Romanian Carpet

Romanian Carpet
General information
Name	Romanian Carpet
Original name	فرش رومانی، قالی رومانی
Alternative name(s)	Romanian Rug
Origin	Romania
Technical information
Foundation material	Wool, Cotton

Romanian Carpet or Romanian Rug is one of the western rugs that woven in Romania.
Modern pile rug production in Romania was begun by Armenian refugees after the First World War. In the 1920s and 1930s, workshops in Romania wove fine copies of Caucasian and Turkish pile rugs. These copies were so convincing that some were purchased as authentic by major museums. Significant pile rug weaving for export began about 1950 and increased significantly with the lowering of United States tariffs in 1975. Rugs are woven by cooperatives in a variety of grades, in Persian, Turkish, and Caucasian designs. Steel frame looms are used. These looms permit very regular shapes and a highly consistent weave. Knot density varies between 25 and 200 knots per square inch, depending on grade. Generally, the asymmetric knot is used for Persian designs and the symmetric knot is used for Turkish and Caucasian designs. Rugs are woven on either a wool or cotton foundation. Grades are Braila, Bran, Brasov, Bucharesti, Dorna, Harmon, Milcov, Murece, Olt, and Postavarul. See entries under these names.
The oldest dated Romanian kilim was woven in 1789, but the tradition is much older. Romanian kilims have been influenced by the period of Turkish rule beginning in the sixteenth century. Kilims (scoarta in Romanian) were used in peasant homes as table cloths, bed covers, and wall hangings. Only wealthier families used them as floor coverings. Many Romanian kilims employ eccentric wefts and this permits a more naturalistic rendering of the floral and animal motifs used in these weavings. Some older examples show naive renderings of human figures. Typically, the field is in a contrasting color to the wide borders. Older kilims are all wool while contemporary products are wool wefted on cotton warps. Currently, there is a large volume of Romanian kilims imported into the United States. Designs are modifications of traditional motifs with non-traditional pastel colors.

Bibliography

• Peter F. Stone. 2013. Oriental Rugs: An Illustrated Lexicon of Motifs, Materials, and Origins. North Clarendon: Tuttle.