Presently there is a trend to cut up old carpets into rectangles and sew them together again to create new carpets of the pieces. Patch-work they are sometimes called.
Sometimes they also dye them slightly so they get one single color but you can still discern the patterns through the new color.
I find that really disrespectful to the original carpet weavers and such a waste of original old carpets.
Or they take kelim-carpets and make pillowcases in patch-work. That’s just as bad.
Now even IKEA has caught onto that trend. They call it recycling of old carpets. I call it destruction of old carpets. IKEA does kelim-pillow-cases too, but from new material as far as I can judge. Not cut-up old carpets.
Recycled carpet from IKEA
These creations aren’t even cheap. They are expensive – even if not as expensive as genuine oriental carpets.
I am in no way an expert on carpets , but I’ve seen the real thing. One of the flats I once rented (furnished) in TelAviv, was owned by a carpet dealer. He bought the carpets from Iran I think. He kept some of his carpets in my flat (for tax reasons I suspect) and I was free to use them on the floor. As he said, oriental carpets are supposed to be used and only get more beautiful by use. During the period I rented that flat he sometimes exchanged them for other ones. I came to see several different patterns. I also came to appreciate those carpets and enjoy their patterns. And I know each symbol on them mean something. I wonder what he would have said about today’s trend to cut them up and dye them….
The real thing, the original antique, oriental carpet, no matter where it comes from, are beautiful. I respect the work that has gone into them. I will never be able to appreciate the cut-up and sometimes even dyed versions. No, thanks.
