CARPETS;

In recent years there has been a rapidly increasing interest in carpets. Many books, catalogues, introductory texts and more specialised works have appeared and yet despite all the research put into these publications, the subject of carpets still bewilders and confuses some people. Despite this carpets are still highly sought after, with their rich warm tones, and extraordinary patterns and motifs. Each hand made carpet is a totally individual work of art representing a level of craftsmanship seldom surpassed.

In this brief introduction we hope to give you a greater insight into the history, traditions and wonderful uniqueness of artistry, that ensures the continued demand for high quality hand made carpets throught out the world.

HISTORY

The oldest completed knotted carpet, dated to 5th century BC, was found in the frozen tomb of a nomadic chieftan at Pazyrk in the Altai Mountains. It is believed that the art and craft of the knotted pile carpet began, then developed and flourished to a high technical and artistic level amidst the pastoral nomads in the steppes of central Asia. The knotted carpet then reached the middle east in the 8th or 9th centuries with the nomadic Turkish tribes who began migrating into the region at that time. Very little is then known about the history of the carpet until the 12th, 13th and 14th centuries when examples from the Turkish Selcuk Period were found in various Turkish mosques. these Selcuk examples are today on display in the Turkish and Islamic Arts museum.

Often depicted in european paintings in the 16th century, carpets were used by the artist to indicate the high economic and social status of the subject.

Modern Carpet History really began in the 19th century, when large cottage industry and workshop productions flourished to meet the ever increasing demand
for handmade carpets on the international markets.

Our carpets at Indigo Gallery are meticulously chosen to reflect the finest creative skill and technical quality of some of Asia's greatest unknown women artists.

Pazyrk