Nomadic rugs part 1

(Posted on 23/07/13)

Produced by nomadic and semi-nomadic tribesmen (semi-nomads spend part of the year in villages or settled camps) whose  life has traditionally revolved around breeding sheep, weaving rugs and raiding their neighbours' camps. Their  passion for raiding has declined in recent years, but in most other respects their lifestyles have changed little in centuries, and the rugs they make today remain faithful to their ancestors' methods of weaving and repertoire of designs. in nomadic cultures, rug-making is a female preserve, and prowess at weaving is a major factor in determining personal status, as well as being an expression of the artistic, religious and cultural heritage of the tribe. young girls are taught the skills from an early age, and it is customary in most tribes for them to display their first solo works as  proof of their eligibility for marriage and elevation to the status of womanhood. Weaving also plays an essential part in the practical  life of the tribe, providing  the floor coverings, tent hangings, bags, and functional artefacts that constitute the furniture and furnishings of the nomadic way of life.The rigours of their existence place severe restrictions on the kind of rugs that can be made. It is rare for a tribe to spend more than a few months in any one place; consequently, any  rug that is unfinished when the tribe moves has to be fastened tightly to the loom and transported in its entirely to the next encampment. The large looms needed to make carpet-size items are difficult  to transport, and so the vast majority of their output consists of small and medium-size rugs and a range of bags and other tribal artefacts.