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Chiprovtsi Carpet Weaving

Chiprovtsi carpets are double-sided textiles with distinctive geometric patterns. The knowledge is passed on in families and was inscribed by UNESCO in 2014.

3 chapters1 source

Chiprovtsi Carpet Weaving — paper-cutout illustration

The carpet and its patterns

A Chiprovtsi carpet is woven on a vertical loom. Both sides are identical; geometric figures and colours make the local weaving tradition recognisable. Wool is prepared and dyed before weaving. Natural dyes give softer tones, while other dyes produce brighter colours.

A skill passed between generations

The weaver passes the weft through the warp and tightens each row. The work requires memory for shapes, a sense of colour and considerable time. UNESCO describes mothers and grandmothers teaching daughters, often while weaving together.

A living part of Chiprovtsi

Weaving is also associated with songs, stories and wishes for success before a new carpet is begun. It remains part of Chiprovtsi’s social and cultural life. UNESCO inscribed the tradition on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2014.

NEXT TRADITIONBistritsa Babi — The Grandmothers of Bistritsa

Sources and credits

Publications

Historical information, local examples and current practices were checked against these publications.

ЮНЕСКО — The tradition of carpet-making in Chiprovtsi

Illustration

Created with ImageGen for СБОРЪ.БГ. An artistic interpretation of the custom, rather than a documentary photograph.

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