Horizontal looms and vertical looms – urban and nomadic tools

The first thing that catches your eye when you enter a Qom workshop is a large vertical loom stretching towards the ceiling. Multicolored silk threads are lined up at the top of the loom, and a partially woven carpet hangs down towards the floor. In contrast, when I visited nomads in Ashayeri, near the Turkish border, the scene was completely different. Their looms were set horizontally on the ground, simple enough to be easily dismantled and carried on their backs on the morning of a move.

There are two main types of "looms" used for weaving Persian carpets: horizontal looms and vertical looms. This difference is not merely structural; it directly impacts the weaver's lifestyle, the size of the artwork, and the precision of the finished product.

Horizontal Looms — Tools Suited for Nomadic Life

A horizontal loom is a type of loom where the warp threads are stretched parallel to the ground. It evolved to suit the lifestyle of nomads and semi-nomads, including the Ashayeri people.

Their greatest features are their simplicity, lightness, and ease of disassembly and assembly. They can be carried along when the tent moves in the morning, reassembled in a new location, and weaving can resume. In a life that involves moving several times a year, the loom being a "portable tool" was a prerequisite for their existence.

However, due to its structure, the size of carpets that can be woven is limited to smaller ones, as it is difficult to secure sufficient length when stretching warp threads on the ground. Many of the simple, small pieces of tribal carpets from Bakhtiari, Qashqai, and Shahsavan are woven on horizontal looms.

The rustic and powerful ethnic designs of these carpets emerged from such tools and lifestyles. It can be said that the constraint of a "portable loom" ultimately created the unique texture of nomadic carpets.

Vertical Looms — For Large-Scale Works in Urban Workshops

Vertical looms are large looms with warp threads stretched vertically, and they are used in settled urban workshops. Qom, Isfahan, Tabriz, Na'in, and other major Persian carpet producing regions all have workshops that use vertical looms.

There are three main advantages to vertical looms. First, because long warp threads can be stretched vertically, large carpets suitable for living rooms and reception areas can be woven. Second, the tension of the warp threads can be finely adjusted, allowing for the creation of high-density pieces. Third, because the loom itself is stable, there is less distortion during long periods of work.

High-density pieces with over 1 million knots per square meter, like Qom silk carpets, can only be woven on vertical looms. Weavers sit on chairs and work, checking each knot at eye level. This work requires sustained concentration while maintaining the same posture for long periods.

Main Parts of a Loom

Both horizontal and vertical looms share a common basic structure. Here's a brief overview of the role of their main parts.

• Warp threads: Tightly stretched on the loom, these threads form the skeleton of the carpet. Generally cotton, but silk warp threads may also be used for high-density Qom silk carpets.
• Weft threads: Threads passed horizontally through each row of knots. They secure the knots and enhance the overall strength of the carpet.
• Beams: Rods that wind up the woven section. As weaving progresses, the carpet is wound up, maintaining the weaver's workspace.
• Tension adjustment device: A device that keeps the tension of the warp threads constant. If this is loose, the knots will be uneven, making it a particularly important part of the loom.

For more details on material selection (whether warp is cotton or silk, and pile is wool or silk), please see Wool vs. Silk — Which to Choose for Your First Carpet.

Loom and Work Relationship — It's Not About Which is Superior

It's not a question of whether horizontal looms or vertical looms are superior. Each tool has evolved to suit the weaver's lifestyle and the scale of the work.

The simplicity and mobility of horizontal looms are well-suited for the small carpets of nomads. They weave with local materials, local designs, and to the rhythm of their lives. On the other hand, the stability and precision of vertical looms are necessary for large silk carpets woven over many years in urban workshops. The division of labor among designers, dyers, weavers, and washers is also only possible in settled workshops.

When choosing a carpet, you don't necessarily need to consider "which type of loom it was woven on." However, knowing that the type of loom is the background when observing whether a piece has the rustic charm of nomadic origin or the intricate finish of an urban workshop can deepen your understanding of the work.

Difference from Machine-Woven

Many machine-woven carpets are also available in the market. Machine weaving does not "tie" knots, but rather implants pile onto a base fabric by a different method, so while they may look similar externally, they are fundamentally different.

The reverse side of machine-woven carpets does not show the distinctive knot patterns of handwoven carpets. The rows are mechanically uniform, lacking the subtle irregularities and individuality found in handwoven pieces. Their prices are also significantly different, and their durability for long-term use is also not comparable.

Products that emphasize "100% silk, high density" while having extremely large knot counts (e.g., 2.25 million knots) can be safely assumed to be machine-woven. For specific information on how to distinguish between handwoven and machine-woven carpets, please see Knot Count and Raj — Describing Weaving Density by Feel, Not Just Numbers.

The Relationship Between Tools and People

A loom is merely a tool for weaving Persian carpets. Yet, it is only when a person sits before that tool, tying threads for months and years, that a single carpet comes into being.

An elderly weaver in a Qom workshop once told me, "The loom is like a part of my body." By sitting before the same loom for a long time, the tension of the warp threads and even the faint sounds the loom makes become familiar to one's body, she said. When you see a finished carpet, I hope you might spare a small thought for the posture of the person who wove it, and the loom they faced.

The entire process of making a Persian carpet, from design to finishing, is summarized in The Making of a Persian Carpet — From Design to Finishing. The discussion of looms falls under the "weaving frame" and "handweaving" stages in that process.