Birjand Rugs: A History of the Carpet
Industry in Birjand,
The city of Birjand
|
Carpet Industry in
Birjand,
A City in the Southern part of
Khorasan Province,
Iran
(As of May 29th 2004 Birjand is
now the Administrative Center of the new Province
of Southern Khorasan)
By Ehsan Afzalzadeh Naini
Translated from Persian by Fereidoun Haghighi
http://www.iranrugco.ir
Birjand city once was one of the important
cities in Ghehestan (an old name for Khorasan
Province) centuries ago. The city is located in
the southern part of khorasan and its distance
from Tehran, the capital of Iran, is 1309
kilometers. Its neighboring cities from North are
Ghaen, Ghonabad, from East neighboring country
Afghanistan, from South Zahedan, Kerman, Zabol,
and from West Tabas, and Ferdous. The climate in
Birjand region varies in a way that in the South
the weather is hot and in the mountainous North
it is moderate.
|
Carpet Weaving in Birjand
Birjand's carpet is famous and is known
internationally as "Mood Carpet". Mood is the
name of a region in Birjand and the carpet weaving style
is unique in that region, the style is also practiced in
other cities such as Nehbandan, Ghaen and part of
Ferdous. In addition, most of the rugs, in the region,
are woven in the villages around Birejand.
The History of Carpet Weaving
in Birjand
Although the history of carpet weaving is not
documented in Birjand by historians, but because
of its special geographical situation in the area
and the influence of important native carpet
producers who happened to be government officials
too, by no means the history of carpet waving is
less historic than other parts of Khorasan.
Based on some studies that were performed
regarding the early days of the rug production in
the area, one can assume that the history of
carpet weaving goes back to at least to 200 years
ago, and according to the same study in some
villages around Birjand, the existence of carpet
even goes further back. The two most prominent
villages "Mood" and
"Derakhsh" are very famous villages, in
terms of quality carpet productions near Birjand
city, which is situated in Eastern part of Iran
and in Southern part of Khorasan Province the
largest Province in country. Between the years
1931 to 1941 the carpet industry in Birjand
really picked up its fame and in spite of their
monotonous design they possessed good quality and
were the preferred choice over other carpets
woven in khorasan Province.
Birjand has always played an important rule in
carpet industry in Iran and because of that
almost all the carpet historians and researchers'
referred to carpet weaving in Birjand in one way
or another in the past time and among them Cecil
Edwards in his book "Iran's Carpet" has
written extensively about it.
|
Inside a Carpet Workshop in
Birjand
|
In Iran adults weave and
children go to school, you can see it in the
healthy faces of the children.
|
Among Iranian historians, Messrs:
Hozuri, Daneshgar, Hussein AzerBad, Heshmati and
Zhuleh were those who introduced the carpet
industry in Birjand extensively to the public and
among them the Mr. Zhuleh with his two books:
"Bargi az Ghali Khorasan" translated as
"A chapter of carpet weaving in
Khorasan", and another of his book based on
the research performed about the Iran's carpet
played and important rule in introducing Birjand
carpets.
Before the World War II, in both Birjand and
Derakhsh, there were three to four thousands
looms and with the start of the devastating war
and the collapse of the Europeans market, the
export of carpet had a tremendous set back and
consequently the quality and the quantity of the
carpets reduced enormously.
However, from the year 1941 with the
participation of some individuals such as Mr.
Zahraii, Dr. Ahmadi and Mr. Jamshidi and some
others who were the major quality carpet
producers the situation turned around for good
and later Mr. Amini one of the acclaimed
businessmen and carpet producers in the region
worked diligently and hard to get back the
reputation of carpet industry in Birjand
internationally and for many years his quality
carpets were known as Birjand's trade mark.
Carpets in this region from the design, coloring
and weaving point of view were among the best in
Khorasan and the reported number of the looms in
1993 were more than 14 thousands and created 50
thousands jobs in the area. |
Master Weavers of Carpet
Industry in Birjand
In the beginning of the current century the price
of carpet was determined by a unique length
measurement called "Zar-e" in the
region, which it is defined as the distance
between the elbow and the fingers of an arm, and
for many people it was difficult to measure the
length of the carpet that way; therefore, for the
first time Haj Mohammad Samadi a talented man
published a book under the name " Carpet
Square Zar-e" in 1930 and made the life easy
for the carpet producers in the Birjand area.
The first significant production line was
established in 1946 and thanks to the efforts of
Mr. Amini who for the past 50 years and up to the
recent years had worked exceptionally hard to
produce fine carpets and who meticulously
utilized quality raw materials such as natural
colors right from the nature to apply to his
carpets in the city of Birjand.
In addition, his grand and impressive production
line was set up adequately to accommodate many
carpet weavers to work and weave in an acceptable
atmosphere in order to produce many carpets
simultaneously all with the same color, size, and
design to satisfy the customers demand worldwide.
Cotton thread that is used in Birjand is called
"Rass" and the wool thread known as
"Khame"; in addition, silk is used in
some part of the carpets like the beginning of
Toranjes and Lachaks to make the carpets look
pretty. These carpets are known as silk carpets
and the best wool is considered spring Wool which
the wool is obtained from the live animal.
