Celebrating women, the carpet artisans

“The world would be imperfect without the presence of women.” (St. Thomas Aquinas)

International Women’s Day is coming up soon, did you know that most of the carpets are mostly made by women? Yes because they are the ones who possess the art of knotting and with great commitment and dedication create masterpieces that come to add a touch of elegance to your homes.

When one thinks of carpet knotting, the famous Persian manufacturing cities and their male-dominated knotting masters immediately come to mind. These workshops have certainly produced masterpieces of great quality, but it is difficult to compare these well-structured works with the particular tribal productions performed by women in small villages.

The workshop of these women carpet artisans is the home; in fact, they set up a room with looms and knot carpets while they take care of their children and chores. Their creations are then sold in the main markets of their villages. Whatever kind of rug they produce, they always insert some personal feature into their traditional creations. For example, Moroccan women make flatweave carpets by decorating them with certain symbols that are incomprehensible to many but have a personal meaning recognizable only to them.

Although these women do not sign the rugs they produce, it is crucial to highlight their important contributions to the world of traditional Oriental rug production.