Carpets, rugs and textiles

Textiles is the name for many different types of shapes, materials, techniques and areas of use. From the cradle to the grave vi surround ourselves with textiles, everything from clothes and accessories, bedclothes, furnishing textiles, decorative textiles, towels, tent canvases, sails etc. Textiles have been produced in many thousands of... Read more

Textiles is the name for many different types of shapes, materials, techniques and areas of use. From the cradle to the grave vi surround ourselves with textiles, everything from clothes and accessories, bedclothes, furnishing textiles, decorative textiles, towels, tent canvases, sails etc. Textiles have been produced in many thousands of years. People have woven, felted, knitted, crocheted and in other ways produced textiles. At auctions embroidered pictures, drapes, carpets, weavings, table cloths are being sold. Carpets have been knotted from at least around 1800 years B.C. Instead of pelts and animal skin people started to knot carpets to keep warm and as decorative elements. Carpets have been knotted and woven in Asia, Europe and North Africa. The materials can vary between wool (from for instance sheep, goat, camel, cattle etc.), cotton, jute, silk and from the 20th century even synthetic material. Most common in the pile is to use wool, and then silk. From the 15th century and some centuries to come it was highest fashion and status in Europe to own carpets from the Middle East. Many rulers have been portrayed with carpets to show their status. Today Swedish 20th century carpets have increased a lot in popularity in Europe and in the US.