Weaving Specialty in Birjand
KPSI (Knot Per Square Inch): the number of KPSI
in most carpets in Birjand are between 119 to 211
and in some cases maximum 267 KPSI
Knot: the style is Persian asymmetrical knot in
which the yarn is wrapped around only one warp,
and then passed behind the adjacent warp so that
it divides the two ends of the yarn. The Persian
knot may open on the left or the right, and rugs
woven with this knot are generally more accurate
and symmetrical
Carpet Loom: the loom is vertical and moveable
one and it is similar to the looms from Kerman
region
Cheleh Keshi: in Birjand the task is done with
famous Persian style
Weft: contemporary carpets in Birjand are woven
with two wefts one weft if fine and another is
thick. |
|
|
A small Bazaar in Birjand
|
Carpet Dimensions
Carpets in Birjand are woven in small and large
sizes. Large sizes in metric measurement are as
follows: 4X6, 3X4, 3.5X4 and 3.5X5
Small sizes in metric measurement are as follows:
2X2, 2X2.5, 2X3, 2.5X3.5 and 3X3.5
Popular Carpet Designs in Birjand
Carpet designing in Birjand region is unique
since the margin of the carpet is as important as
the text itself, something that can not be seen
very often in other parts of the country. It is
also fair to say that according to the weavers in
the region, the margin in a carpet is considered
to be like the frame of a painting in which a
nice fine and pretty frame will add value to the
picture, and in case of a rug it will add value
to text or ground of the rug.
Reiz Mahi Design (Small Fish)
Currently this motif is more popular in the
Birjand region and approximately 80% of total
carpet production is woven by applying Reiz Mahi
pattern. This kind of pattern consists of figures
like small fish mixed with plants and flowers.
The pattern also can be with or without the
Lachak and Toranj.
Rugs with Lachak and Toranj have a big and
beautiful Toranj which resembles a radiant sun
right in the middle of it.
Toranjes in Birjand have special characteristics
which made them popular worldwide. In no region
of Iran's carpet industry one could find the sun
pattern weaved in such precision and vividness.
According to some, that is maybe because this
land in the past was referring to as the land of
rising sun.
One other reason that this kind of design is
popular internationally because of the variety of
colors that are used such as Crème (Custard),
Crimson (Persian Laky or Red), Indigo (Blue),
Turquoise, which among them crème it seems more
appealing to the customers. |
Persian Spinning Wheel
Bouteh Jegh-ghei Design (Bush
Aigrette)
This design is considered to be an old pattern in
Birjand and currently not too many weavers or
carpet producers implement the design. The design
consists of figures in forms of Pears, Almonds
and the likes which are woven in the form of
spread.
Rabbi Saadi Design
The design is one of the most primary and
traditional ones in Birjand and in the Mood
district, the pattern is woven mostly in crimson
and the color of pomegranate flower and the style
is used by the Birjand Carpet Company
Incorporated. The pattern consists of plants and
flowers and filled with the spiral lines called
"Eslimi". These carpets usually have
Toranj and Lachak; however, they are different in
each three parts of the text. Sometimes, Toranj
looks like a Samovar (A metal urn with a spigot,
used to boil water for tea and traditionally
having a chimney and heated by several means)
which the design is one of the most traditional
ones in the Mood region. |
Nomadic Tribe in Birjand.
|
Old Birjand
|
Kaleh Asbii Design (The horse head
Design)
The center of the rug, in this design, is
decorated with 16 fictitious winged horses woven
in a circle fashion and all over the text is
covered with the plants and flowers. The text
color is usually crème or pale chocolate. In the
Lachak of these rugs, there are two back to back
dragoons.
Kheshti Design (brakes)
In this design there is no Toranj or Lachak but
the text is covered with brake like rectangles
(Ghab) placed uniformly. They are placed on the
rows and columns, on each Ghab there are figures
of flowers, plants, flowerpot, tree and etc.
These rugs are popular among the flour millers in
the Derakhsh region and mostly done in colors
like chocolate and steel.
|
Afshan Design (Spread)
Flowers, leaves, branches, trees, birds, animals
and eslimi lines (spiral lines) are popular in
this design in which all the figures are woven in
special order and all over the rug and that
explains why is called "spread design".
There is one special rug of this kind that is
woven in the city of Birjand, "called seven
colors",' which seven different colors are
applied to it.
Moharramat Design
In Persian a color fabric with lines is called
"Moharramat".
In rugs of this kind, which are woven in Birjand,
there are beautiful patterns but unfortunately
theses days there are not too many of them to be
seen on the looms in the weavers' workshop. |
Birjand Fortress
|
| |
A village near Birjand
|
The Culture of Carpet
Weaving in Birjand
The carpet weavers in Birjand during their
tedious long hours of artistic work and in order
to take the pressure of them and also as a
relaxation technique, they form a choral singing
of some poems that give them energy while
weaving. Here are some of the lines:
I hold the shiny Steel comb in my hand,
With every stroke that I make, I remember Farhad
(a Persian legend who was excellent hunter)
I make a hunting-ground in many colors,
With all the mountains, hills, deserts and stones
I weave trees full of blossoms,
Under it grassland of fodder
On top of each tree a nest,
In it sweet-singing birds
…
http://www.iranrugco.ir
|
www.PersianCarpetGuide.com
|
|
