Village Rugs part 2

(Posted on 27/07/13)

Contemporary village weaving is largely confined to Persia, Anatolia and, Afghanistan.      The overwhelming majority of village-style items from the other rug-producing countries are in fact workshop origin.  However, items produced in some Persian cities and towns (e.g., Hamadan and Shiraz) possess all the structural and visual characteristics of village weaving, and are consequently referred to as village rugs.  Village designs are extremely varied, drawing inspiration from both nomadic and workshop schemes, with a greater diversity of compositions than any other category.  The most popular designs are prayer-rug, medallion and repeating geometric forms, with a variety of vegetal-inspired infill decorations; numerous interpretations of boteh, herati, tree-of-life and allover floral schemes are also extremely popular.  Some weaving groups favour bold, relatively simple designs, while others produce work of considerable intricacy and sophistication.  They usually share with the nomads a certain angularity in their overall compositions and articulation of forms.  In some groups this use of geometric shapes is predetermined by the coarseness of the weave, but in others it reflects a conscious desire to adhere to traditional forms.  When assessing a village rug, first take into account the nature and complexity of the design.  As a general rule, rugs employing border, more overly geometric compositions should be judged by the same criteria as nomadic rugs. particularly if they also dyed in a limited palette of austere or primary shades.  In contrast, the finest and most prestigious village rugs should be judged by the same standards as workshop items.