Indian carpets, from traditional to modern

Indian carpets, from traditional to modern

Carpets have been part of Indian culture for many years. I Indian carpets are also mentioned in medieval literature that shows that the history of the Indian carpets dates back to 500 B.C. In more recent history, in the 16th century, many Persian carpet knitters joined with Indian artisans to put a positive spin on it by bringing their expertise and individual Persian designs. In this century many carpets were knotted with kashmir wool and embellished with gold threads and jewelry. Later, in the 17th century, landscapes and animal figures began to appear alongside Persian drawings. At this time, Indian carpets were known for their high quality and designs, and the entry of silk into the art of hand-knotted carpets caused knotters to reach 2000 knots per square inch with detailed designs. Unfortunately, during the 19th century, the quality of carpets declined, and only a few knotters from places like Srinagar, Amritsar and Agra continued to produce carpets. During this period, the styles Mughal became popular and even entered the Western market. Although many knotters have been relocated to Pakistan, the Indians have trained many artisans, both men and women, to bring craftsmanship back to the carpet industry. At the end of the nineteenth century, the government decided to train prisoners to knot carpets , in this way they taught prisoners a trade , a craft and at the same time by marketing the carpets they were able to meet the expenses of the prisons. Indian carpet knotting financed the Indian prison system. Indian prison carpets had an extraordinary knotting quality because the material was the finest quality wool. The carpets from Agra jails were the most famous carpets of that period that are now being sold for hundreds of thousands of euros, given their antiquity and the beauty of the craftsmanship in a historical period.

Because of the low cost of labor in India, many foreign countries such as Britain used the knotter to produce high quality, handmade carpets at a lower price. Despite this, India has brought carpets to the international market with magical, inventive and genuinely artistic skills. These days, Indian knotters bring modern designs on carpets to attract the attention of the international market, especially for those who wish to have a high-quality, handmade modern carpet that fits the modern environment. Modern Indian carpets are like a pictorial canvas. Knotters use careful composition with different materials and shades to create a masterpiece. The designs are not influenced by other common Persian carpet designs and are unique. There are no limits for the Indian knotter to use colors and various shades, along with materials and varied patterns. The ability to have a pattern customized to the user’s needs is another fact that makes modern Indian carpets popular. Nowadays, materials such as wool, silk, bamboo fiber, cotton, jute and hemp are used in modern Indian carpets to meet market needs. Each material has its own specific characteristics that make the carpet suitable for different spaces. Due to the high quality of materials, they are durable that provide maximum value for the investment. The materials used for modern Indian carpets are eco-friendly and natural without harmful dyes and chemicals to be safe for children and people with allergies. The variety of sizes of modern Indian rugs give them the possibility to be used as an entrance rug, bedroom rug, living room rug, dining area rug, kitchen rug, and even outdoor rugs for balconies and gardens. For these reasons modern Indian carpet became one of the most popular carpets in the European market ,also because architects and so-called interior designers decorate modern and minimal rooms with the above-mentioned carpets.