Why Buy Handmade?
In our fast-paced world, with constant advances in manufacturing, it’s worth pausing to consider why a handmade rug is still such a sought after choice when furnishing your home.
Every one of our rugs is entirely handmade, woven mostly in people’s homes in countries across central Asia, making it an essential part of either people’s primary or supplementary income. We have never bought or sold a machine made rug, and are proud to stick to that principle. There are several reasons why we care so much about handmade rug weaving:
Superior Quality
Although machines can create the pile of a rug faster than a weaver, the rugs they produce are intended to serve a high volume / low cost market and therefore the materials used are either inferior quality wool, or often synthetic materials which take several hundred years to decompose in a landfill site.
By comparison, handmade rugs involve the hand-tying of an individual knot to create the pile, using the best quality woollen yarn. This creates an unrivalled quality of both longevity and appearance.
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A Traditional Culture
The tradition of carpet weaving dates back thousands of years across central Asia, and the process remains largely unchanged to this day. The wool preparation, the weaving process itself, and the washing and finishing steps are all tasks undertaken by skilled artisans, whose livelihoods depend on this trade.
Although handmade rug weaving is becoming more scarce with each passing year, we are determined to continue to promote the benefits of these unique creations, with the aim of sustaining the age old craft in places where it still exists.
People’s Livelihoods
Typical of a traditional cottage industry, the weaving itself is mainly done in people’s homes, while the wool preparation and the washing/finishing steps tend to happen at a place of work. The household income generated from rug production is crucial, and by buying handmade, you are making an important contribution to the lives of people in these countries where economic circumstances are often difficult.
For context, in Afghanistan, a country from which we source many of our rugs, the handmade carpet industry is the second largest sector of the national economy after agriculture.
Unrivalled Beauty
The art of handmade rug weaving eclipses the very best of machine made. The uniqueness of each creation, the passion for the craft and the tradition that is passed down through generations contributes to an entirely individual item of outstanding beauty.
The handmade rug has soul, and brings a feeling of joy to a home, not just a good colour match.
The Rugs of Petworth Team
Check out our staff picks for some inspiration!