BOKHARA – PAKISTAN TRADITIONAL HANDKNOTTED CARPET 69 x 229 cm
Bring timeless beauty to your space with the BOKHARA, a stunning piece from our ORIENTAL collection. This HANDKNOTTED Carpet, crafted in Pakistan, features a Green palette and measures 69 x 229 cm. The intricate design highlights the artistry and cultural heritage of its region, making it a perfect choice to enhance any room. Whether placed in a cozy living room or a stylish office, the BOKHARA adds warmth, elegance, and sophistication to your decor.
Dkr 2,350
Availability: 1 in stock
Additional information
| Size | Small Runner (0.58 – 1.59 Sq. m.) |
|---|---|
| Color | Green |
| Width | 69 cm, 2.263 ft |
| Length | 229 cm, 7.513 ft |
| Area | 1.58 Sq.m., 17.00 Sq.ft. |
| Pile | Wool |
| Fringes | Cotton |
| Thickness (Approx) | 7 mm |
| Age | New (< 30 Years Old) |
| Knots per sq.m. (Approx) | 250000 sq.m. |
| Origin | Pakistan |
| Group | 12 |
| Shape | Runner |
Description
HISTORICAL BONDS OF PAKISTAN CARPETS
Historically, very close bonds have existed between the people of West Central Asia and the area comprising Pakistan. Tribes and groups have constantly moved between the two areas through the Khyber Pass in the north of Pakistan.
People from Central Asia have been coming to Pakistan for thousands of years, including Scythians, Parthians, Persians, Kushans and Huns. The latter inevitably brought with them their arts and cultural artifacts. No wonder, carpet making developed here as early as anywhere else in Central Asia.
Pathan tribals and Baluchi tribesmen, in social and cultural contact with nomads living in the snow-clad mountainous regions of Central Asia and subject to similar climatic conditions, learned carpet making as quickly and as well. We know of kelims which have been woven in this area for thousands of years and we also know that the tradition has been of sitting on the floor which necessarily must be provided with coverings.
As a result, a common civilization flourished in the whole area. Taxila was founded and subsequent to the Greek invasion the Greco Buddhist civilization, known as Gandhara civilization, flourished which has a far-reaching influence in the region. Among the many arts and crafts that over a period became a common possession of the people, carpet making was one.
INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION, MOHENJO DARO & HARAPPA
The art of weaving developed in the region comprising Pakistan at a time when few civilizations knew about it. The famous Indus Valley Civilization flourished here some 5000 years ago whose builders wove and wore clothes. A Greek historian has written about the colorful garments woven by the people of the Indus region.
A reference may be made here to the famous Indus Valley Civilization which flourished in Pakistani regions of Sind and Punjab some 5000 years ago.
Excavations at Mohenjo Daro and Harappa have established that the Indus Valley people knew about the use of spindles and spun a wide variety of weaving materials. In fact, some historians are of the view that it was the Indus Valley Civilization that for the first time developed the use of woven textiles. The wall relief and terracota figures discovered at Mohenjo Daro show that not only shawls, but floor coverings like rugs were widely in use. It may well have been that it is here that the art of carpet making first evolved and then spread to neighboring Central Asia.
The tradition of textile weaving has survived in the shape of folk culture in various parts of Pakistan. The textile designs, characteristic of our folk culture, and point to the floral and geometric patterns they are basic to carpet designing. This clearly shows that the art of carpet making and designing existed here from very old times.
THE MUGHAL CARPETS
The Mughal kings were great patrons of art and culture. They had highly refined aesthetic sense as is evident from the architectural remains of the times. They specially promoted the art of carpet making this inspired some of the best carpet made anywhere. The carpets made for the Mughal emperors, including Jehangir and Shah Jehan, were of the finest variety. During the Mughal period the carpets made in the Indo Pak Subcontinent became so famous that there was mounting demand for them abroad.
The tradition of carpet making has remained strong over the last 400 years. With the decline of the Mughal dynasty the patronage that the carpet weavers enjoyed also disappeared and the art fell on bad times. But it continued to be pursued by dedicated individuals who kept on producing perfect pieces of art for the connoisseur. For example, a carpet made in Lahore in the early part of this century, now in the possession of a foreign collector, is considered as one of the finest in history. It has silk warp and a knotting density of 2600 to the square inch.
The carpet industry, after going through an eclipse, again came into its own in the 19th century so much so that carpets began to be exported in substantial quantities.
