Piled Carpets Handicrafts
The Indian pile carpet is believed to have originated in the 16th century when the Mughal emperor Akbar invited some Persian carpet weavers to set up a workshop in his palace. They introduced the art of pile carpet weaving in silk and wool. Akbar's successor, Jahangir and later Shah Jahan further encouraged the development of this craft. During Shah Jahan's reign Indian carpets became famous in several countries. Some of the fine pieces of art of those days can be seen today at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London and in other museums in Europe and the United States.
Hand Knotted Carpets of Kashmir
The origins of hand-knotted carpets can be traced back more than 2000 years. In India, the hand knotted carpets appeared in the 15th century. In Kashmir it attained a high degree of perfection especially in the 16th and 17th centuries under the Mughal emperors. Wool is the basic material but in Kashmir silk is also commonly used not only for the pile but also for the warp and weft. Sometimes silk or cotton is used for the warp with quality wool pile for weft. The appearance and number of knots on the back of the carpet indicates the quality. Among the hand knotted ones the Bokhara Carpets are one of the finest with about 125-500 knots in a square inch.
Every winter, Kashmir carpet vendors with small carpets piled high behind their scooters or motorcycles (the wealthier ones have cars and, consequently, bigger carpets) are a common sight in Delhi and other big cities in northern India. Since they have no shops in these cities- being temporary residents while the cold winter puts an end to tourism and business in Kashmir -they go from house to house in the hope of finding customers. These vendors often agree to clean old carpets, but of course it is usually only a known person who may be trusted. They are often on the look out for old carpets and many an interesting bargain can be struck an old for a new. Only the shrewd Kashmir knows how he can make a profit from the old one.