History In days gone by, the high technical accomplishments of classical carpets and their luxurious materials astonished the world. Today, more than four centuries later, India remains a major producer of fine, quality hand-knotted carpets. Rathore & Sear has hand picked a selection of the finest rugs and runners for the European market.
Little has changed in the basic techinque of hand-knotted pile carpets, and in the present looms we see the history of three and four hundred years ago.
On vertical roller looms the weavers set to work on the wrap (usually sturdy cotton yarn) stretched tightly top to bottom, to create, inch by inch, magical patterns in floral, geometrics and other contemprory designs. The wrap runs the length of the carpet and its tension must be evenly maintained; the closer the wrap threads, the finer the weave. Across this, to the width of the carpet, run the weft threads which pass over and under the wrap, and both wrap and weft provide the foundation for the rows of wool or silk knots that are tied on to form the pile, the upright yarn that will be trimmed once the carpet is finished. The carpet design comes from the pile, so we may imagine the foundation as a giant canvas on which the pile is like a "painting" that has been knotted in. Knots in coloured yarns are tied around consecutive wrap threads, and there are different sorts of knots, of which the most commonly used in India is the Senneh or Persian knot.
Handmade & hand knotted carpets are a craft which need huge amounts of time and labour. The fact is that carpet making remains a cottage industry with looms disperced over wide rural and semi-rural areas. There are premises where a number of looms operate together like a factory, however the bulk of weaving takes place in village homes, where weavers, often members of a family, work on commissions where the design and specification has been provided by the client.
The "Karkhana" or workshop is the place where inventories are controlled and stocks maintained. It is the vital store-house for "Naksha" (design & plan) that is sent to the weavers, and the source of raw materials such as dyed yarns. It is where the quality checks and finishing process like clipping and sorting are carried out. From start to finish, the entire process is labour intensive and involves specialist functions such as dyeing the yarn and washing the carpet. Rathore & Sear is a company with a reputation for quality and commitment. We maintain high standards and are very particular about each aspect of operation, from ensuring the precise shade of yarn to monitoring the progress on the loom.
We hope you find what you are looking for. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us. | 
