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92 SUMMER MADE IN AFGHANISTAN 01 Photo of Afghanistan courtesy of Ishkar. Photo by Glen Wilde 01 What is an Afghan rug? Looking historically, that is a complicated question, as the rugs and embroidered textiles made in the area were generally attributed to the nomadic tribes that made them: Baluch, Turkmen, Kazakh and Uzbek weavers. This is a country where tribal names trumped national identification. You might be looking at an Afghan rug and not know. In the 19th century, Turkmen tribes settled in villages, and the rugs being produced locally were influenced by their red, gül-heavy designs. In the 20th century, Afghanistan’s output focused on traditional design for the local market and for export; but as rug tastes in the West changed at the end of the century, Afghan rugs began to fall out of favour. Caused by ongoing war and upheaval, the population’s lack of direct contact with the rest of the world caused a disconnect between the aims of the makers and the needs of a global market. In addition Afghan rugs were often—and still are—finished and shipped through Pakistan, missing out on a ‘Made in Afghanistan’ label. With the rug industry being an important financial sector within the country, this was an area that clearly needed updating amid ongoing unrest. Despite the situation the country has faced for decades, things have changed, which is what this section goes some way towards demonstrating. Some of the world’s most stylish, respected brands are making beautiful rugs in the country. ABC Italia (sister company to Amini) was founded in 1962 in Herat, moving to Frankfurt in 1979 owing to the Soviet-Afghan War, which also saw the relocation of the Ahmadi family to America. Today the two brands represent the height of sophisticated rug production in the US and Europe. This is without even mentioning names such as Oritop, Andkhuy and many others who have brought high-quality Afghan rugs to an appreciative market for many years. When I first joined Hali Publications Ltd twenty years ago, what Afghan rugs meant to me was the unpacking of the bales on the Ariana stand at Domotex Hanover in January. It was an annual event that everyone looked forward to with bated breath. What unexpected treasures would emerge, and who’d manage to bag the best? In this section it is impossible not to mention the work of NGO Turquoise Mountain, who began rug production in Aghanistan in 2017. I introduce the organisation’s head rug designer, Maryam Omar, and look at one of its most exclusive projects for The King’s Lodge at the Connaught Hotel in London. In addition, our report on USAID’s ACEBA project expresses the ambitious aims and success stories of the fiveyear undertaking. I do not want the overriding message of the articles to read that the country is only able to create rugs with outside assistance, but rather that there are many outsiders who believe the industry is one that is worth investing in. These articles o er a snapshot of why Afghan rugs are important in the market today. I felt the need to be wary about portraying the country with too bleak or too rosy an outlook. There was a fine line to be trod through the narratives while trying to express what the country’s rug industry is able to produce today.
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I S SUE 93 01 01–03 Taimany collection rugs by ABC Italia and its Afghan weavers 02 03 Weaving stories Who can tell the tale of a faraway place better than the people who live there? When weavers take charge of rug designs, the result is an outpouring of history, personal experience and knowledge. Here, Lucy Upward reports on ABC Italia’s Taimany rugs It is not often that weavers are given full charge of the design of the rug they are weaving. However, there are a few collections on the market in which this di erent approach is turned into a selling point; one of those is by ABC Italia. The company’s Taimany collection has been a highlight of displays such as Domotex and the company’s 60th-anniversary celebration exhibition at Villa Erba on Lake Como last year. In COVER 72, when I asked ABC’s Ferid Amini for some of his favourite ABC and Amini designs, he chose four, including one Taimany rug. ‘Among the most significant rugs I have to mention the instinctive Taimany Belouch weaves initiated by my brother Basir Amini in Afghanistan,’ he says. The company’s roots lie deep in the country in which the brothers’ father, Sultan Amini, founded it in 1962. It is now based in Somaglia, just outside Milan, but the connection with Afghanistan remains strong. The Taimany collection was created from a long-term collaboration between the Amini Brothers Company and the local tribes in Taimany, a district northeast of Kabul. The project was initiated by Basir Amini back in 2016. He comments, ‘The designer weavers are Taimany women, gifted with a long history in weaving, embroidering and knitting. To these talents they add a distinctive ornamental and chromatic aesthetic, as can be seen even in vintage and antique Taimany rugs.’ The weavers are given dyed wool and asked to express themselves with a colourful palette. Therefore, each Taimany rug is a unique product. With their contemporary nomadic outlook and expressive nature, the Amini family liken the rugs to the nomadic gabbeh carpets of the 70s and 80s—a genuine expression of a particular place and time. This Taimany carpet project not only benefits the weavers financially, but also empowers the women to ‘apply their traditional skills, inborn creativity and sensibility to create contemporary soughtafter artworks with important added values’, says Basir. The collection’s value is undeniable. It is appreciated by rug dealers worldwide and sought by carpet collectors and design lovers. As Basir says: ‘The careful selection of wool, the artistic diversity and the original craftsmanship have contributed to this collection now enjoying an outstanding reputation in the international carpet and design scene.’ www.abcitalia.net

