The Importance of Rug Weaving

International Trade

• Rug weaving traditions are often an integral part of a national trade economy. Persian rugs, for example, have been the predominant form of artistic expression in Iran, signifying religious, cultural and historical meaning for more than 2,500 years, according to a 2004 TED case study authored by My Hanh Hoang. Persian rugs have played a key role in the Iranian economy and international trade. A shift in ancient Persian rug weaving methods, from all-natural dyes and hand-spun silk yarns woven by hand to synthetic dyes and machine-driven looms, is an important reflection of Iran's cultural struggle to find a stable place in the environment of modern international world trade. Despite industry changes, hand-spun, hand-woven Persian rugs continue to be recognized as prestigious works of artistry.

Cultural Identity

• Rug weaving is such a fundamental part of the Navajo identity that it forms a part of their creation myth, in which the deity Spider Woman instructs the Navajo women how to weave on cross-poles of the sky and earth. Woven rugs have played an important role in the Navajo economy, and are purchased by museums and collectors throughout the world. However, the key importance of rug weaving to the Navajo people is in expression of their spiritual beliefs of harmony and interconnectedness. Both the motifs incorporated into the rugs, and the structure of the weave itself, represent the interwoven threads of art, beauty, life and the spiritual and natural worlds.

Community Ties

• Rug weaving can help knit together communities, including populations that have emigrated far from home. Simple rag rug weaving, using torn strips of colorful scrap fabric as the weft woven through a warp of strong cotton thread, is a thrifty practice employed by many European and early American communities. Finnish-American communities in Michigan's Upper Peninsula region continue to come together to produce distinctive rag rugs. In this living tradition, the art of rug weaving is passed along from one family member or neighbor to another, and different community members will provide the material, prepare it, do the actual weaving and put the rug to use.

Women's Advancement

• Rug weaving, especially in the double knotted Gourdes method, has played a key role in the Turkish culture and economy since at least the 12th century, according to the Turkish Cultural Foundation. Turkish carpets are used for home decor and practical warmth, and woven rugs are a valuable part of a woman's dowry. Women comprise nearly all the rug weavers in Turkey. Historically women were able to parlay their skill at spinning and rug weaving into making advantageous marital ties as well as contributing economically to their household. Today, more than 95 percent of the employees in Turkey's carpet industry are women, some of whom work in factories and workshops, and others who continue to weave at home, allowing them to earn an income while also raising their children and attending to their household.