TEHRAN – A collection of Sangsari carpets, handwoven by nomad people, is set to go on show in Italy.

“We are planning to hold an exhibition of Sangrasi carpets in Italy from March 18 to April 6,” ISNA quoted a local official as saying on Saturday.

Sangsari rugs and carpets are made by nomadic people in Mehdishahr, Semnan province, north-central Iran.

Experts believe that Persian carpets are among the most complex and labor-intensive handicrafts in the world.

Weavers spend several months in front of a loom, stringing and knotting thousands of threads. Some practice established patterns, some make their own. When the weaving is finally done, the carpet is cut, washed, and put out in the sun to dry.

For millennia, invaders, politicians, and even enemies have left their impact on Iran’s carpets. As mentioned by Britannica Encyclopedia, little is known about Persian carpet making before the 15th century, when art was already approaching a peak.

The Mongol invasion of the 13th century had depressed Persia’s artistic life, only partially restored by the renaissance under the Mongol Il-Khan dynasty (1256–1353). Although the conquests of Timur (died 1405) were in most respects disastrous to Persia, he favored artisans and spared them to work on his great palaces in Samarkand.

Later in the 17th century, there was a growing demand for the production of so many gold-and-silver-threaded carpets that were ultimately exported to Europe. Some were made in Kashan, but many of the finest came from Isfahan. With their high-keyed fresh colors and opulence, they have affinities with European Renaissance and Baroque idioms.

From the early 8th century onwards, nomads and town dwellers were still making carpets using dyes developed over centuries, each group maintaining an authentic tradition. Not made for an impatient Western market, these humbler rugs of the “low school” are frequently beautifully designed and are of good material and technique.

AFM