CHIPRO CARPETS
History of carpet weaving
They are a significant part of the Bulgarian national heritage the handmade carpets and wall tapestries. They are a peculiar phenomenon in Bulgarian folk crafts, which arose in antiquity and reached their peak during the Renaissance. The specificity of the flower ornaments and the richness of the pattern are determined by the way of life, customs, traditions and holidays.
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Historical facts about the beginning of carpet making
Historically, the origin of this craft (carpet making) is unknown. The materials, used for the production of carpets and rugs, wool, cotton, silk, are perishable and can be preserved for a maximum of several centuries under suitable conditions. This makes it impossible to trace the history of carpet making and its development over the centuries.
The oldest archaeological find of a carpet, in good condition, was found in 1947 by the Russian archaeologist Rudenko. The find is from the grave of a Scythian prince and was discovered in the Pazuluk Valley, Altai Mountains, Southern Siberia. This rug is dated from the 5th century BC.
However, all historians believe that the production of carpets and rugs began in Central Asia more than 8 thousand years ago. It is said that it is mostly related to the nomadic culture of the tribes, who lived there. Carpets and rugs were used to cover the floor, huts and tents, for internal partitions and to make horse saddles, bags and cradles for children. In the beginning, carpets and rugs were created only to satisfy the needs of basic comfort in households. At a later stage, appear figures and motifs, materials are dyed with plant-based dyes and carpets and mats are being looked at differently. They have an artistic style and their cultural value is becoming more and more significant. Moving in different directions, the nomadic tribes increasingly communicated with different tribes, met new cultures, drew inspiration from these meetings, but also spread the authentic technology of making carpets in almost all of Asia - from Siberia to India.
Carpet weaving in the Bulgarian lands
Bulgarians are descendants of tribes that inhabited the region of Central Asia and known for their high level of development, culture and scientific achievements. For millennia, they not only used the loom, but may have also created the technique of weaving carpets. This heritage was carried over to our lands with the establishment of the Bulgarian state in 681 - historically speaking, the first and oldest state in Europe.
Since prehistoric times, today's Bulgarian lands have been the cradle of European civilization. Here, weaving has existed since the Middle Neolithic (VI-V millennium BC). In most of the excavated mounds, weights made of clay (used in primitive looms), spindles, and looms have been found. On the bottom of some ceramic vessels kept in the Plovdiv and Sofia Archaeological Museums, there are impressions of fabric with evenly interlaced threads.
In the beginning, carpets and bedspreads were used to meet family needs. Weaving knowledge and skills passed from mother to daughter, only and only in the closest family circle. The emotions of the weaver, the longing her for home comfort and her creative instinct they make the development of carpet weaving possible and turn it into an art.
Revival carpets and rugs are the best visual material, which reveals their extremely diverse use in everyday life, the richness of the used materials, techniques of weaving the patterns and the colors. Such carpets are kept in museums, monasteries, churches and private collections throughout the country. An interesting fact is that they can still be found in their natural environment: in rural and urban houses, mainly as part of preserved chaises.
The famous traveler, historian and artist Felix Kanitz, who traveled around Bulgaria from 1858 to 1865, left detailed information about carpet making in Bulgaria. "...I found in Bulgaria a very well-developed cottage industry," he wrote. Belts, knives, various metal ornaments, clay and wood products, cotton fabrics, silk and wool, carpets, lace and many other items are made in countless villages and towns. I liked the Bulgarian carpets the most. The various shades and colors are arranged with mastery and sophistication…”.
Carpets and carpet making in Chiprovtsi
The earliest records of carpet making they are in Chiprovtsi from the beginning of the 17th century. The early period, until the end of the 18th century, is characterized by a smooth, dense texture, geometric patterns and harmonious combinations of warm and cold natural shades: yellow or ocher, brown, blue and green. The first carpets are called bakam carpets after the bacam tree (Caesalpinia Sappan), from which red and black dye or "Garibalda" (an item of clothing) is obtained. The main element it is in the bakam carpet the triangle. The colors are cold and light, the carpet is woven in natural colors. This period is also associated with the caracachanka pattern (black-eyed bride). It is believed to be a symbolic representation of the goddess of fertility. This type of carpet is woven in two color combinations: red and black or black and red. The prototypes of bakam and karakachanka carpets and their characteristic ornaments appeared much earlier than the 17th century and developed at the same time as the flourishing Chipro goldsmithing. These carpets have no analogue in the world.
