This article is a reprint scanned in
from a brochure published in the 1930's by the Nichols Chinese Rug Company
The Story of NICHOLS CHINESE RUGS
Foreword
This little brochure has been compiled with the object of
presenting Chinese Rugs in general and Nichols Super Rugs in particular before prospective
purchasers in a manner we believe will stimulate your interest and appreciation.
All experts agree that Chinese Super Rugs as made today represent
the greatest intrinsic value in floor covering fabrics produced anywhere in the world.
Nichols Super Rugs combine that wonderful fabric with designs,
colors and workmanship placing them in a class by themselves. We have illustrated the
following pages as profusely as possible with actual photographs to help us achieve our
objective.
Brief
history
The art of making woven rugs and tapestries goes far back into the
musty realms of antiquity. Chinese rugs may have originated from other countries such as Egypt
and Persia but the first woven rugs were spoken of in Chinese annals so
long ago that Chinese carpets may well have antedated those of any
country. The theories as to whether rug making originated in China or came from the Near
East cannot be substantiated because records so far back in the dim past are confusing.
The growth of rug weaving may even have been contemporaneous in the two parts of the world
as a result of the intercourse maintained by early traders. The swastika which appears in
so many Chinese designs is also found in Egyptian symbolism. It means good luck,
abundance, happiness and prosperity. Some scholars believe this sign to have originated in
China. Carpet weaving attained a high degree of artistic value in the Tigris,Euphrates Valley
and though no Chinese designs are linked with the ruins of Ninevah, the Persian knot used
in weaving most Chinese rugs may have come from there. At first carpets woven in China
were used principally for saddle cloths and for the K'ang or brick couch of the North but
with the advent of Buddhism they assumed greater artistic importance being used not only
for prayer rugs for devotees to kneel upon but also for temple floor coverings and wall
hangings. Until the Ch'ing dynasty carpets were made only in Northwest China and were
brought into Peking as tribute to the Court. The modern industry was founded by a Llama
priest who came to pay tribute to the Court bringing with him examples of the rug weavers
art of Northwest China. The rugs were so popular at the Court that the priest set up a
weaving school outside the East Gate of the city of Peking, and so taught the art of
weaving to the people. It is from the teachings of this Llama priest that the modern
Chinese rug has sprung.
In 1924 W. A. B. Nichols of Tientsin, North China, introduced the
Super Chinese Rug which has become world famous. It is known in every market as the most
durable and beautiful product of the modern Chinese weavers art and adorns the homes of
people all over the earth.
Manufacturing
There are five major departments to be considered in the
manufacture of a Super Rug, namely:
Materials (Wool, Woolen Yarn, warp and Weft)
Dyes and Dyeing
Color and Design
Weaving
Chemical Washing
To obtain perfect results all these things must be of the highest
quality and coordinated under one management. A Nichols Super Rug is entirely a Nichols
product. It is transformed from raw wool into a beautiful floor covering within the
confines of our own factories and when we say our own factories we mean that we own the
buildings, own the looms, own every tool and every rice bowl that is used in them. We do
not "farm" out our yarn to be made into rugs by others - we do it all from
beginning to end.
Factories
Visitors are always welcome to our plants so let us pretend that
you have taken a trip halfway round the world and landed in Tientsin and dropped in to
call upon us. We will take you on a tour of our factories and show you each phase of rug
making separately in order that you may have a clearer understanding of just how it is all
accomplished.
Materials
Wool, of course, is the largest component part of a rug,
accounting for about 80% of its weight, therefore it is of the utmost importance to the
fabric. All the wool that goes into a Nichols Rug is first carefully selected for length
and strength of staple-only live resilient wool being considered suitable. Next it is
thoroughly scoured with soap and warm water to remove dirt and foreign matter. This is
very important because wool that has not been properly scoured will smell very sheepy for
years after. Next the clean wool is sorted again and all the short pieces taken out, also
the black and brown is eliminated and only pure white fleecy wool goes to the spinning
mill. Here it is spun into a uniform woolen yarn by the Mule system of spinning and this
white yarn in the grease goes to the dyer.
Dyeing
The dyeing department is one of the greatest importance. Only the
best foreign dyes are used and these are applied to the yarn by the fastest known process
for dyeing wool. The yarn must first be washed to remove the spinning oil otherwise it
will not dye even and streaks show up in the carpets.
We have over eight hundred different colors and tones of
colors in our collection and still are always developing new ones. Every one of these
colors is guaranteed to be fast to light and washing.
Dyed in the
Wool
All our indigo blues are dyed in the wool to insure uniform
shades. We have twelve tones of indigo blue running from light to very dark.
This is China's national color and used a great deal in Chinese
rugs and are to be found in most antique carpets.
Among the ancient traditional designs the dragon occupies
the foremost position. It is symbolic of royalty and ranks first on all carpets,
embroideries, bronzes, porcelains and palace buildings.
The eight immortal Genii of Taoism, believed to have been
disciples of Lao-Tzu, have passed on their deified attributes as motifs for designs. The
phoenix is also very important. As a messenger of the eight Genii it is the medium of
intercourse between them and living beings. Its appearance heralds good times and happy
events.
