The meaning of colors
The different colors and images used in the carpet represent various meanings
Color
Black: Destruction, Revolt
White: Peace and purity as well as the color for mourning
Blue: Solitude, Authority, and Power
Red: Great joy, happiness and success
Yellow: Color of the sun ... riches and glory
Green: Sacred color
Brown: Good Harvest, Fertility
Orange: Devotion
Gold: Wealth and Power
Symbols
Cloud Bands: Good Fortune
Weeping Willow: Death, sorrow or grief
Lions: Victory
Dogs: To protect the owner from theft
Rooster: To protect the owner from the evil eye
Weaving of a carpet
Weaving normally begins by passing a number of wefts through the bottom warp to form a base to start from. The knots are then tied around consecutive sets of adjacent warps. Between each row of knots, one or more shots of weft are passed. The fineness of the weave depends mainly on the density of the knots.
Rows of knots are tied on a foundation of warp and weft, and these knots will become the pile. The warp runs along the length of the carpet and part of the fineness of the weave depends upon its thickness and the proximity of the warps to one another. When the rug is completed, the warp ends form the fringes that may be weft-faced, braided, tasseled, or secured in some other manner. The warps on the side of the rug are normally combined into one or more cables of varying thickness that are overcast to form the selvedge. The warps must be kept at an even tension throughout the weaving process. The wefts pass under and over the warps from one side of the rug to the other in a horizontal zigzag manner. They are loosely piled to allow them to be tightly packed down to secure each row of knots.
The loom is the equipment (structure) that carpets are knotted on. The simplest form of loom is horizontal one - one that can be staked to the ground or supported by sidepieces on the ground. The necessary tension can be obtained through the use of wedges. This style of loom is ideal for nomadic people as it can easily be assembled or dismantled and it would be transportable during migrations.
Horizontal loom (floor loom)
Rugs produced on horizontal looms are generally fairly small and the weave quality is inferior to those rugs made on a professional standing loom. Vertical looms are also more comfortable to operate. City weavers and sedentary peoples use these more often because they are extremely hard to dismantle and transport. There is no limit to the size of the carpet that can be woven on a vertical loom and there is no restriction on the width of the beam.
Vertical loom (standing loom)
There are three broad groups of vertical looms, all of which may be modified in many ways. They are the fixed village loom, the Tabriz or Bunyan loom, and the roller beam loom. The first type of vertical loom referred to as the fixed village loom is used mainly in Iran and consists of a fixed upper beam and a moveable lower beam or cloth-beam, which slots into two sidepieces. The correct tension is obtained by driving the wedges into the slots. The weavers work on an adjustable plank, which is raised as the work progresses. The Tabriz loom is used in North Western Iran, having originated in the legendary city of Tabriz. On this type of loom the warps are continuous and pass around behind the loom. Tension is again obtained through the use of wedges. The weavers sit on a fixed seat and when a portion of the carpet has been completed, the tension is released and the carpet is pulled down and rolled around the back of the loom. This process continues until the completion of the rug, when the warps are severed and the carpet is taken off the loom. The roller beam loom is a traditional village loom of Turkey, but is also found in Iran and India. It consists of two movable beams to which the warps are attached. Both beams are fitted with ratchets or similar locking devices and completed work is rolled on to the lower beam. It is possible to weave very long rugs by these means.
In order to operate the loom, the weaver needs a number of essential tools: a knife for cutting the yarn as the knots are tied; a comb-like instrument for packing down the wefts; and a pair of shears for trimming the pile. In Tabriz the knife is combined with a hook with which the knots are tied, when normally the fingers alone are used. This hook allows Tabriz weavers to produce very fine rugs, as the human finger would be too thick to do the job.
Tools of the trade
A small steel comb is sometimes used for combing out the yarn after each row of knots is completed. This both tightens the weave and clarifies the design. A variety of instruments are used for packing the weft. Some weaving areas in Iran known for producing very fine pieces with compact weaves use additional equipment. In Kerman, a saber-like instrument is used horizontally inside the shed, and in Bidjar a heavy nail-like tool is used. Bidjar is also famous for their genius wet loom technique which consists of wetting the warp, weft, and yarn with water throughout the weaving process to make the elements temporarily thinner and finer. This allows for tighter weaving. When the rug is complete and dried, the wool and cotton expand to make the rug incredibly dense and strong.
Capel rugs are featured in the July 19-22, 2002 issue of the San Francisco Mart Market Planner.