History of Bijar Rugs

 

Bijar is a small metropolis (frequently called a metropolis through many rug merchants) in NW Iran and is the capital of Bijar County, Kurdistan Province, Iran. A Bijar rug is a hand woven Oriental rug, woven through Kurdish weavers in Bijar, Iran or woven withinside the surrounding villages the usage of time venerated weaving strategies which are unique to this location and subculture. Bijar rugs are famend for his or her durability, excellent use of shadeation and abundance of designs.

According to excavations, the oldest hand-knotted oriental carpet comes from the area of present day Iran and is approx. 2,500 years old. The carpet had a knot density of extra than 300,000 knots in line with rectangular metre and become therefore above the knot density of maximum current hand-crafted carpets. It is stated that hand-knotted carpets originate from nomadic tribes who processed wool into the primary flat woven fabric properly over 500 years earlier than Christ. Today, those flat woven fabric are referred to as Kilim rugs, that are over again playing tremendous popularity. At that point they had been likely used as ornament and as blankets. Over the centuries, those early weaving strategies had been subtle and feature possibly evolved into knotting strategies. Significantly later, rulers of the Persian Empire and of India specially promoted carpet knotting at their palaces and used the state-of-the-art carpets as a image of prosperity and wealth withinside the past due Middle Ages. For example, man or woman huge and especially satisfactory rugs had been made through numerous knotters concurrently over many years, which offers such uncommon portions an inestimable fee today. Some specific works of art from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries can nevertheless be renowned in museums today.
Is a Bijar Rug a Persian Rug?
Yes. Any rug woven in Iran is a Persian rug. If a rug become woven in Turkey, India, Romania, Pakistan, China or another weaving center, with a Bijar layout, it isn't always a authentic Persian Bijar or genuinely a Bijar rug. A authentic Persian Bijar rug is best woven withinside the metropolis of Bijar or the encompassing villages. The rug could be taken into consideration a Bijar layout, if woven elsewhere. You may additionally discover this sort of layout in a device woven rug which isn't always an Oriental rug through any definition. What units Bijar rugs aside is their specific production, the advanced excellent wool used, the range and originality of designs and most significantly their excellent use of shadeation! This frequently effects in a rug with deeply saturated jewel tones in addition to innovative and fascinating designs. The very first-rate portions are woven artwork at it is finest. Here is a small Bijar rug that I offered some of years in the past that I trust demonstrates my point. The Kurdish metropolis appears lower back on a protracted subculture of carpet weaving. The Herati sample is typically determined in conventional manufacturing. It reminds of a flower with 4 leaves. It is likewise known as a fish sample - Persian: Mahi. But even the Herati sample gives the knotter a wealth of layout possibilities: whether or not interpreted in a traditional or current way - there's some thing for each taste.

Bijar Rug Construction Since time immemorial, Bijar weavers have used a weaving method that I am now no longer aware about getting used everywhere else in Iran or another of the rug weaving countries. Bijar rugs are woven with a Turkish knot (every now and then known as a Gordies knot) with one or wefts inserted among every row of knots. After they have got tied a row of knots, the weaver then inserts a weft. (Wefts are the threads of yarn which are inserted crosswise to stable the knots in place.) The distinction among the development of Bijar rugs and different Oriental rugs is that earlier than a weft is inserted it's miles dampened with water. The dampened weft now has a pliability that it might now no longer generally have.
After the weft has been inserted horizontally, a comb is used to overcome it down vigorously subsequent to the tied knots. This creates a dense, tightly woven material as while the weft dries, it shrinks rather ensuing in a completely firmly built foundation. Foundation in rug nomenclature is refering to the warps and wefts. In the small villages outdoor the metropolis of Bijar, wherein the very first-rate Bijar rugs are presently being made, among the weavers are the usage of cotton wefts however there are some that do use wool.
The very first-rate excellent Bijars are to be had at persianbijar.com. They are woven with hand spun Persian wool, dyed with vegetable dyes and the layout inspirations are taken from vintage rugs. Proudly, the Bijar rugs I actually have at my gallery are from this special manufacturing and had been woven on this manner, with the precise identical production as vintage Bijar rugs.
 Bijar rugs are frequently known as the "Iron Rugs of Iran" for the easy motive they're tightly woven and but have wonderful body, thickness and are extraordinarily hard-wearing. A Bijar rug will frequently be heavier than any other tribal rug of the identical length and the very first-rate ones have clear, certain designs in stunning colors.
What are the maximum widely recognized names of Bijar rug designs?
The wide variety of designs woven in Bijar rugs is sort of limitless because the Kurdish weavers have used such a lot of numerous designs traditionally that there are too many to name. Possibly motivated through weaving regions on each border a few uncommon designs have seeped into the Bijar weaver’s layout vocabulary however there are a few classics which includes the Garrus layout, which might be the maximum famous.