Handwoven Textiles Made in Maine

Luddites were weavers who rightly feared industrialization would take their jobs, arguing not against the societal advances, but the loss of their livelihoods. It’s a prescient understanding of the effects of industrialization on production, without accounting for the benefits which later come. In a world wherein so much is mass produced, it seems the appreciation of handwork is on the rebound.

Whether it’s for the war rugs woven during the era of the Soviet invasion, or for weaving in exile in Pakistan during turbulent years under the Taliban, the weavers of Afghanistan are renown for two things: the quality of their craft and the inimitable qualities of the region’s Ghazni wool. Equally as unique is the will of its people, particularly its women—standard bearers of the Afghan carpet—as the country enters into a 21st century global economy.

Transplanted Techniques Define the Modern Era

In the Fall 2017 issue of Rug Insider we explored traditional Iranian felt making at the hands of Peace Industries in the article Revivalist Modern, pages 39-41. But seeing as no one country or region holds a monopoly on the technique it is such that we now explore traditional Turkish felt making, made modern and transplanted as it has been to Massachusetts. This is the story of The Ram and The Worm.

As both a leader in the fight to eliminate illegal-child-labor in global supply chains and an observer of the hand-knotted rug and carpet industry over the past twenty-five years, GoodWeave CEO Nina Smith has seen a lot. She shares with Rug Insider Magazine her thoughts on some of those who have affected real change within the industry.

More than marketing hype, the differences at New Moon are tangible.

Erika Kurtz is the second-generation principal of New Moon Rugs, an early pioneer of the modern era’s genre of hand-knotted Nepali-Tibetan rugs. Founded in 1993 by John Kurtz with an unwavering dedication to the highest standards of craftsmanship and design, New Moon continues to foster the deep-rooted commitment to socially responsible business practices upon which the firm was founded. Since 2004, John’s daughter Erika has been guiding the production, design, and management of the business. These are her thoughts on being a woman in the evolving rug and carpet industry.

The notion of collecting—of mixing and matching—is nothing new in the world of interiors, nor within certain genres of carpets. In fact for many, a proper interior is soulless without the the air of unpredictability so often seen in great collections. But to transcend antique and modern? Rug Insider invited a few esteemed colleagues to show us how.