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West
Persia Hamedan, Mazlaghan, Malayer, Kordestan, Bijar, Senneh |
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Bijar The characteristic weft technique used in the Bijar area has led to the term Bijar-structure' to describe the use of a single weft shoot, thick and tautly stretched after every row of knots. The strong tension of the weft pulls the warps into two layers, giving the carpet great rigidity, although if handled carelessly or folded, it will crack and tear. Carpets with a Bijar structure (other areas too use the Bijar structure) must therefore be rolled for transport (larger pieces may be rolled around a tube). |
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Sizes: all sizes, especially from about 1 x 1.50 m (3 ft. 3 in. x 5 ft.) upwards. Large pieces of over 12 sq. m (130 sq. ft.) are common. Runners are relatively rare. Colours: ground colours are harmonious, a product of the blending of subtle pattern shades. Dark blue and a strong red predominate; brown and yellow are also used but green is rare. Some old Bijars are woven with combinations of light and dark blue. Patterns: medallion designs are common, as are Boteh, Herati and Minakhani designs in endless repeats often with multiple borders or guard stripes. Foundation: warps are of cotton or, less frequently, goat's wool; wefts are cotton and both warp and weft yarns are tightly spun. In old and antique pieces warps and wefts are of wool. Knots: the weave is in the Turkish knot, medium tine to tine, with knot counts of 1,500-2,500 knots per sq. dm (100-160 per sq. in.). Persian knotted pieces are also found in otherwise similar structures. Pile: a very dense hard pile, cut medium to high, although old and antique finely woven pieces tend to be clipped lower.
Quality: Bijar carpets are counted among the best Oriental carpets for
everyday use with an extremely tough and rigid handle. Modern Bijar
workshop carpets are still of excellent design and construction. |
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