Darning is a traditional and old art in our country, Iran, which came into existence alongside the art of carpet weaving, and it is a skill that can re-enliven an old carpet.
The value of darning becomes clearer when an expensive carpet is damaged and is in need of repair. Damage can be in the form of a tear, a burn, and fabric decomposition. A darner repairs such damage to a carpet.
In the middle of Tehran’s crowded bazaar, there are quiet halls or timchehs where unknown artists excelling at the darning of handwoven carpets work — masters who darn expensive and valuable carpets with panache and give them another life.
The craft of darning was born simultaneously as carpet weaving, but there is no word of this craft in history books. Even so, it is through this craft that such damage as askew lines and tears are repaired. The duty of a darner is to make a carpet perfect enough to be presented to buyers.
Today, with the advancements in human societies, the craft of rug darning has advanced considerably as well and has turned into a specialized and difficult task and an art form.
Of course, petty repair such as sewing the long margins, weaving the roots, and trimming the edges of the carpet can be done at home, but such work as darning and removing wrinkles on a carpet can only be carried out by professional darners.
The tools of darning are the same ones used in carpet weaving. They include:
Here we take an only cursory look at the stages of darning:
It can sometimes be very expensive to have a rug darned, and some may find it unaffordable.
Darning using such superficial methods as coloring with markers would only be temporary and the discoloring would reemerge after some time.
Darning may also devalue a rug. A handwoven rug that is not darned has more value.
Darning a carpet has just enough value as repairing historical and artistic artifacts, and is considered an artistic and research-based activity in the field of cultural heritage.
The images that follow show artists in the field at work. They were published by the Young Journalists’ Club (YJC)
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