Carpet - what is it? A word has several meanings. One of them is associated with decorating and warming the home. Carpet is one of the oldest human inventions, which relates to the nomad’s yurt and to the nobleman’s palace.
For many centuries, the carpet not only symbolized wealth, but also was the subject of art, since its production is a long and painstaking work by hand.
Details of what it is, carpet, later in the article.
In the literal and figurative sense
The meaning of the word "carpet" in the dictionaries is given in several versions, namely:
- Type of decorative coating, consisting of thick fabric, intended for walls, floors, sofas, other surfaces with the purpose of their insulation and decoration. (The pride of the marquise was a luxurious carpet, which was presented to her the day before, and now adorned one of the walls of the boudoir.).
- In a figurative sense - a certain substance that forms a continuous cover on the surface of the earth. (The central square of the city was decorated with floral carpets of unprecedented beauty).
- In some sports, as a rule, in martial arts, the cover is made of fabric, which limits the space of training and competition. (Going out of the carpet in floor exercises is a serious mistake).
Synonyms
The word "carpet" has many synonyms:
- Coating.
- Palace
- Tatami.
- Doormat.
- Tapestry.
- Carpet.
- Track.
- Mat.
- Trellis.
- Kilim.
- Mat.
- Floorboard.
Etymology
The word "carpet" comes from the old Russian "carpet". Similar properties are available in:
- Czech (koberec, kober);
- Bulgarian (Guber).
Based on the fact that the word has unusual phonetic features, scientists make an assumption that it is borrowed from Old Russian from Turkic languages. Perhaps the source was the Danube-Bulgarian kavǝr - “felt blanket”.
One of the very first uses of this term in Old Russian is its mention in The Tale of Bygone Years, which says that Yaropolk sent to find his brother, and bodies were pulled out from the moat from morning to evening, and when Oleg was found under them, carried out and laid on the carpet.
Carpet Types
Ithaca, we found out that a carpet is a textile product, very widespread, which is used both for human survival in harsh northern conditions, and to satisfy his aesthetic needs. In our reality today there are both products from yarn of various types, and their imitation obtained from synthetic materials.
Carpets in accordance with the nature of the patterns and manufacturing techniques are divided into three groups:
- Pile.
- Lint-free.
- Felt.
There is another classification reflecting both production technology and the method by which the yarn is fixed on the basis. Depending on these indicators, these types of carpets are distinguished:
- Woven.
- Wicker.
- Felt.
- Tufted (bundled).
- Needle Punched.
The cheapest are tufted and needle-punched carpets. This is because their production method is automated, high-speed. As for woven products, it is much more difficult to make them, it takes more time, they are an imitation of handmade, and therefore are expensive. This product consists of two systems of threads that cross each other, longitudinal and transverse.
Modern technologies
In the 19th century, aniline dyes were invented (organic compounds obtained by the oxidation of aniline extracted from an indigo plant). From this time, an unprecedented boom in carpet weaving begins, which entailed a sharp drop in products in price. Previously, Persia was the hegemon in this area, now China, Turkey and some European countries began to crowd it.
Nevertheless, even today the highest quality carpets are very expensive, for example, made from silk threads. Gradually, aniline paints are replaced by synthetic and polymeric ones; they do not fade and do not need to be fixed. The third generation of dyes include chromium. If you compare them with natural ones, the difference will be small, except that they are not so juicy in color.
Thanks to modern technologies, today the quality of synthetic and classic carpets is almost equal, and synthetic in addition also have an advantage in operation: it is much easier to care for them.
A bit of history
As mentioned above, a carpet is a very ancient product. Its history goes back several thousand years. The first carpets with paintings made of fabric date from about the 16th-11th centuries BC. e. Their images were found in the tomb of Pharaoh Thutmose IV.
Carpets received special recognition in the culture of nomadic peoples. Their very appearance is closely connected with their life, which took place in a harsh continental climate, had to be insulated. With the adoption of Islam by nomads, images of all living things - birds, horses, camels - began to disappear from the carpets. They began to be replaced by symbols and abstractions, which conveyed the basic provisions of the Koran.
Today, abstract patterns on carpets are predominant, but with them, floral ornaments remain popular.