PAKISTAN CARPETS TODAY
Pakistan hand knotted carpet industry has made tremendous progress in the last 76 years. It has adapted itself wonderfully to the changing world market requirements and new trends in consumer tastes and preferences. Carpets made in Pakistan have earned world-wide reputation for quality and finish. Over the years there has been tremendous design development. The designs used in Pakistani carpet both classical and innovative ones are second to none in the world.
Colour-wise too, Pakistani carpets are far ahead of other carpets. Manufacturers keep a sharp eye on the emerging market trends and adjust colour tones and shades to meet consumer’s demands. The Pakistani wool is ideal for making hand knotted carpets. They have resilience and strength and make the stuff durable. Pakistani manufacturers have developed a special washing technique. It not only cleanses but gives the carpets a special sheen and luster which the customer finds irresistible.
Pakistani manufacturers have also effected many technical improvements. Although knots are of woolen yarn, the foundation warp and weft is made of cotton which imparts strength to the carpet and helps retain its shape. Warp threads are those which run the length of the carpet up and down on the loom. Weft threads run across the width of the carpet.
Mori and jaldar designs
Pakistan concentrated on mori design carpets in the beginning to fill the vacuum created by a sharp decline in carpet pro duction in the Soviet Union. The term Mori is used to describe designs with geometrical shape squares, rectangles, diagonals, etc. The original Mori repeatedly uses a motif known as Mori dabbi. But with time Pakistani designers added new motifs and details. Subsequently, however, Pakistan drew more and more on its long cultural heritage and produced carpet pieces which rightly reflected different facets of the culture and folkways of the country.
LAHORE SOOTRI
Lahore Sootri is one of Pakistan carpet industry’s most popular traditional designs. It has always been highly valued for the excellence of its craftsmanship, knotting quality and perfect finish. Under the impact of the revolutionary changes that have overtaken the industry, this product has also seen new improvements. In Lahore Sootri now both handspun yarn and machine twisted yarn are used. Natural dyes are also now being increasingly used in Lahore Sootri. A wide range of knotting densities starting from 100 to 300 knots per square inch, and more are offered.
CHOBI PAKISTAN
Among the vast range of new products developed by Pakistan Carpet Industry during the current period of Renaissance, Chobi Pakistan with its endless designs occupies the pride of place. It is a product with a new dimension representing a synthesis of tribal and workshop cultures. The word Chobi is derived from the word Chob which means wood. Chobi Pakistan is named so because it is an organic product. The wool is hand scoured and the yarn is handspun and twisted. The dyes are also natural coming from vegetable materials, plants, roots, flowers, barks, stones, etc. Every Chobi Pakistan piece is unique because after clipping a new surface with a grainy character and depth is developed.
PAK-KAZAK
Pak-Kazak, though based on the old Kazak design, is a totally new product. It takes elements from the original such as the stepped hooked polygons, geometrical medallions and rosettes but presents them in a stylized manner and with a new dimension. The use of modern colors palettes in a semi vegetable base creates an altogether new surface quality. 1-3 medallions as well as all over designs are used in Pak Kazak.
MELTING POT OF VARIOUS RUG WEAVING CULTURES
Pakistan today has become the melting pot of various rug weaving cultures in the world. Fortuitously, a galaxy of carpet craftsmen weavers, dyers, designers, washers, clippers from various cultural and historical backgrounds have gathered under the banner of Pakistan carpet industry and are producing pieces that have no parallel anywhere in the world today. Carpets of all descriptions, varieties and designs old as well as new, are being produced. You name it and they have it. Everyday new experiments are being made and new productions are coming up. The new weaving, yarn making and dyeing techniques of the Afghans and the design innovation of Pakistanis has created a situation where Pakistan carpet industry has become the focal point of carpet lovers, connoisseurs, collectors, consumers and traders the world over. Some of the most prominent elements of the Renaissance in the Pakistan carpet industry are discussed below.
NEW WOOL VARIETIES & HANDSPUN YARN
A great improvement has taken place in the quality of wool that is now used in Pakistani carpets. In addition to the traditionalVarieties like Cholistan wool, Ghazni and other superior wool varieties, known for their toughness and softness, are used for making the new product. More preference is now being given to hand scoured wool in place of the machine made variety. In addition to single ply and two ply yarn, otheryarn, varieties with different twist, blends, lengths and counts are being employed for achieving the desired design effect. Handspun yarn is increasingly being used in making new designs.
