Jaunpur, India
Ashok Carpet Company is based at Gopalapur in Jaunpur district, on the western edge of the weaving country that runs through Bhadohi and Mirzapur. Its range covers hand-knotted carpets, handloom rugs and durries, hand-tufted carpets and other handmade floor coverings. Avdhesh Baranwal is the contact for the firm. The company is a member of the Carpet Export Promotion Council, the Indian Ministry of Textiles body for carpet exporters, under membership number 2902.
Hand-knotted carpets, handloom rugs, durries, hand-tufted carpets
Pile carpets tied knot by knot on an upright loom, each tuft wrapped around the warp and beaten down against the weft before the next row begins. Knot density follows the drawing the weavers work from and sets how fine the finished surface reads.
Flatweaves worked on a handloom without pile, the weft packed tight so the cloth is firm enough to lie flat as a floor covering. Being reversible, a durrie can be turned over and used from either side.
Yarn is gunned through a canvas stretched on a frame, following a design traced onto the cloth, then locked in place with latex and a backing. Tufting builds a deep pile far faster than knotting, which is why it carries the larger plain-ground orders.