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As
the required number of weft is passed over a row of knots, the weaver beats it down firmly
with a comb. After the weaving is finished, the rug is removed from the loom and the loose
warp threads along the ends are knotted, woven or braided into the fringe. The sides of
the rug may be finished and reinforced in a variety of ways. Often, a single terminal warp
or a cord formed of various terminal warps is wrapped with the weft threads, forming an
edge called the selvage. In some areas, the terminal warp threads are not
wrapped by the wefts during the weaving process. Instead, the side cord is added after the
rug has been woven and removed from the loom. A single cord is sewn on to the side of the
rug. An overcast is a group of warps wrapped with a separate thread in
circular fashion creating a rounded finish. Most oriental rugs are washed before being exported to remove dust, excess wool and any dirt that may have accumulated on the surface during the weaving process. After washing, the carpet are dried in the sun which often softens the colors. Frequently, light chemical washes used to soften the colors of oriental rugs. These do not harm or affect the durability of the carpet. Chemical washes called Luster Wash are given to add luster or sheen to carpet. Certain types of wool are more receptive to the process and gain a more lustrous appearance than others. At times, certain chemical washes or Antique Washes are used to tone down the colors and give an 'aged' look to rugs by bleaching the color from the tips of the pile. The practice can be easily detected by folding the rug and examining the base of the pile; the tip of the pile will appear much lighter than the base. |
