Carpet
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A carpet or rug refers to a wide variety of textile or grass floor coverings.
Carpet types
Flatweave: a flatweave carpet is created by interlocking warp (vertical) and weft (horizontal) threads. Types of flatwoven carpet include kilim, soumak, plain weave, and tapestry weave.
Knotted pile carpet (supplementary weft cut-loop pile carpet): on a knotted pile carpet the structural weft threads alternate with a supplementary weft that rises from the surface of the weave at a perpendicular angle. This supplementary weft is attached to the warp by one of three knot types (see below) to form the pile or nap of the carpet.
Moquette: In the late 19th century moquette came to mean wall-to-wall carpeting, however, its historical usage refers to supplementary warp cut or uncut loop pile made on a draw loom. These textiles have a low pile and are thinner than knotted pile carpets. This form of carpeting, made as early as the 16th century, is constructed like velvet: the supplementary warps loop under the weft and are attached without forming a knot. Moquette can only be woven in relatively narrow panels (usually 27"). Larger works are composed of several stripes sewn together. This creates the characteristic banded effect of the Moquette carpet. Moquette carpets have been used on floors, tables, as furniture upholstery, and wall coverings. Manufacture was improved with the invention of the Jacquard loom in 1801. Also known as: Velour d'Utrecht, Brussels, Wilton, bouclé, and Frisé.
Production of carpets
Both flat and pile carpets are woven on a loom. Both vertical and horizontal looms have been used in the production of European and Oriental carpets.
The warp threads are set up on the frame of the loom before weaving begins. A number of weavers may work together on the same carpet. A row of knots is completed and cut. The knots are secured with (usually 1 to 4) rows of weft.
There are three main types of knot: symmetrical (also called: Turkish or Ghiordes), asymmetrical (also called: Persian or Senna), and single warp (also called: Spanish).
Hand-made carpets are produced in regions including Iran, Nepal, Turkmenistan, Tibet, and Pirot.
The importance of carpets in the culture of Turkmenistan is such that the national flag features a vertical red stripe near the hoist side, containing five carpet guls (designs used in producing rugs).
Early history of the knotted pile carpet
The hand-knotted pile carpet probably originated in Mongolia or Turkestan.
The earliest surviving pile carpet, the "Pazyryk Carpet," is usually dated to the 5th century BC. It was excavated by Sergei Ivanovich Rudenko in 1927 from a Siberian burial ground where it had been preserved in ice in the valley of Pazyryk. The origin of this carpet is debated. It has been proposed to be a product of either the Northern Steppe or the Achaemid region.
The earliest group of surviving knotted pile carpets were produced under Seljuk rule, in the first half of the 13th century, on the Anatolian penninsula. The eighteen extant works are often referred to as the Konya Carpets. The central field of these large carpets is an repeating, geometric pattern. The borders are ornamented with a large-scale, stylized calligraphy.
The earliest surviving corpus of Persian carpets was produced under the Safavid dynasty in the 16th century. However, there are earlier painted depictions of carpets from this area. There is a much variety among classical Persian carpets of the 16th and 17th century, however, common elements include: include scrolling vine networks, arabesques, palmettes, cloud bands, medallions, and overlapping geometric compartments. Some show figures engaged either in the hunt or feasting scenes. The majority of these carpets are wool, but several silk examples produced in Kashan survive.
Oriental carpets began to appear in Europe after the Crusades in the 11th century. Until the mid-18th century they were mostly used on walls and tables. Except in royal or ecclesiastical settings they were considered too precious to cover the floor. Starting in the 13th century Oriental carpets begin to appear in paintings (notably from Italy, Flanders, and the Netherlands). Carpets of Indo-Persian design were introduced to Europe via the Dutch, British, and French East India Companies of the 17th and 18th century.
Carpet production was introduced to Europe through the Moors in Spain as early as the 10th century. The earliest extant Spanish carpet, the so-called Synagogue carpet, is a unique survival dated to the 14th century. The earliest group of Hispano-Moresque carpets, Admiral carpets (also know as armorial carpets), has an all-over geometric, repeat pattern punctuated by blazons of noble, Christian Spanish families. The variety of this design was analyzed most thoroughly by Louise Mackie. Many of the 15th-century, Spanish carpets rely heavily on designs originally developed on the Anatolian Penninsula. Carpet production continued after the Reconquest of Spain and eventual expulsion of the Muslim population in the 15th century. 16th-century Renaissance Spanish carpet design is a derivative of silk textile design. Two of the most popular motifs are wreaths and pomegranates.
Modern carpeting and installation
Steam power was applied to carpet production in the mid-19th century.
Wall-to-wall carpeting is an attached floor covering made of a heavy, thick fabric, usually woven or felted, often wool, but also cotton, hemp, straw, or a synthetic counterpart. It is typically knotted or glued to a base weave. It is made in breadths to be cut, sewed together, and affixed to a floor with nails, tackless strips, or adhesives, as distinguished from a rug or mat which are loose-laid on a floor. Carpet tiles are squares of carpet, typically 0.5m square, that can be used to cover a floor. They usually are not affixed to a floor in order to allow access to the subfloor (in an office environment, for example) or to allow rearrangement in order to spread wear.
Care and use of carpets
Carpets in a house help to reduce noise levels and minimize heat loss through the floor. They are also more comfortable to lie on or to sit on than a hard wooden floor.
Carpets are harder to clean than bare floors, spilled drinks may stain them, and they tend to collect fur from family pets. They should be vacuumed regularly in order to prevent the accumulation of dust.
Dust mites can survive very well in carpets, which can be problematic for sufferers of asthma who are allergic to them.
A probably worldwide habit is to use red carpets for welcoming special guests.