The decorative period of the Chipro carpets continued throughout the 19th century century until the Liberation of Bulgaria in 1879. This is a period when the production of Chipro carpets developed not only in terms of the variety of patterns and colors, but also in terms of the number of carpets produced. Socio-economic changes in the Ottoman Empire had a positive effect on the carpet craft. Weavers borrow shapes and motifs from nature (trees, bushes, stars, birds, animals and flowers) and turn them into stylized patterns, which in the process of making combine them into a harmonious whole. Red and black are the main colors, and white and purple are added to the palette of yellow, brown, blue and green shades. The craft spread in the villages of Zhelezna, Martinovo, Kopilovtsi and Glavanovtsi. The Chiprov school and the Pirot school borrowed themes and models from each other. The most characteristic patterns of this period are vines, wreaths, carts, flowers, bird's nests, columns, large hooks, wings, feathers and many others. Only A second Ottoman army bought 8,000 prayer rugs each year. It is documented that in 1878, 14,000 square meters of carpets were produced.
The period from the Liberation to the present day is called the ornamental period on the Chipro carpets. The creative expression of the weavers is influenced by the requirements of the merchants. Changes in lifestyle and competition with imported carpets required the use of richer color palettes and ornaments. They are introduced chemical dyes. Models from other countries were also used. It is heyday of the craft and the Chipro carpets won gold medals at exhibitions in London, Brussels, Anvers, Liège, Plovdiv and entered the collections of most European museums. Created in this period were the models Gypsy, Suitcases, Pendants, Pots, Caucasian shepherd, etc.
Materials for weaving
Geographical conditions and climate in Bulgaria have a great influence on the development of carpet production. The rich pastures and lush mountain meadows allow the breeding of sheep that produce a lot of wool. Thus the main material used for the handmade rugs is sheep's wool.
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At the carpets wool is mostly used for weft (filling). However, it can also be used for the foundation. Only high-quality wool is used for the production of carpets.
There is several steps in the preparation of the wool for making carpets. After the shearing of the sheep the wool is dried and combed (pick). Thorns, splinters and felts must be removed, which degrade the quality of the wool and can be a problem for its future processing. Then wave drags on a machine or darak to clean it of small impurities and to blow up. To make the yarn, the prepared wool is spun using a hurka and a spindle or wheel. The advantage of the whorl is not only faster spinning, but also the twisting of two or more threads so that the yarn is stronger.
WAVE
The wave is harmless natural material, strong and pleasant to the touch. Furthermore retains heat. Easy to dye and retains colors for a long time. In its natural colors, wool can be white, yellow, brown or black. As for the properties of the material, it is comfortable to work with, non-electrostatic, does not retain or attract dust.
COTTON
For the foundation cotton is used on carpets. It's cotton natural plant harmless material. It is used as a base due to its good spinning qualities (thin and uniform fiber), strength and greater resistance to atmospheric changes. Its elasticity makes it suitable for use as a foundation. Furthermore moths show no interest in it, so carpets made with a cotton base have a longer life. The treatment of cotton is the same as that of wool.
PAINTING
The oldest carpets are made using naturally dyed wool. The range of colors is quite wide. Handmade carpets with wool additionally dyed with natural dyes are still found today. Their high artistic value is due to their harmony of muted color shades.
Yarn dyeing
Yarn dyeing is one of the most important stages in the manufacture of carpets. Dyes must be stable, to be resistant to atmospheric influences and washing, otherwise the colors will become achromatic. The quality of the dyeing, the correct selection and the harmony of the colors are largely the main indicators of the aesthetic value of the carpets.
The main method of dyeing yarns consists in boiling the wool in an aqueous solution of the dye in a specially adapted container for dyeing. The wool can be dyed raw /unspun and only washed in dye/ or as woolen yarn.
For coloring they use different natural dyes: vegetable, animal and mineral.
Plant dyes are extracted from herbs, flowers, vegetables, fruits and trees and only from certain parts /roots, bark, twigs, leaves, flowers, seeds and fruits. The resulting shades can be described as soft and deep, and over time, with prolonged use, they become even more attractive due to natural patination. They are extremely durable and suitable for dry cleaning without losing their density. Natural dyeing is a long and difficult process, requiring years of experience and craftsmanship. The process consists of three main stages: extracting the dye, dyeing the wool and fixing the color, where the main methods of processing the materials are soaking and boiling. Obtaining a certain color and its saturation depend by many factors: the climatic conditions of the respective year, at which stage of the plant's development the dye material was collected, the period when the pigment is strongest, the time and temperature of the extraction of the dye and the process of dyeing the wool, the color of the wool, the preparation of the wool for painting etc.
