CARPET HISTORY

Carpets were probably first made by nomadic people to cover the earthen floor in their tents. It is not certain however, if the Egyptians, the Chinese, or even the Mayas first invented carpet making. It is quite possible that many people, none of whom were in contact with each other, began to make carpets at about the same time.

The Persians were among the pioneer carpet weavers of the ancient civilization having achieved a superlative degree of perfection through centuries of creativity and ingenuity.

From being simple articles of need, floor and entrance coverings to protect the nomadic tribesmen from the cold and damp, the increasing beauty of the carpets found them new owners-kings and noblemen, who looked upon them as signs of wealth, prestige and distinction.

The history Kashmir carpet culmination of artistic magnificence –date back to the period of Hazrat Mir Syed Ali Hamdani (r.a.) 1341-1385 A.D. – the famous Sufi saint of Persia who came to enlighten Kashmir with his spiritual guidance and brought along highly skilled artisans through the silk trade route and laid base for the cottage industries in Kashmir valley.

After the Mughal conquest Emperor Akbar 1580 A.D. also brought weavers from Persia to Kashmir . A great period in the history of carpets in Kashmir came In the time of Zainul-Abadin (Budshah) 1730 A.D. and our carpets started winning fame in far regions.

The skill of carpet weaving has been handed over by fathers to their sons, who built upon those skills and in turn handed them down to their offspring as a closely guarded family secret.

The Kashmir carpet, a piece of art par excellence representing the beauty of imagination, ingenuity and perfection amongst the highest level of art ever attained by mankind; is the finest and the most exquisite form of artistic expression.

Kashmir carpets are works of art as s functional objects,. Indeed, many have reached such supreme heights of artistic expression that they have always been regarded in the world as objects of exceptional beauty and luxury in the same way as masterpieces of paintings .Kashmir Handmade carpets are discussed here in terms of their elements of design, material, technique, ornament and imagery use, and stylistic characteristics in different periods and cultures.

Now the Kashmir carpet has reached its zenith. A Kashmir carpet is perhaps the most coveted of textile weavers, a passionate work of art, carefully chosen among the finest on earth and the elements of the design are like notes and melody or words in poem and are hundreds and thousands of hours of skilled work.