Mythology and lore of creation
Rug weaving is deeply tied to Iranian culture, history, and art. Nomadic and village weavings have their own unique history and traditions and carry significant information and stories about their creators. They contain meaningful symbols, beliefs taken from myths and folklore that were handed down from one generation to the next. Not only were the motifs regarded as powerful, but also the belief in the act of tying knots to manifest desires made hand-knotted weavings incredibly strong talismans that served an important purpose in the lives of the nomadic groups.
Phase 1 : Research
Over the course of ten months in 2018 and 2019, I traveled and researched in major cities throughout Iran where rug production has been the main source of income for majority of nomads and villagers.
I spent time with close to 80 weavers, women from very humble backgrounds, discussing how and when they began weaving, what impact weaving has had on their lives and how they regard it as artisans. They shared their memories from childhood, as young women and later as wives who would use this craft to support their large families.
Phase 2 : Revive
After an extensive search for zehni bafs—artisans who weave entirely from memory—four weavers were selected for the collaboration. Each chose a memory that held personal significance to shape their piece. I shared my research on the history of symbols and traditional designs specific to each weaver’s ethnic background. For most, the original meanings of the motifs has been lost over generations, with some replaced by new names or adapted for new uses, highlighting how these stories evolve even as the craft endures.
Phase 3 : Restore
An important outcome of Anamnesis was to not only give the weavers support and new information to work on a personal project, but to also reinstate the weavers as creators. Currently, they are only recognized as hands producing a product and most are severely underpaid for their time and expertise. Their generational knowledge is regarded as disposable and the importance of giving them agency is not a factor in how they are treated or compensated.