Hoshlarpnr 

 and Data la. 



CARPETS 

 AMRITSAR AND KASHMIR AND RUGS 



Kashmir 



discovered at Peshawar, and, with the exception of a few looms in the Amritsar 

 jails, tht-n- is no local industry. A beautiful ciirpet, the property of Mr. O. 

 Suiting, i* figured in the Journal of Indian Art for April 1905, and said to have 

 mi u Lahore factory in the 17th century. 



rin- is prol.aMy the most important carpet-weaving centre in Amritur. 

 although the industry would appear to be quite modern. I have not 

 Mi- to find any references to it, either in the East India Co.' Letters or 

 t !, ol.l.T books of travel. It may be said to be mainly in the hands of Hindus 

 employ Kuropean supervision, and Muhammadan weavers who work (for 

 art) on the contract system. It is affirmed that the utmost care is 

 in -.iii-ing the oldest and choicest patterns and in selecting the wool 

 uetable dyes. Pashm (the fine shawl-wool) and camel's hair are 

 for the best descriptions, and, as with all Indian carpets, the work is done 

 ly ly hand. There are several factories, some of which possess as many 

 IIMI looms, others not more than eight or ten. The industries of Hoshiarpur 

 ami Batu/,1 may be taken as off-shoots of the carpet-weaving of Amritsar. 



In Kashmir there are several factories which turn out extremely beautiful 

 The trade is in Srinagar, and the factories are practically all owned 

 , and were originated to find labour for the shawl-weavers who 

 thrown out of employment through the decline in the demand for their 

 itary craft manufactures. The plates in the Journal of Indian Art (1905), 

 and October (six in number), fully exemplify this style. The fine old carpets 

 in the Asar Mahal of Bijapur are believed to date from 1657 and to 

 ne from Kashmir. If this be correct the Delhi Emperors may have 

 ied a factory in the " Happy Valley " 250 years ago. The carpets in 

 >n are fully representative of the styles usually designated Mughal. [Cf. 

 Iml. Art., I.e. Jan.] 



Hultan is often spoken of as having an indigenous carpet industry, or at Multan. 

 events one which dates prior to the introduction of the Persian craft. It 

 seems probable that the so-called Multan conceptions were modelled on 

 brought long ago from Turkestan, in consequence of the Pawindah trade. 

 Tin- narrow shape, bold yet not clear detail, and vivid colouring are charac- 

 t'-ri-t ics of both Multan and Turkestan carpets. On the other hand, Mr. Latimer 

 aks of the household industry of Multan as characterised by names of tools, 

 i, and methods of weaving that are clearly of Persian origin. Examples 

 Multan and Dera Ismail Khan carpets are to be seen in the Journal of 



n Art (1905), July and October numbers. Bahawalpur carpets differ but Bahawalpur. 

 from those of Multan. In passing, mention may be made of a recent 

 >mpt to utilise in the local carpet industry the vast supplies of the floss of 



latri>iK f/iymiteii (p. 207). 



Peshawar is, as has been already observed, the emporium for Trans-frontier 

 gs, notably Turkoman or Tekke (commonly called Bokhara) rugs and the 

 pensive Herat and Yarkand carpets. In Kohat and Bannu and a few other 

 (es along the North- West Frontier a peculiar form of rug is produced called 

 ?', in which loops of the weft threads are made to protrude an inch or so 

 >n each pair of the warp strands. The designs are usually in purple or 

 n with black, yellow, and sometimes green. The result is crude but not 

 istic. 



2. Rajputana and Central India. From the jail-looms of Jaipur excellent rugs 

 d carpets are produced. Some of the most historic of pile carpets are, it is said, 

 the possession of His Highness the Maharaja. In the Journal of Indian Art 

 given a coloured illustration of one of the gems of that series. Bikanir pro- 

 ves the best carpet-wool in India, and is thus eminently suited to become 



,t weaving centre. The Central Jail has for some years taken a high 

 for the quality and artistic merit of its carpets. The patterns followed 

 mostly those of the famous book on Oriental Carpets published by the 

 Imperial and Royal Austrian Commercial Museum, and the carpets produced 

 have attained a position of great merit, through the enlightened interest taken 

 in the subject by His Highness the Maharaja. Ajmir jail also produces many Ajmir. 

 nt carpets and beautiful rugs. 



3. Slad and Baluchistan. The carpets manufactured in Sind closely resemble sind and 



made in Multan. They are said to be the cheapest, coarsest, and least Haliwhtotan. 

 durable of all Indian carpets. The Baluchistan rugs are in design Turkoman, 



rsian. They arrive by camel-caravan at Quetta (and Peshawar also) from 

 Afghanistan, mainly Seistan. They are made mostly of goat's hair, which gives 



273 18 



Kohat and 

 Banna. 



Bajpatana and 

 C.India. 



Jaipur. 

 Bikanir. 



