MAGIC Carpets: The Bonds Women Weave into their Rugs
PHOTO VOICE PROJECT
By Leila Naderi
In the corner of my living room, there is a framed mini-rug hanging on the wall. It is a handmade piece that my elder sister made for me before leaving my hometown forever. Whenever I look at it, it takes me back to my childhood and the community where I grew up. It reminds me of the days that we sat in front of a huge wooden loom weaving and of the stories my mom, aunties and grandma shared.
After school, my sister and I would have a quick lunch, and then we would join other adults (mothers, neighbours, and those relatives who couldn’t afford a loom) to weave rugs and carpets. It would take several months for four or five women to make a delicate silk carpet. Sometimes it was torturous for me because it stole all my time away for homework, playing, and watching TV. The adults, however, enjoyed the time together listening to the radio, chatting, gossiping and singing Bartonana songs, which are a genre of Kurdish folk songs for weavers. For them, it was only torturous when it came time for the trader to come to buy the finished piece of art. The weavers all knew that handmade (silk) carpets made in Kurdistan (Iran) are sold as luxuries mainly abroad, and the makers were ridiculously underpaid.
“The weavers all knew that hand-made (silk) carpets made in Kurdistan (Iran) are sold as luxuries mainly abroad and the makers were ridiculously underpaid.”
They were powerless to change this. Despite this, it was always a happy occasion when the rug or carpet was cut from the loom and was ready to be sold. Carpet weaving has a long history and is known as a cultural heritage in Iran. It is mainly the realm of less privileged women who are often abused financially while the dealers become wealthy dealers because they have access to international markets. Despite this injustice, the weavers have strong sisterhood bonds. They share their happiness in front of the loom, and they support each other in hard times.