Iran Carpet Company, the
Carpet Company of the Construction Jihad, the Imam Khomeini Relief Committee and the state
cooperatives, are actively involved in the production and exports of carpet," he
said.
There are presently 159 branches of handicrafts being taught and advocated in towns,
cities and villages. "Handicrafts create lots of job opportunities so that six to
eight million of the country's work force are involved in the handicrafts sector," he
said.
Some 419 industrial and manufacturing companies were inaugurated during the Ten-Day Fajr
(dawn) celebrations, he added.
A Glance at the World's Greatest Carpet Expo
The world's greatest carpet expo, dubbed Domotex, was recently held in Hanover, Germany.
"Against a backdrop of recession gripping the European buyers, we received many
orders from non-European clienteles, particularly the Arabs, which equaled to 30 thousand
square meters," said Nosratollah Monfared, Director-General of Central Union of
Iran's Rural Hand Woven Carpets.
The new orders will provide greater economic security for the rural carpet-weavers, he
said.
Over 1,060 carpet firms from 53 countries took part in the Hanover fair, which drew the
attendance of 40 thousand visitors.
The eight Iranian companies represented in the fair occupied 1,017 square meters of
pavilion space. The largest exhibitors were Turkey and India, each with 45 firms,
occupying expanses of 4,300 square meters and 1,490 square meters, respectively.
Kilim: Brilliance of Iranian Art
Man's first rugs were kilims and straw mats. Archaeologists conducting extensive
excavations east of Anatolia have uncovered remains of a 7,700-year-old kilim. Yet,
experts believe the world's oldest known woven kilim belongs to the Arsacide era.
The women of nomadic tribes living in the plains of Moqan, Ahar, Arasbaran, and Meshkin
Shahr mainly weave kilims. Also, almost all the rural communities of the Eastern and
Western Azarbaijans, Sistan va Baluchestan, Fars, Kermanshah, Kordestan, Kerman and
Kohkiluye va Buyer Ahmad possess the expertise of kilim weaving.
Chief among the kilim hubs of the country are the rural areas of Khoy, Bukan, Mahabad,
Takab, Miandoab, Oshnaviyye, Sardasht, Namin, Ardebil, Tabriz, Hersin and Firuz Abad.
Kilims have a wide range of uses among nomadic tribes- from floor carpets to sacks,
bedding, horse-cloth, saddle and, tapestry.
A Kilim sample with Shirakipich weave
Kilim-Weaving Frame
The kilim-weaving frame is normally mounted on the ground in a horizontal position and its
warping is similar to that of carpets. The warps are usually white cotton yarns, whereas
the woofs are filled with colored woolen threads.
Raw Materials and Dying
The materials used in weaving kilims are woolen yarn, cotton yarn, and natural pigments.
Kilim-weavers usually supply the necessary wool from their cattle. In the past, dyers used
a variety of natural pigments extracted from coloured plants such as the peel of walnut,
pomegranate rinds, onions, hazelnuts and madder's roots.
The natural pigments are more permanent but less transparent than the chemical substances.
Presently, a number of kilim-weavers use chemical dyes, an element that lowers the quality
of nomadic and rural fabrics.
A kilim-weaver should be a skilled hand in all of the stages of the job, beginning from
the washing of the wool to the yarn supply, dying, warping and weaving. Whereas urban
weavers prefer the vertical frame, the rural weavers use the horizontal one.
In order to strengthen the warps and woofs of the fabric, the weaver uses a kind of
instrument called Dafle or Daftin, a local term, meaning batten.
Some weavers produce a wide range of related by-products from the very materials they use
in the production of kilims. They include saddle, satchel, cushion cover, tent strip, and
horse-cloth, all of which are used both for decoration and practical use.
Kilim Standards
Though of different sizes, the hand-woven Iranian kilim has to uphold certain technical
specifications to insure a fine quality:
- Yarns used in the weaving of the kilim should be one
hundred percent woolen, new and thoroughly washed. The wool should be flawless in terms of
separation from the animal skin.
- Yarn used in the warping of the kilim should be 30-50
microns in diameter. The fat of the raw wool should not exceed 1.5 percent.
- The kilim should be dipped in certain chemical substances
to insure it will be free from clothes moth larvae. A clean kilim should bear a sticker
informing the buyer of its high quality.
