Things you should know about a hand-knotted rug from Obeetee
Anything handmade is much more than a product; it's a piece of art. From inspiration to execution, every handmade article goes through a journey. In that journey, it becomes a part of the artisan's life. Along with a journey on its own, where it witnesses seasonal changes and everything else that the surroundings go through. Unlike machine-made articles, handmade accents are time-consuming. They require a lot of hard work, concentration, and affection. The artisan really needs to love what he is doing to bring out the best of the art that he has mastered for ages.
When it comes to handmade articles, carpets are among the oldest in this category. It was the early 1300s when the art of handmaking carpets was discovered. No one knew that the art that was once started by Nomads as a hobby would take over the world of decor like this. In India, this art was brought by the Mughals. Akbar, one of the successful Mughal emperors, was a fanatic about art and architecture. He called Persian artisans who taught the art of carpet making to Indian artisans who then started to make carpets for the Mughal courts. Gradually, this art became a part of the culture and has been passed on since generation as heirlooms to he weavers of today. We at Obeetee not only started this business to encapsulate the art of carpet making but to keep the magic of handmade goods alive and to support the livelihood of the weavers. What began in 1920, today is one of the biggest handmade carpet manufacturing companies with the largest weaver family ever. 25000 weavers.
Now that you have an idea about handmade rugs, there are a few points that you should be aware of if you have a handmade rug or are planning to buy one.
1. Can be expensive- Unlike machine-made goods, handmade carpets are a result of hard work and manual labour. We believe that if the artisan is pouring his blood and sweat to craft one rug over 3-6 months, he deserves to be compensated accordingly. The higher the knot count, the more the effort and the cost of the rug.
2. The Quality- At Obeetee, we only see the best quality of materials sourced sustainably. From wool extracted from New Zealand to the cotton sourced from the highly fertile fields in our country, every item comprises nothing but the best. This makes the rug durable, comfortable, and tough enough to last for generations. Did you know? The oldest rug in the world is around 2500 years old.
3. Maintenance and care- If you take care of things, they last. Irrespective of the superior quality of the carpet, you need to make sure that handmade rugs are taken care of. In situations of spills and stains, act immediately. Use a damp cloth and dab. Vigorously rubbing the stain can lead to damaging the texture of the canvas. Bi-weekly, make sure to do a vacuum run. The dust particles can embed themselves between the knots. Moreover, many of our hand-knotted rugs are machine washable.
4. Artisanal Value- Hand-knotted carpets from our house have a lot of value. Not because each of these is made using centuries-old crafting techniques, but because our weavers put everything they have in each rug. They knot the rug in the comfort of their homes. Since each carpet takes at least 3-6 months to be created, it becomes a part of the weaver and their family. While you lay the carpet in your home, it comes with not just efforts but emotions and stories of the weaver’s home.
To learn more or to shop, you can visit our e-commerce platform- https://www.obeetee.in/ or any of our flagship stores spread across the country.