India has contributed most of all to the designs of Chinese
rugs through Buddhism. The designs of Chinese carpets are all older than carpet weaving
itself because they are derived from those used in silk weaving. These in turn have the
same origin as the paintings found on old Chinese pottery. A wealth of designs which have
been utilized for carpets are found in old manuscripts and on painted and carved walls of
ancient temples. They have been closely related to the legends and the various religions
of the Chinese people. Thanks to the tenacity with which the Chinese cling to all that is
ancient we still find these old designs being woven lending to the Chinese carpets a very
special charm not only on account of their great antiquity of design but also on account
of their peculiarity and unique characteristics retained through centuries and making of
each carpet a surviving evidence of an historical past.
The continuous development of carpet designs owes its
loveliest inspirations to the trees and flowers of China. Natural flowers are always
realistically reproduced and are seldom so conventionalized as the design on Persian
carpets so that every species of flower is recognizable at sight. The peach blossom,
symbol of the spring and the
blossom of the
fruit of life; the lotus flower, emblem of the summer; the chrysanthemum, emblem of the
autumn; the narcissus, emblem of the winter; the plum blossom; symbol of beauty; the
orchid, valued for its fragrance; the bamboo, emblem of longevity and enduring bloom; the
peony, flower of wealth and respectability. All these are the flowers which are used most
often and to great advantage. Neoclassic designs are the very latest influence in Chinese
rug styles taking as they do the old classic patterns and working them up in colors of
today. Also bringing out the design by beveling all around it, producing a very beautiful
molded effect.
Much has been said and written regarding the value and
beauty of antique rugs but it is a recognized fact that people of good taste and
refinement today prefer modern rugs and this choice comes from the fact that in modern
rugs one can achieve a more artistic interior----one more suited to the individual and in
perfect harmony with their surroundings. There is no rug that lends itself to this more
than the Chinese. Too much cannot be said about the beauty and interpretation of Nichols
designs, for into these rugs is woven the culture, beauty and heritage of China. The
designs have been gleaned from old palace rugs, porcelains, pottery, temple decorations
and bronzes, the old containing a mixture of the new thus modernizing the design and
making the rug a thing of beauty for the western home. We maintain a staff of skilled
artists who are always on the alert for something new and who combine the best elements of
the Western and Chinese designs into a harmoniously blended whole.
We are also pleased to
execute the ideas of our customers in weaving designs submitted by them or in working up
designs to meet their individual requirements as to type or color. Having selected a
design and color scheme and with the yarn all dyed accordingly, we now enter the weaving
room. Assuming the carpet is to be made in the popular 9xI2 size we find the loom that has
been allocated for this order and the four weavers who will weave the rug (one weaver
usually works a section 2 1/2 feet wide).
These four weavers now start stringing the warp. This is
done by carrying a strong cotton cord around the loom and back again, looping it over a
steel or bamboo rod at the bottom, thereby making one continuous warp for the whole rug. The
warp cord itself must be very strong and free from knots. Only the best knotless warp is
used in Nichols Rugs.
After the warp has been strung the upper and lower beams of the
loom are spread apart by a powerful jack and wedged in that position.
Next the paper loom drawing which is the actual size of the design
to be made is placed behind the warp and weavers trace the pattern on the warp itself with
red ink. (If this ink is not properly made and applied it often discolors light ugs when
they are washed at some future date.)
The design having been transferred to the warp the weavers now
start the rug by making a webbing of cotton about one inch wide at the bottom. This is not
only to form part of the fringe but also to enable the yarn to be pounded down tight as
the weaving progresses.
The weavers then start putting in a row of woolen yarn by
twisting it around the two warp cords forming a figure eight, the outside loop of which is
chopped off leaving the two ends sticking out, creating the pile of the rug. The warp
cords are separated by a harness that goes around each one and is fastened to a stick that
is behind the weaver's head. This he reaches up and pulls after every line of knots has
been tied and thus crosses the warp cords and pinches the woolen yarn in between them.
A line of cotton weft threads is then inserted between the crossed
warp cords above the woolen yarn and the warp is crossed again. These are all beaten down
together with an iron fork. Another line of woolen knots are tied and the same operation
is repeated over and over again. The weft threads are not carried all the way across the
rug but are short lengths and taken from one weaver to another, overlapping where they
meet by a few lengths of warp. Each weaver ties about 8,000 knots a day, completing about
one square foot of the rug's surface. Each knot is chopped off when it is tied about 1/8
of an inch longer than the height of pile required and then this extra length is cut off
with scissors. After a day's weaving has been finished the surface is trimmed up again
with wider scissors until it is perfectly even.
A 9x12 rug is usually woven about four feet and then the
loom beams are loosened and the whole warp is shifted down and around the back of the
loom. The loom is tightened up again and weaving resumed. This operation is repeated until
the rug is completed. Before the rug is shifted the design must be cut all around the edge
to make it stand out from the background. This
is a distinctive feature in Chinese rugs. No other Oriental rug has ever had this carved
effect. When the rug is finished it is cut down from the loom and the weavers must spend a
day or two fixing and trimming it up after which it is carefully examined by expert
inspectors and if found satisfactory the weavers are paid for their work and start on
another rug.