- The percentage rate of the raw wool for a one-ply kilim of
3 x 5 meter-size should be 200 to 340 times more than the fabric. In order to strengthen
the kilim, the weaver should use two-ply yarns in the warp. The twist of the yarn may be
crosswise or lengthwise.
- Average length of the consumed yarn should be at least
seven centimeters and should contain 20 twists in every centimeter.
Recognizing a Good Kilim
While experts and non-experts can judge carpets, ordinary people normally do not have any
information to ascertain the fine quality of kilims. Here are few pointers in determining
the fine qualities of woven kilims:
- Chief among the characteristics of a fine kilim is
permanence of color. The color should remain unchanged despite washing and exposure to
sunlight. A kilim losing its color is certain to have undergone flawed dying and washing
procedures. In order to perceive the flaw, rub a wet white fabric against the kilim to see
its color wash away.
- A fine kilim should have many warps. In order to recognize
the density of warps, you need to pull the kilim to the extreme. The thinly woven kilims
will readily become loose.
- A fine kilim should be light. In weighy the lighter a
kilim, the higher its quality since weightlessness attests to the fineness of the yarn.
- Unlike carpets, whose symmetrical design and co-ordination
of motif is a key to high quality, a fine kilim may have dispersed patterns. A carpet is
woven according to a predetermined motif, whereas the kilim pattern emanates from the
weaver's creative mind. Sometimes, kilims happen to bear repeated asymmetric patterns,
placed at even distances. The patterns convey every nation's traditions and customs.
Some Examples
Verni is a finely woven carpet-like kilim, devoid of any prefabricated motif. The patterns
of Verni are spontaneously determined by the creative minds of the nomadic tribal women,
residing in Moqan Plain, around Ahar, and in Arasbaran and Meshkin Shahr.
Currently, the Elsavan (Shah Savan) tribe predominantly weaves Verni.
Before the spread of kilim weaving to Moqan Plain, the art prevailed in the Karabakh
region of Azerbaijan.
Yarns of red, light red, deep blue, light blue and dark whit, weave the Verni of Moqan.
Vernis are mainly decorated with pictures of animals and birds, set in geometrical shapes
typical of the prehistoric designs.
Kilimche is another kind of kilim, woven in Bijar and the villages around Sanandaj. The
only difference between the two is that kilimche is smaller than kilim and has motifs of
Lachak, paisley and rose.
Baluchi kilims are often dark and striped each of the bands bearing a different
geometrical design. The kilims of Kordestan have motifs of rose, bazuband (armband), Mirza
Ali flower, Khazang hat, paisley, Vakili, aster, vase and foliage, tea flower, and
strawberry.
Qashqayi kilims are primarily of light lively colours found in nature, with geometrical
patterns.
Shirikipich is a carpet-like kilim, whose motifs are produced by relief knots. The warps
are all tied up at the motif. Typically the Shirikipich's woof is invisible.
The weaving of Shirikipich is as difficult and time-consuming as that of a carpet. Until
just recently, Shirikipich was exclusively woven for domestic use. Some experts believe
the competitive power of Shirikipich is decidedly more than that of the customary rug.
Shirikipich has diverse motifs among different tribes including Rayeni and Afshari, just
to name a few.
Although the motifs are apparently diverse, the thrust of their shapes is the same, with
the colors mostly picked from the dark spectrum.
One of the most famous patterns of Shirikipich is paisley, with flowers drawn on each
side. Other patterns include Khara, Abbasi flower, Kermani flower, and two flowers.
Shirikipich weaving is very common in Hormozgan, southern Iran.
In some areas of Iran like Yazd, a kind of mat dubbed Palas is woven. Elsewhere, the
people of Namin, Ardebil, weave a small kilim named Masnad, widely sought both in Iran and
abroad.
Zilu is a coarse variety of kilim, woven mainly in the rural suburbs of Tehran, Saveh and
Kashan. Zilu is usually used in summer gatherings.
Jajim is a colourful kilim woven in the rural areas and nomadic communities of Iran. Jajim
weaving requires a lot of patience and care. After preparing the necessary yarn in
different colours, the weaver conducts the warping stage in the open air. Jajim weaving
frames are chiefly placed in alleys and passageways.
