Weaving, the Art of History
Carpet weaving is a common thread between most countries in the Mediterranean. Techniques and patterns are shared across cultures, undeterred by wars, invasions, religious trends, or the rise and fall of monarchies and governments.
It’s worth mentioning that all countries use a device called a loom to create their carpet designs. The precise shape of the loom and its mechanics may vary. Still, the primary function is the same: to hold warp threads under tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads.
Italian Carpet Weaving
To the uninitiated, carpet weaving designs from Morocco or Sardinia may look simple, but the techniques to achieve those designs and patterns are highly complex. Techniques are specific not only to particular villages but also to specific families. Moreover, the cultural knowledge behind the meaning of the patterns is even more precious. In all Mediterranean countries, carpet weaving is foremost the domain of women when it relates to the home. Men also weave but usually for commercial purposes.
History of Weaving in Italy
In Sardinia, for example, carpet weaving was a way for a woman to build up her dowry, learn the essential cultural traditions she would pass on to the next generation, and signal to her community that she was ready for marriage.
Thus the patterns of a younger weaver reflected the tradition, art, myths, and even religious iconography of her ancestors but these patterns shifted as she aged, signaling to her village that it was appropriate for suitors to come calling.
Morocco Carpet Weaving
In Morocco, the Berbers are well known for their carpet weaving skills. Traditional Berber carpets are woven from camel hair, sheep wool, or olefin material hand dyed from natural color sources such as saffron yellow, wild mint green, pomegranate, and henna. These exquisite carpets feature recognizable geometric patterns dating from the Marīnid Dynasty that ruled Morocco from the mid-13th to the 15th century.
Sardinia Carpet Weaving
As in Sardinia, Berber carpet weaving relies heavily on women. The tradition and culture surrounding the practice are often handed down at home. These sophisticated rugs can be bought from the tribes and the winding souks of Fes, Marrakech, and Rabat. Young beginners learn complicated looping methods, culturally inspired patterns, motifs, and color palettes that only their mothers or a few others in their village know. That said, the combination of decorative motifs is head spinning, and many of their meanings are now lost.
Modern vs Historical Carpet Weaving
Interestingly, many of these design motifs are found in today’s modern carpet weaving design, even though their original meaning is difficult or impossible to trace. This is because the carpet weaver writes a living testament to their own time’s unique cultural and historical context. Their work represents centuries of cultural memory woven in weft and warp that connects with ancient realities whose symbolism is assimilated but whose original meaning is long forgotten.
The beauty of the art of carpet weaving throughout the Mediterranean is that it evolved from the successful commingling of cultures over many millennia. Ultimately, the symbolism and history expressed through this ancient skill speak volumes about a region of the world that embraces ancient tradition while also championing a contemporary interpretation of it today. It’s the story of all of us, as old as history itself.
