Meditation Rug- Wool - India Bijar

This handwoven Oriental wool meditation mat gives a perfect base for sitting on directly, or placing a meditation cushion or meditation bench on top.

Yogis often meditate on wool, silk or animal skins to insulate themselves from the downward pulling earth currents. They want their consciousness to soar high!

Supports the Zamin Project. Red / Red 180 knpsi. Hand spun, hand carded wool. Vegetable Dyes. Geometric. Age Circa 2011, Made in India.

Dimensions: 3' x 3'

Zamin Barakat Cultural Survival Project

Weavers in Bhadohi India.

Zamin rugs are hand woven in villages in the eastern region of India's Uttar Pradesh state and Bihar state. The word 'Zamin' means earth or land in Persian and Hindi. These unique and wonderful carpets are constructed utilizing only the best materials and techniques. Woven using all natural dyes and hand spun, hand carded wool, Zamins are truly carpets of the earth. They are a thick, weighty, tough carpet, similar to old Persian Bijars. Rich and saturated jewel tone colors typify these masterpieces. Zamin designs vary greatly, ranging from modern to classical Persian designs, as well as more primitive designs like Persian Gabbeh. Only the best and longest New Zealand staple wool, which is hand carded and hand spun, is used. It is then dyed with all vegetable dyes gathered in India and Nepal. Relatively finely woven, Zamin's typically have a knottage of 101 or 180 knots per square inch and range in size from 2'0 x 3'0 to 10'0 x 14'0.

Proceeds from the sale of these rugs support Barakat Inc and their efforts to provide education and health care to the people of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India.

Why An Oriental Carpet?

Modern Day Carpets

Modern-day machine-made rugs have been unable to duplicate the quality of rugs made in the age-old tradition of hand weaving. Because machine-made rugs are usually constructed using either synthetic materials or inferior wool, they are prone to premature wearing and poor stain resistance. Also, machine hooking, tufting and gluing methods do not provide the structural integrity that the hand-knotting process does. Because of this, machine-made rugs often have more problems and require more maintenance than hand-made rugs. What most people don't realize is that for the same cost of a high-end, machine-made rug, one can buy a far superior hand-woven rug. Furthermore, machine-made rugs have very little resale value, while a good quality hand-knotted rug should maintain its value. What can never be duplicated in a machine-made rug is the human element, which is the essence of their beauty and uniqueness.

The Basic Principles and Techniques of Rug Weaving

Weaving a new carpet.

The basic principles and techniques of rug weaving have changed little since ancient times. The materials most commonly used to weave Oriental rugs are sheep's wool, cotton or silk. However, most Oriental rugs are woven with a wool pile and a cotton foundation. Wool quality depends on factors such as the animal's breed and diet, local climate and shearing season. After shearing, the wool is washed, carded (a combing process that straightens the wool's fibers) and then hand-spun or machine-spun into yarn. Lastly, the wool is dyed to various different hues and dried in the sun. Traditionally dye coloration was achieved using natural sources such as roots, bark, nut shells, berries or insects(known as vegetable dyes). Today, however, synthetic or chromium dyes are used predominantly due to their low cost and ease of use.

The Loom

The weaving is performed on either a horizontal or vertical loom. The vertical loom, primarily used to weave classical city carpets, is constructed of either wood or metal and consists of two horizontal beams supported by two rigid side pieces. The horizontal loom is the more primitive of the two loom types. It is typically used by nomadic people because its design allows for easy transportation. The horizontal loom lies flat and close to the ground. It is staked down on four corners with two wooden beams tied at either end.

The Knot

Persian, Asymetric Knot

Turkish, Symmetric Knot

There are two fundamental styles of knots used to weave Oriental rugs: the Turkish knot (also called the Ghiordes or Symmetrical knot) and the Persian knot (also known as the Senneh or Asymmetrical knot). The decision to use one or the other of these knots is a matter of tradition; neither has any inherent advantage over the other.

The Weaving Process

Generally, a detailed illustration of the carpet's design, called a cartoon, is drawn on paper before weaving. This cartoon, rendered in true scale and color, serves to guide the weaver through the rug-making process. Using the appropriate color yarn, the weaver ties knot after knot around the base of two adjacent warp strings and then cuts the yarn with a knife, thereby producing the pile. After each row of knots is completed, one or more weft threads are inserted and beaten down with a comb. The fringe is formed by the cutting of warps at both ends of the rug. For reinforcement, the sides, called selvedge, are bound or overcast with yarn. The roughly cut pile is given a final shearing to create a uniform pile height. Finally, the rug is washed to eliminate dust and dirt that may have accumulated during weaving. The rug-weaving process often takes months or even years to create the masterpiece that will transform and enhance your home.