It takes four weavers about one month to weave a9x12 rug. Of
course, the more intricate the design the longer it takes to weave. The weavers are paid
extra for hard designs.
There are no carpet weavers in China superior to those
employed by us. They are carefully selected and trained. They work in the cleanest and
most modern factories in China where they are well fed and housed and where medical
attention is always available. They come from the Northern provinces which have always
been the home of the finest weavers. We employ no child labor or apprentices. Because of
their ideal working conditions happier workmen cannot be found, and knot by knot their
deft fingers create the most beautiful carpets in the market because it is the innermost
desire of these weavers, influenced by tradition, folklore and superstition, to produce a
product which cannot be surpassed.
"A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever," sang Keats,
and this can truly be said of a Nichols Chinese Rug, for it creates joy in the heart of
its owner and its beauty spreads sunshine wherever it may be. One can read the glory and
culture of China's imperial past when studying the rare old designs of these rugs, for China
in sign and symbol has been woven into them.
Chemical
washing
This is a process that puts a silky sheen on the surface of the
rug and makes it soft and pliable. It takes out of the rug all the surplus wool fibres
that would otherwise come out in six months of sweeping and it polishes the tip of each
individual wool tuft so that dirt and dust will not stick to them, making a washed rug
much easier to keep clean than an unwashed rug. People often remark that they have been
told the washing takes out half the life of a rug. This is not a fact. The washing process
does reduce the height of the pile a small fraction of an inch but Nichols Rugs are made
with a higher pile when they are woven to compensate for this loss. Here are some of the
important points to remember when considering the relative merits of a washed rug and an
unwashed rug. The chemical washing is a severe process-there is no doubt about that. It
brings out all the latent defects in any rug. Therefore when you see a washed rug you see
just what you are going to get for your money. You can feel it and judge for yourself the
life that is left in it. You can see if it has faded.
If it has not faded in the washing it will never fade. It has been
saturated with water two or three times, therefore it is washable and you can wash a
Nichols Rug as many times as you'd like. It is disinfected by the chemicals and safe to be
laid down in your home. It contains no uncertainties. On the other hand unwashed rugs of
any kind contain all the uncertainties we have just mentioned and a lot more. Some of the
Persian rugs, when they are washed, lose nearly all their color and have to be painted
with dyes in the New York washing plants. It is a common practice to change the entire
color scheme of there rugs to meet the current demand. No such thing can be done with
Nichols Rugs. Their colors are FAST and are only softened and mellowed in the washing. Some
people also say the sheen does not last. This is not true. If you could keep your rug in a
glass case the sheen would last indefinitely, but dust and dirt dulls it and then a
washing with soap-and water will restore to your rug the original beautiful lustre. We
have proven this statement a thousand times by washing customers rugs purchased from us
years before and they have never failed to turn out as lovely as the day they were bought.
Experience has taught us that chemical washing is also a protection against moths. Washed
rugs are not susceptible to the ravages of this insect nearly as much as unwashed rugs. We
have actually had cases of our washed rugs in storage for over two years without any
protective material such as napthalene and the rugs opened up in perfect condition. This
is important when it is considered that many of our customers buy their rugs "in
bond" and may be obliged to leave them packed for a much longer period than
anticipated. We unhesitatingly recommend the chemical washing process and all Nichols Rugs
are so treated unless we are specifically instructed to the contrary.
Care
of Rugs
Because of the beautiful clean condition in which you find your
Nichols Rug when it is delivered to you, its care is reduced many fold and the only
necessary attention for many years is merely that of routine house cleaning which is done
with either a broom or a vacuum cleaner. You do not need to be afraid to use even the
strongest vacuum cleaner on a Nichols Rug. When the fringes are soiled they may be cleaned
with dry cornmeal by brushing the cornmeal vigorously in and out of the fringe; if soiled
sufficiently, scrub the fringe with soap and water.
Nichols rugs may be washed with soap and water or, if only the
surface is soiled, use a small portion of alcohol or ammonia in tepid water and go over
the rug with this mixture. Most stains can be removed with gasoline or soap and water. It
is better to dry the rugs on a flat surface rather than hang them on a line. Of course,
all large cities have rug cleaning establishments and we recommend any reliable firm of
this kind for a thorough cleaning; they cannot damage a Nichols Rug in the ordinary course
of any cleaning process. Our New York Office will be glad to give you advice on this
subject if you consult them
In Peking we have converted the former palace of a Manchu Prince into a weaving
establishment containing fifty looms. The Old Audience Hall, seventy.five feet long,
serves as our rug showroom. The original living quarters of the Prince's familv now house
our two hundred weavers. This "Palace Factory" is now one of the sights of the
city and visited by thousands of tourists every year. Should you be fortunate enough to
ever spend a few days in Peking you are cordially invited to come and go through this
unique place from a purely sightseeing point of view. It is not necessary to buy a rug -
just see them made in a Palace and you will agree they are "Fit for a King."
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