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Types Of Looms
There are two primary types of looms utilized in contemporary rug
weaving. These are the ground or horizontal loom and the
vertical loom. There are three types of vertical looms: the village type,
the City type, and the roller
beam
type.
The ground or horizontal loom is the simplest of the
looms. The warp threads are fastened to an upper and lower beam, which are
held in place by stakes driven into the ground. It is used by nomadic
tribes and village peasants because it is easily collapsed and may be
moved from place to place. When the nomads are ready to move, the stakes
are removed and the unfinished carpet is rolled around one of the beams.
Once resettled, the weaver may unroll the carpet, reset the stakes, and
again begin the weaving process.
The simplest of the vertical looms is the village type. The
weaver may sit either on the ground or on a plank; the plank is raised or
lowered so that the weaver is always seated directly in front of the area
of the carpet on which he or she is working. The warp threads are attached
to the upper and lower beams of a simple wooden frame. Although the length
of the carpet is usually only as long as the distance between the upper
and lower beams, it is possible to make the carpet longer by a complicated
process. In this procedure the warp threads are loosened and the completed
part of the rug is reattached to the lower beam. The warp threads are then
retightened on the upper beam, and the weaving process is continued.
The City type loom, so named because it originated in the Iranian town
of City, is a little more complicated than the village type. The warp
threads pass in a continuous loop around the upper and lower beams. The
weavers do not have to be raised with this type of loom because, as the
weaving process progresses, the rug may be lowered down around the lower
beam and up the back of the loom. The completed part of the carpet can
then easily be inspected. With this type of loom, the length of the carpet
can be made twice the distance between the upper and lower beams.
The roller beam type is the most advanced of the loom types. Warp
threads are wound around the upper beam with their ends attached to the
lower beam. As the weaving process progresses, the warp threads are
un-wound from the upper beam and the finished part of the carpet is rolled
around the lower beam. Carpets of any length can easily be woven.
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