DESIGNS: OLD & NEW
Design is the soul of a carpet, and it is here that the new Pakistani product has broken fresh ground. What the Pakistani manufacturers are doing cannot be described as merely a reproduction of old antique rugs. It is much more than that. Pakistani manufacturers have improved upon the old designs by making imaginative changes in motifs, colors, dimensions and sizes. Sustained research on a wide scale has enabled Pakistani manufacturers to introduce an endless series of new designs and colour combinations to match the latest trends in consumer preferences in various markets. Designs from the early 20th century and as far back as the 17th century, designs from Central Asia and carpets preserved in various museums have been studied, adapted, modified and improved upon. Ideas have been taken from various sources and designs from old carpets have been blown up or reduced to create something totally unexpected. Every day new designs or old designs combined with new features are being evolved. Indeed, the new Pakistani product comes in infinite variety. There is no end to experimentation, analysis and synthesis. Some of the popular designs being made in Pakistan today are Chobi Pakistan, Pak-Kazak, Kargahi, Peshawari, Hariz, Serapi, Turkoman, Hitchlu, Sehra, Bashiri, Feelpa, KhaaliMuhammadi, Balochi, Kafkazi, Shirvan as well as new improved versions of 16/18 and Mori Bokhara.
NEW WEAVING TECHNIQUES
In the past Pakistan weavers only used the Sehna knots which produce a particular kind of surface. Now Ghiordes knots are being increasingly employed with Tajik, Turkoman, Uzbek and other tribes lending their own special touch and mood. New experiments have been made with warp and weft to make them more pliable. Apart from the traditional structure, wool on cotton, wool on wool and wool on silk are being used. All this has changed the basic structure of the carpet. The fabric has changed, a new texture has been achieved and surface quality has improved.
NATURAL DYES
With the switchover from chemical dyes to natural dyes, the art of vegetable dyeing has seen a revival in Pakistan. Most of the new products being made in Pakistan use an organic base which not only gives added value but also addresses the growing worldwide concern for environment. A large number of roots, barks, plants, flowers, leaves and stones are employed to obtain various colour shades and tones. For instance, various shades of brown are obtained from walnut husks, while indigo yields blue in different tones. Shades of red and pink are extracted from madder and reddish yellow from wild saffron. For light yellow turmeric is the usual source. Blackberry roots are used to achieve various shades of purple. Onion skins yield yellow orange, while other shades of yellow are obtained from willow or birch leaves. There is a long list of vegetable materials which are mixed on the basis of various formulations to obtain endless colour shades and tones. Some of these are:
Henna (Lawsonia Alba); Lemon (Citrus Limon); Sisum (Delbergia Sisu); Sunflower (Helianthus Annous); Ispark Pakistani (Butea Frondosa); Ispark Flower (Butea Frondosa); Pomegranate (Punica Granatum); Harmel (SyrienruePaganum);
Mint Paper (Mentha Sylvesteris); Black Tea (Camellia Sinensis); Nile (Indgofera Tinctoria); Alkanet Root (Alkanet Tinctoria); Vaska (Adha Toda Vesaka); Tobacco (Tobacum Notatum); Purging Cassia (Cassia Fistula); Margosa (Milia Azadirecta); Mustard (Brassica Compestris); Cancia (Acacia Arabica); Green Tea and Madder.
The natural dyes after which the new Pakistani product Chobi Pakistan is named produce soft luminous shades and brushes not possible to obtain from chemical dyes. It is these vegetable dyes which give the new Pakistani product its special character, value and identity.
WASHING & FINISHING
The Pakistan carpet industry has always been known for its special washing techniques which give the carpets a distinctive shine and softness. Pakistani manufacturers have further improved this art and developed new washing techniques to suit various design requirements. To name a few, Natural, Herbal, Semi Herbal, Gold and Antique Wash are employed to achieve special design effects and surface quality. The advantage of these new washing techniques is that they not only add value to the product but also meet the specific requirements of various market niches.
At the finishing stages, too, new techniques have been developed to achieve improvements in the style and look of the carpet. Different clipping methods are now employed to create different pile heights and variations in shades.
A COTTAGE CRAFT
Located for the most part in the countryside, the Pakistan carpet industry is basically cottage in character and employs over a million weavers, dyers, washers, clippers and others associated with the trade. Carpet making helps fight unemployment and poverty in rural backwaters where few openings for gainful occupation are available. In many backward and underdeveloped regions it is the only source oflivelihood for people. Many young people who cannot acquire education because of lack of resources become productive members of society by learning the art of carpet making.
EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN
Carpet manufacturing has also played a significant role in improving the condition of the female population of Pakistan. An overwhelming majority of weavers are village women who weave carpets in their free time to supplement the family’s income. Women lend a delicate female touch to the carpet and have proved to be better artisans than men.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.