Shortly after warping, the skilled weaver starts weaving, applying a variety of gorgeous
patterns such as Julia, Serge, almond, ring gem, and mud brick.Jajim weaving is
particularly attributed to Khalkhal, and the villages of Khoresh Ostam.
A Moaragh sample with black polyester background
Inlay: The Art of Wood
carving
Inlay is a superb traditional art, dating back to hundreds of years ago. Inlay has been
traditionally used to ornate mosque niches. Wood inlay in Iran is a hundred-year-old art,
introduced probably from India.
Nowadays, the exquisite but arduous art is common in the Asian states of China, India,
Pakistan and Japan, but none are as attractive and beautiful, both in design and colour,
as that of their Iranian counterpart.
Design of Inlays
Inlays have a dichotomy of shapes, both in colour, and wood-background. In the former, the
inlay context is depleted with black polyester wax, whereas in the latter, the context is
decorated with patterns of brick, parquet, puzzle, or cut plain.
Raw Materials of Inlay
A wide range of wood is used in making inlays. They include: ebony, light belel, jujube,
syringa, Siberian elm, mulberry, berberry, box tree, sour orange tree, maple, Chinese
maple, oleaster, walnut, alder and pear tree.
A variety of metals such as gold, copper, silver and aluminum are applied in inlays. Other
components include camel bone, ivory, pearl, and semi-ivory (a kind of fiber).
The main parts of work for an inlay however, are two pieces of two-ply timber, one, four
millimeters in depth, and the other, eighteen. The former is used for sticking and carving
the motif, while the latter is employed to glue the inlay on. The glue used is the same as
that then in carpentry.
The craftsman takes some black polyester wax to fill in the background, which lies deeper
than the level of the stuck marquette sections. The final stage is to cover the surface
with colourless transparent polyester wax to make it bright. Shortly after, a
two-millimeter strip is glued all around the frame to finish the art.
Methods of Inlay on Wood
In order to make wood inlay, the craftsman first draws a sketch of the pattern on a piece
of skin or paper. Then, he sticks it on a four millimeter long three-ply timber. The wood
is then placed on a main rectangular wood, which has a V-shape cut inside.
Next the motive is engraved into the wood with a saw, so that each of the drawn flowers
and their branches become outstanding. Nailing the three-ply wood into the background, the
inlay craftsman uses the chopped pieces as a mould, to stick them on a separate piece of
wood and engrave.
Then, he segregates the mould that is no longer useful from the piece of wood. Gluing the
engraved pattern in place of the mould, the craftsman removes the three-ply wood, which is
used to surround the entire piece.
To attach the wooden strip around the frame, the craftsman puts a piece of wood, two-three
millimeters long, and two millimeters wide, on the fringes of the frame, to make it a part
of the pattern.
Then, he fills in the holes with black polyester wax. A file will remove the extra wax,
which happens to cover the pattern, after getting dried. A thin layer of colourless
transparent polyester wax is sprayed on the inlay, and then polished.
In order to remove the black background, some pearl powder is added into the polyester
wax.
If the craftsman wishes to produce a wooden inlay, with patterns such as puzzle, parquet,
or brick, he fills the background with pieces of wood and grinds it away, to obtain a
smooth surface. A final covering of the work with colourless polyester wax and polish will
conclude the inlay work process.
The only difference between embossment and inlay is that, the former contains relief,
whereas the latter has one surface and other dimensions can be created in accordance with
the pattern.
Characteristics of an Inlay
- The surface is smooth and co-ordinated enough to deceive
amateur eyes, not realizing the combination of several hundred of tiny pieces.
- An inlay is extremely similar to a painting. Whereas a
painting is produced by the combination of colours, an inlay is created by the
juxtaposition of coloured strips of wood. Even the shadows of patterns are produced by the
natural designs of wood.
- The bulk of wood sought by inlay craftsmen is supplied by
domestic markets. Rarely are there any imports of wood for the purpose of making an inlay.
The reason lies in the existence of various forests growing in the diverse climatic
conditions in Iran.
- A genuine inlay should be made of natural dyes only.
- The deeper an inlay, the higher is its quality. Exposure
to air, particularly heat and moisture, may damage the surface, which can be readily fixed
by grinding one layer off the surface.
- Presently, inlays are used to make tapestry and to
decorate table surface, chair, Qoran case, boxes of fork and spoon, interior design, and
the doors of religious shrines and residential units.
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