The red color is a mixture of white moonshine root (Rubia tinctorum), oak (Haematoxylon campechianum), rosehip root (Phytolacca decandra) and hawthorn bark /Crateagus/.
Green color - leaves of walnut (Juglans regia), mulberry (Morus), nettle (Urtica dioica), sprigs of periwinkle (Vinca).
Blue color – Indigo (Indigofera tinctoria, Indigofera suffruticosa), cornflower flowers (Centaurea cyanus).
Sienna Color - Quince Leaves (Cydonia vulgaris), Oregano (Origanum vulgare), Sugar Broom Beans - Sorghum (forage plant) and Bluestone Copper Sulfate (CuSO4)
Brown color - infusion of walnut shells, green leaves and nut shells (Juglans Regia), hawthorn (Crateagus), oak roots /Quercus cerris/, alder bark (Alnus glutinosa).
Gray color - dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), alder bark (Alnus glutinosa), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), etc.
Pink color - geranium flowers (Pelargonium roseum), green stone (FeSO4), corn poppy flowers (Papaver rhoeas), plum twigs (Prunus domestica), etc.
Yellow color - milkweed (Euphorbia ciparissias), vinegar, apple (Pirus malus), sumac peels (Rhus cotinus), etc.
Black color - sumac (Rhus cotinus) and green stone (FeSO4), walnut shells (Juglans regia), ash (Fraxinus excelsior), etc.
Of all dyes of animal origin, the most popular is carmine.
Mineral dyes are extracted from the soil. Over the years, some other substances such as slaked lime, carbon black, ash, etc. have been used for dyeing textile fabrics.
In the last century, chemical dyes were widely used. They are easy to use, cheaper, the painting process is shorter and the result is guaranteed. The choice of color ranges is wide and the shades are varied. In general, the colors are sharper, stronger and more saturated.
The use of chemical dyes changes the pattern of handmade rugs, making them more colorful and vibrant, and natural dyes ensure real harmony and softness of colors. However, the real mastery is achieving these soft pastel colors and combining them in harmony with the help of chemical dyes. Nowadays, market conditions dictate the need for more and more serious use of chemical
Carpet weaving tools
STAND
Chiprovka carpets are woven on a vertical loom. It consists of two supports assembled vertically with a certain distance between them, an upper and lower canvas beam (two cylinders on which the base is transferred), an upper and lower "cleaver" (the upper beam divides the base into pairs; the lower one is for separating the motifs in the beginning).
The loom must be firmly fixed so as not to distort the fabric. The purpose of the loom is to keep the warp threads taut, spaced, and neatly spaced evenly. Looms are usually made of wood with a few metal elements that help the loom and the yarn thread to be fixed. Over the millennia, the tools and weaving technique have not changed much. In the past, wooden wedges were used to tighten the foundation, but today it is done by metal screws. In the past, when a new house was being built, the site of the building was designed in advance, and additional elements were built into the walls to stabilize it. In some houses, the weaving beams were attached directly to the ceiling and floor without using side supports.
TUPITSA
Another important tool for making rugs is called a tuftica. It is a peculiar comb with several long teeth and a handle. It is usually made of wood, but it is also possible to use metal. It exists in different sizes. The punch is used to hit the weft to press it and make the rug or carpet tight and durable.
After the carpet is ready, the unnecessary base and protruding threads, remnants of the weft are cut with scissors.
Whirlpool
"Vitel" is a wooden circular carousel that is used in spinning the yarn from "kanur" skeins. "Kanur' is a small coil of yarn, wound by hand, which can easily be passed through the strands from the warp.
Carpet weaving technique
The woven chipotle rug is smooth, double-faced and the same on both sides. The structure is very simple. It consists of vertical warp threads and successively woven horizontal weft threads interlaced with the warp.
Carpets are produced on a vertical loom. The two horizontal beams stretch the base. The variegated weft, wound on "kanuri", is threaded through the threads of the base, parallel to each other. They form an "area" in the same color. The threads of the weft are hit with a "dull" until the fabric is tight and the weft covers the base. Motifs are formed with one color not from the beginning to the end, but only in the area that is needed according to the design. After the weft has been passed through several times, one or two warp threads should deviate to the right or left. An area with a new color starts exactly where the area with the previous color ends.
They exist two production methods. At the first one the threads should remain only in pairs – 2 or 4. Then, when two wefts of different colors meet, a split is produced. It can be up to 8mm – typical of older and standard models.
In the second method, it remains only one thread. In this way, the figures depicted have a more beautiful and elegant design, the shapes are more oval and artistic, the carpets are more impressive and unique, and the craftsmanship and imagination of the particular weaver come to the fore.
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