Carpet History >> Indian woollen carpets or rugs
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Indian carpets are overwhelmingly rich with a sheer range of patterns, styles and designs on their bristled surface. They are one of the uniquely characterized works of art distinguished mainly upon an exclusive, deeply perceptive palette, based on pink, yellow, green, and light blue. This in
tense red has been extensively used for the grounds of fields on carpet. The lifelike and floral designs with animal figures accompanied with the epic hunting scenes on the carpet are indebted to the Persian style. Precisely, the birth of the Indian style carpet is definitely from the Persian carpets. India could never boast about having its own origination and following tradition of hand knotted carpets. Instead, it exists in India till today, because of centuries old tradition of schlepping of carpets from Persia. The credit goes to the then Mughal emperor, Akbar (tenure 1556-1605).. The introduction of carpets in India couldn’t have been possible without the Mughal dynasty’s dominion. Moreover, the region’s hot climate could never have required the warmth of carpets. It was until the 16th century, that Mughal emperors patronized Persian carpets for their royal courts and palaces. Akbar had called for specialized artists and weavers sent from Persian court to set up workshops in his two Indian capitals in Agra and Fatehpur Sikri. These were meant exclusively for the court as a product conceived as a novel piece of decoration and furnishing. Initially, the carpets woven showed the classic Persian style with fine knotting. The valued and aristocratic carpets exhibited designs finalized by the royal miniaturists, etc. Due to the lack of specific records of weaving from the 16th century, the so-called art forms like Indo-Isfahan or Indo-Persian carpets make a strong impression. These belong to the 17th -18th century and are identified by Safavid designs. During the reign of Jahangir, Akbar’s son reigned and encouraged more on floral carpets. His fascination towards botanical features like floral characters exhibited a variety of herbal species, which was perfectly expressive on carpets. Inspiringly, more workshops were seen as this art form reached the peak of its popularity. This is also the period of culmination of the Indo-Persian style of carpets. The densely, asymmetrically knotted carpets in India are usually seen with cotton or silk backing. In case of a silk backing, the pile is trimmed low. Fortunately, the Indian carpet industry saw a refreshing yet a conservative revival after several years during the British rule in India. After independence, the Indian government has taken some drastic steps to empower the artisans and the weaving industry.
