Visiting an Oriental Carpet Store with Juilliard Graduate Florence Paget and Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

Visiting an Oriental Carpet Store with Juilliard Graduate Florence Paget and Savvy Mom Ruth Paget

Even though the sign on the Oriental Carpet display room on Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey, Californai said, “Trade for Dealers Only,” I wanted to learn more about hand-woven carpets.  My daughter Florence was learning to crochet, knit, and sew at her Waldorf School and had just started weaving baskets.  I wanted her to know more about “Oriental Carpets,” too.

I took Florence by the hand and popped my head into the display room.  The owner was on the telephone talking.  I smiled and motioned my hand around the room.

The owner nodded “yes” and motioned for us to come into the store.

He was speaking in a language I had never heard before; it was not Arabic or Farsi.  I suspected it was Dari or Pashto, two of the languages of Afghanistan.  Dari and Farsi were related I later learned, but they did not sound alike I thought.

I asked Florence what carpets she liked.

“I like that long, thin red one,” she replied.  I had worked for an art gallery that sold Persian carpets and said to her, “That is a kilim carpet that you can weave on a portable loom.”

We talked about the colors she liked best in each carpet while the conversation continued.  When the owner finished his conversation, I said, “My daughter is learning to knit and sew at school.  Could you tell us about your carpets?”

He gave us a short monologue that was very informative:

“They are made by Afghan rebels.  The traditional styles have remained the same, but the colors have changed.  Customers wanted new colors in the 1980s.  The rug patterns are the same as those in Iran, but are colored differently, because the vegetable dyes use different flora.”

I immediately told Florence, “ ‘Flora’ means plants.”

The owner could see that not only was I interested, but Florence was, too.  She got right up close to the carpets he was holding to examine the knots.

He took out some smaller carpets that were more Florence’s size and said they were prayer rugs of the Balkh tribe.

He told Florence, “Uneven lines mean the rug was made in a village.  In towns people use patterns to weave.”

The owner told me, “Silk Turkish prayer rugs are not rally used for praying.  Wool is better to go on the ground.”

“Wool protects knees better,” I said.

He told me as Florence was examining a pile of rugs that seventy members of his family made a living from weaving.

“Without weaving, the children and adults would starve.  Doctors, teachers, and parents, who are refugees all have to eat,” he said.

I thanked him showing us the carpets when he had so many responsibilities.

“It was my pleasure,” he said.  “Let your daughter look at the carpets as long as she would like.  I have to get back to the phone.”

“I understand,” I said and was truly thankful for his time.

By Ruth Paget - Author of Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France

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