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 Many things
fail to become exclusive and luxury that are not affordable for ordinary
people. So, it happened with the crystal, fragrances and spices. People
accustomed to them and now almost every person can afford them. Natural hand-made
silk carpets still belong to luxury things affordable to the elite only. These
carpets can make the interior play differently, look richer, and highlight the
beauty and coziness of the interior design being the real masterpiece. And anyone
who enters the room draws attention to such carpets as to the art work.
Silk carpets
were first seen in China,
in IV century A.C. and they were made exclusively to decorate the rooms of
Chinese Emperors. In the meantime, the other nations mastered the carpet
weaving though wool was used instead of silk. And no one could replicate these
beautiful and durable silky carpets till China managed to keep the secret.
Nevertheless, the secret of silk weaving was revealed in Persia first and then in Europe.
And then China
lost the position of the monopolist exclusive carpet weaving country.
In spite of
the fact that carpets were manufactured in Tavriz and Isfakhan, two Persian
provinces, the Chinese carpets did not get cheaper, and on the contrary they
became far more expensive. The quality mattered and it is impossible to
replicate it so fast. Therefore, durability, luxury and beauty of silk carpets
are still demanded. In the meantime, the manufacture of carpets from wool and cotton
was made automated, and the equipment is not the one to conquer with the skills
and qualification of human being. Human skills are one of the important characteristics
of durability of carpet tissue.
Silk
carpets may be different in quality, the weight and lighter silky carpets are more
valuated and demanded unlike carpets based on woolen, cotton or flax threads.
The tread should be thicker than usual to make the silk the base of carpets.
This is achieved with the special diet of oak leaves to place the silkworm. Such
carpets are considered as elite. Though, the cost of carpets depends on the
work and manpower contributed and time consumed. For example, the density of the
silk carpet may be 2 million knots per the square meter (with a million of
knots with the woolen carpet), and the qualified weaver with the good speed of
weaving is able to make 7000-10 000 knots approximately. Therefore, it takes a
hundred 8-hour working days to make a square meter of the silk carpet tissue.
Take a look at the carpet in your place and consider the time required for the
experienced weaver to make the silk carpet.
The most fascinating
mystery of the silk carpet is the attraction to look at the carpet again and
again. As the facets of the precious stone, the silky surface of the carpet, in
respect to the visual angle, period of the day, artificial or natural light,
acquires the new nuances and thus looks differently when the enigmatic luster
is changed by the bottomless and alluring «velvet» intensity, dull tint or
traveling waves of the silver frost.
Choosing the
silk carpet, one need to bear in mind that the carpets from artificial silk may
be cheaper, and especially if you are not experienced in it, and the seller is
willing to sell the goods. If you want to distinguish between the real silk
from the artificial, rub the carpet and the natural carpet gives the warmth and
the artificial carpet stays cool.
One of the true
techniques is the «burning»: tear off a small knot from the reverse side of the
carpet (the natural carpet endures it), and burn it. Natural silk gives the smell
of «singed hair», while the artificial carpet smells as the plastic, and the
cotton carpet burns and gives the ash as the paper is burnt.
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