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92 SUMMER

MADE IN AFGHANISTAN

01 Photo of Afghanistan courtesy of Ishkar. Photo by Glen Wilde

01

What is an Afghan rug? Looking historically, that is a complicated question, as the rugs and embroidered textiles made in the area were generally attributed to the nomadic tribes that made them: Baluch, Turkmen, Kazakh and Uzbek weavers. This is a country where tribal names trumped national identification. You might be looking at an Afghan rug and not know. In the 19th century, Turkmen tribes settled in villages, and the rugs being produced locally were influenced by their red, gül-heavy designs.

In the 20th century, Afghanistan’s output focused on traditional design for the local market and for export; but as rug tastes in the West changed at the end of the century, Afghan rugs began to fall out of favour. Caused by ongoing war and upheaval, the population’s lack of direct contact with the rest of the world caused a disconnect between the aims of the makers and the needs of a global market. In addition Afghan rugs were often—and still are—finished and shipped through Pakistan, missing out on a ‘Made in Afghanistan’ label. With the rug industry being an important financial sector within the country, this was an area that clearly needed updating amid ongoing unrest.

Despite the situation the country has faced for decades, things have changed, which is what this section goes some way towards demonstrating. Some of the world’s most stylish, respected brands are making beautiful rugs in the country. ABC Italia (sister company to Amini) was founded in 1962 in Herat, moving to Frankfurt in 1979 owing to the Soviet-Afghan War, which also saw the relocation of the Ahmadi family to America. Today the two brands represent the height of sophisticated rug production in the US and Europe. This is without even mentioning names such as Oritop, Andkhuy and many others who have brought high-quality Afghan rugs to an appreciative market for many years.

When I first joined Hali Publications Ltd twenty years ago, what Afghan rugs meant to me was the unpacking of the bales on the Ariana stand at Domotex Hanover in January. It was an annual event that everyone looked forward to with bated breath. What unexpected treasures would emerge, and who’d manage to bag the best?

In this section it is impossible not to mention the work of NGO Turquoise Mountain, who began rug production in Aghanistan in 2017. I introduce the organisation’s head rug designer, Maryam Omar, and look at one of its most exclusive projects for The King’s Lodge at the Connaught Hotel in London. In addition, our report on USAID’s ACEBA project expresses the ambitious aims and success stories of the fiveyear undertaking.

I do not want the overriding message of the articles to read that the country is only able to create rugs with outside assistance, but rather that there are many outsiders who believe the industry is one that is worth investing in. These articles o er a snapshot of why Afghan rugs are important in the market today. I felt the need to be wary about portraying the country with too bleak or too rosy an outlook. There was a fine line to be trod through the narratives while trying to express what the country’s rug industry is able to produce today.

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