Vertical loom

An Iranian woman working at a vertical loom.

The loom, in which the carpet is made, is also a frame where the warp is tightened. The construction is similar to the horizontal looms and it has two beams on the sides and one close to the ground and one beam at the top. The size of the carpet is limited to these dimensions. Carpets that are woven this way are more exact in their measurements than others.

Usually this kind of looms are used in villages and at workshops, and its construction is much more complicated than the horizontal looms.

There are different kinds of vertical looms. In some designs the warp and carpet can be rolled up on both beams making it possible to let out new warp as the work progresses. At the same time, the carpet is being wound up on the lower beam, making it possible to weave really large carpets.

A weaver at a different kind of vertical loom.

The looms in the workshops are large and stable with the possibility to stretch the warp and the carpet thoroughly. When weaving large carpets many weavers work side by side, while one weaver works alone on a smaller loom.

In the homes the looms are sometimes more simple and not always stable. Because of this village carpets for example often show a certain irregularity in their shapes.

A vertical loom in a village in Iran.
A close-up of a loom where you can see the warp and pile.
With experienced fingers the work progresses fast.

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