site.btaChiprovski Carpets, Tradition of Carpet-making in Chiprovtsi Inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity

Chiprovski Carpets, Tradition of Carpet-making in Chiprovtsi
Inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of Intangible Cultural
Heritage of Humanity

Sofia, November 26 (BTA) - The ninth session of the UNESCO
Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage taking place in Paris has decided
unanimously to inscribe the Tradition of Chiprovtsi Carpet
Making on the Representative List of Intangible Cultural
Heritage of Humanity, the Bulgarian Culture Ministry said in a
press release on Wednesday.


The Bulgarian nomination for inscription on the List of the
Chiprovtsi carpet weaving was made at the end of 2013.

The Chiprovtsi carpets are the third Bulgarian inclusion on the
List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity after the
Bistritsa Grannies (2206/2008) and fire dancing (2009).

Chiprovtsi's Nomination Form for inclusion in the list says that
the people of Chiprovtsi have preserved their old-fashioned
vertical hand looms. From high above the weaver takes several
threads of the warp with her left hand, weaves the welt thread
into the warp and thumps it with a small comb "to make the
carpet tight". This interlacing method results in flat,
two-sided tapestries for floor covering. In Chiprovtsi the full
cycle of carpet production used to be complete: sheep-breeding
and wool processing, dyeing and weaving, which is still
practised by a considerable number of women. The yarn, when
naturally dyed, gives soft pastel carpet hues, while the
chemical dyes (first introduced at the end of the nineteenth
century) make the carpets brighter.

Carpet weaving goes hand in hand with beliefs, verbal formulae
and ritual practices. Weaving always starts with a prayer and
wishes for success. At the loom the women sing, tell stories and
leave the door open "to sell the carpet quickly". Waste warp
threads are trampled down and taken out so that the young virgin
carpet makers "might get married as soon as possible". Finally,
when the carpet is already finished, the women swing "for
health" a child in it.
At the beginning the population of Chiprovtsi was making carpets
for itself, but gradually carpet weaving became home industry
for sale. Today people weave both for themselves and for living.

The young people of Chiprotsi learn how to dye wool with natural
dyes and weave at home as well as in the local school and
chitalishte community centre. PK /ZH/

//