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 Carpet
A Carpet is a life
long investment-it
may well be the
single most
expensive purchase
during your trip to
Kashmir. Kashmiri
carpets are world
renowned for two
things- they are
hand made and they
are always knotted,
never tufted. It is
extremely
instructive to watch
a carpet being made-
your dealer can
probably arrange it
for you. Stretched
tightly on a frame
is the warp of
Carpet. The weft
threads are passed
through, the ‘talim’
or design and color
specifications are
then worked out on
this: a strand of
yarn is looped
through the warp &
weft, knotted and
then cut. The yarn
used normally is
silk, wool or silk
and wool. Woolen
carpets always have
a cotton base (Warp
& Weft), silk
usually have cotton
base.Sometimes
however, the base is
also silk in which
case you will see
that the fringe is
silk; the cost
increases
proportionately.
Occasionally,
carpets are made on
a cotton base,
mainly of woolen
pile with silk yarn
used as highlights
on certain motifs.
When the dealer
specifies the
percentage of each
yarn used, he is
taking into account
the yarn used for
the base too.
Therefore, a carpet
with a pure silk
pile may be referred
to as a 80% silk
carpet.
Carpet weaving in
Kashmir was not
originally
indigenous but is
thought to have come
in by way of Persia.
Till today most
designs are
distinctly Persian
with local;
variations. One
example, however, of
a typical Kashmiri
design is the tree
of life. Persian
design not
withstanding, any
carpet woven in
Kashmir is referred
to as Kashmiri. The
color-way of Carpet,
and its details
differentiate it
from any other
carpet. And while on
the subject of
colors, it should be
kept in mind that
although the colors
of Kashmiri carpets
are more subtle and
muted than elsewhere
in the country, only
chemical dyes are
used-vegetable dyes
have not been
available now for
hundred years.
The knotting of the
carpet is the most
important aspect,
determining its
durability and
value, in addition
to its design.
Basically, the more
knots per square
inch, the greater
its value and
durability. Also
there are single and
double knotted
carpets. You can
quiet easily
identify one from
the other on the
reverse of the
carpet. The effect
that it has on the
pile, too, is
important- a double
knotted carpet has a
pile that bends when
you brush it one way
with your hand, and
stands upright when
it is brushed in
other direction. A
Single knotted
carpet is fluffier
and more resistant
to touch. |
Namdas
Far less expensive
are these colorful
floor coverings made
from woolen and
cotton fiber which
has been manually
pressed into shape.
Prices vary with the
percentage of wool-
a Namda containing
80% wool being more
expensive than one
containing 20% wool.
Chain stitch
embroidery in woolen
and cotton thread is
worked on these
rugs. |
 Papier
Mache
At first glance, all
Papier Mache`
objects look roughly
the same, and the
price differential
seems almost
unreasonable.
However, besides at
least three
different grades of
Papier` Mache`, some
is actually
cardboard or wood!
The idea, however,
is not to hood-wink
the unwary, but to
provide a cheaper
product for someone
who wants the look
of Papier Mache` .
To make Papier
Mache`, first paper
is soaked in water
till it
disintegrates. It is
then pounded, mixed
with an adhesive
solution, shaped
over moulds, and
allowed to dry and
set before being
painted and
varnished.
Paper that has been
pounded to pulp has
the smoothest finish
in the final
product. When the
pounding has not
been thorough, the
finish is less
smooth.
The designs painted
on objects of Papier
Mache` are brightly
colored. They vary
in artistry and the
choices of colors,
and it is not
difficult to tell a
mediocre piece from
an excellent one.
Gold is used on most
objects, either as
the only color, or
as the highlight for
certain motifs, and
besides the finish
of the product, it
is the quality of
the gold used which
determines the
price. Pure Gold
leaf which has the
unmistakable luster,
is far more
expensive than
bronze dust or gold
poster paint. It
also has much longer
life and will never
fade or tarnish.
Varnish which is
applied to the
finished product,
imparts a high gloss
and smoothness which
increases with every
coat.
Cardboard, usually
indistinguishable
from Papier Mache`,
gives slightly when
pressed firmly.
Otherwise the only
difference is in the
price, cardboard
being cheaper than
Papier Mache`. |
Chain Stitch and
Crewel Furnishings
Because of the high
quality of
embroidery done on
wall hangings and
rugs, Kashmiri
crewel work is in
great demand all
over the world.
Chain stitch, be it
in wool, silk or
cotton, is done by
hook rather than any
needle. The hook is
referred to as ari,
and quality for
quality, hook work
covers a much larger
area than needle
work in the same
amount of time.
All the embroidery
is executed on white
cotton fabric,
pre-shrunk by the
manufacturers. The
intrinsic worth of
each piece lies in
the size of the
stitches and the
yarn used. Tiny
stitches are used to
cover the entire
area-the figures or
motifs are worked in
striking colors; the
background in a
single color, made
up of a series of
coin sized
concentric circles
which impart
dynamism and a sense
of movement to a
design. The
background fabric
should not be
visible through the
stitches.
Crewel is basically
similar to chain
stitch. It is also
Chain stitch done on
White background,
but here the motifs,
mainly stylish
flowers, do not
cover the entire
surface, and the
background is not
embroidered upon.
Wool is almost
invariably used in
Crewel work and
color ways are not
as elaborate as in
Chain stitch. They
make excellent
household
furnishings being
hand or machine
washable. |
Saffron, Walnuts,
Almonds, Honey
Pampore, outside
Srinagar, is the
only place in the
world besides Spain
where saffron is
grown. The crocus
Sativus which blooms
for a brief month in
the year, has six
golden stamens and
one crimson one. It
is the crimson
Stamen which when
collected and dried
is referred to as
the most expensive
spice in the world.
Sealed jars of this
Spice, with the
Government
laboratory’s stamp
approval, are
available all over
Srinagar. When
buying loose
saffron, sampling
one strand is
enough, for the
flavor and fragrance
of saffron are
unmistakable.
The climate of
Kashmir is ideal for
walnut and almond
trees which grow
here in abundance.
Natural honey too,
is a produce of the
apiaries which
abound in the state. |
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