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Floor Covering
Pleasing to the eye and
soothing for the mind, the floor, coverings of
India
are heart-winners.
| The main centers are
Bhadohi,
Agra
, Amritsar, Jaipur, Gwalior
and
Kashmir. Being mostly export oriented, the weavers can produce almost any
design.
However they have a few distinctive designs of their own like
the Tah Mahal. |
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The carpets are so exquisitely made that they are often used as wall
hangings. Improvements in the techniques of washing, have given them a mcre
lustrous shine. The Mughal
emperors provided patronage to this art and raised it to lofty heights, with
Agra
being one of the oldest carpets centers.
Today it is a compact industry and does both traditional as well as modern
designs.
The “calling out” or
“pher bolna” system still prevails in
Agra
. The master weaver alone follows the design and keeps calling out to the
weavers about colours to be used for each knot.
High quality carpets are
produced mostly in three varieties- Persian (Ispahan & Kashan), Turkoman
and Aubusson (French).
Indo-Ispahan is done with
the long leaf & flower and the Indo-Kashan with the small leaf and
flower. In the Indo-Turkoman the Mohra Bokhara is made with the typical
octagonal patterns. An interesting point in its colouring is the use of the
same colour in different shades. For instance, a red background will have a
dark blue border with two shades of blue, one light, another medium.
Similary there may be two greens, to shades of browns and gold, etc. In the
more sophisticated, even four shades of one tint are mixed.
The carpets of
India
are universally admired not only for their original patterns, fine wool and
rich colours, but also for being produced in sizeable quantities of
acceptable commercial quality.
The carpet industry in
Shahjehanpur is barely a century old and here, both cotton and woolen
carpets are made. The woolen ones being in three sizes, the ordinary with 16
knots, medium with 25 and the best with 36 knots. The designs are based on
the old Persian styles. In one of the more exciting ones, the overall ground
colour is a clear soft scarlet, and field covered with flattened,
irregularly lineated diamond shapes of warm golden yellow, apparently
separated, yet imperceptibly linked.
DURRIES
The brilliantly coloured
durries are also an expression of the imagination of the craftspersons of
India
. Exciting colours, forms, shapes and vibrant images characterize this
delightful art form.
JUTE FLOOR COVERING
& RUNNERS
Being an important center
of world’s jute production, the craftsmen of
West Bengal
have made use of this product extensively in an exquisite manner to create
several types of floor covering with several hues, sizes and designs, which
represent Indian skills par excellence. Moreover, it is for certain, that it
will not pinch your pocket.
IDEAL PLACES TO SHOP
Agra
,
Amritsar
, Jaipur,
Gwalior
, Kashmir,
West Bengal
.
So go ahead, shop to your
heart’s delight and take home an exquisite, piece made in
India , just for you.
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