History of Handmade Rugs by The Rug Decor
The Carpet Mills Industry has a revenue of $11.1 billion with an annual growth rate of 2.6% and made a profit of $912.5 million in 2017 (IBISWorld, 2017). India is the biggest manufacturer and exporter of rugs holding a 35% share of the world markets for handmade carpets (Entrepreneur, 2016). But where did it all start from?
No one knows precisely where the first handmade rug was made, yet it is believed that the first rug was created in the plains of Central Asia in the 16th Century. The locals of the region wanted to develop something that would not only protect them from winter but also improve the aesthetics of their homes. They utilized the rug in many ways like hanging on their door to prevent the frosty breezes from entering and on their floor to give them a place to sit and rest. As these local people were shepherds by profession, they had loads of wool accessible to them with which they made their rugs.
The Oldest looms were made of two wooden ribs secured to the ground and a warp fastened between them, a tradition which is still followed in manufacturing handmade rugs around the globe. (Carpet Encyclopedia, 2017).
The oldest carpet found is named the Pazyryk-carpet or the Gorny-Altai carpet discovered in 1947 at an excavation in Siberia. The carpet is 183 X 200 cm. When the rug was discovered, it was frozen in a block of ice, which is why it was well preserved. The rugs back then were made of higher knots than most of the rugs today and have inspired most of the hand-knotted rug designs today.
At The Rug Décor, we are keeping this tradition alive. Even though machine-made rugs are taking over the industry, they will never be able to meet the beauty and art that the traditional handmade rugs carry with them.
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