By Turquoise Mountain
Afghanistan
Details of a carpet by Turquoise MountainTurquoise Mountain
Sheep HerdTurquoise Mountain
A carpet starts with the wool of the Karakul sheep, a fat-tailed sheep found all over Afghanistan. The wool of this sheep is widely used in making carpets due to its dual fleece, which has a long outer layer and a softer inner layer.
When properly blended together, the layers provide a lustrous wool that is perfect for carpet production. Each region of Afghanistan typically uses the wool of the local sheep. That, in part, determines the quality and type of carpet made.
Weaver amid heaps of wool (2015) by Lorenzo TugnoliTurquoise Mountain
Shearing the sheep is done by hand during April and September. The wool from the April shearing is reserved for the finest quality carpets, while the autumn wool is used for less high quality products. The wool is sorted by color and quality before it is cleaned and spun by hand. Some areas of Afghanistan rely on machinery to make this a more efficient process, but in large parts of the country, the wool is still prepared in the traditional way. Both men and women spin the wool into yarn. The regular consistency of the yarn is vitally important to prevent problems in the weaving process.
In the last 20 years, Afghan carpet makers have been using natural dyes to colour wool instead of the chemical dyes that once dominated the process. They experiment with techniques to produce specific colours and closely guard their secret recipes for each natural dye. Mordant helps the dye adhere to the wool. The main mordant used is a mixture of alum and barley sourdough.
Wool Dyeing (2015) by Lorenzo TugnoliTurquoise Mountain
The yarn is boiled with this mixture for five to ten days and until the yarn ferments. Raw materials are then added to give colour to the yarn.
Dyed Wool (2015) by Turquoise MountainTurquoise Mountain
One common ingredient is madder, a tree root that produces shades of red. The root’s bark creates a pink-rose dye, and the inner core turns yarn a reddish-brown. Walnut skins, pomegranate, and wheat straw are other sources of natural dyes. The walnut skin turns the wool a dark brown; pomegranate and wheat straw produce different shades of light brown.
Dyed wool (2014)Turquoise Mountain
The wool itself affects the final colour. Even when using the same dyeing process, a pure white shade of wool results in a much brighter colour than does a darker wool.
Wool (2017) by Turquoise MountainTurquoise Mountain
Yarn bundled on a window sill. Behind can be seen wool drying on lines after the dyeing process.
A weaver and wool (2015) by Lorenzo TugnoliTurquoise Mountain
A weaver sorting and organising wool, preparing it to be dyed in a warehouse in Mazar-e-Sharif province.
From behind the scenes (2017) by Turquoise MountainTurquoise Mountain
Female Weaver (2017) by Turquoise MountainTurquoise Mountain
The number of weavers involved depends on the width of the final carpet, with a width of 75 cm (about 30 inches) usually allotted per weaver.
Carpet trimming (2017) by Turquoise MountainTurquoise Mountain
A carpet maker trimming a carpet as part of the finishing process.
Carpet Washing (2017) by Turquoise MountainTurquoise Mountain
Soaping the carpet is part of the finishing process, which involves a lot of washing.
Carpet Washing (2017) by Turquoise MountainTurquoise Mountain
Two workers soaping and washing a carpet.
Carpet Making in Afghanistan (2016) by Turquoise MountainTurquoise Mountain
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