When rug shopping, we often hear of organic dyes. They are no doubt long-lasting and age like the finest wines.
Not all of them however are plant-based. Insects such as cochineal were once used to produce red. Good news for vegans: cochineal red has been nearly entirely replaced with synthetic dyes which are as red and possibly as nice. Rug collectors disagree as the muted crimsons of the antique rugs possess a seemingly an inimitable depth.
But is there such a thing as a vegan rug?
The answer is YES.
We often buy attractive carpets; more often than not, at bargain prices.
Inexpensive carpets are often sold in large chain stores; they may be replicas of some of the most popular tribal rugs: Caucasian, Afghan, Persian, Moroccan.
They may be hand-knotted, ranging from poor to acceptable quality. They will be likely produced in poor countries where low labour cost and abuse afford a steady supply of inexpensive merchandise ensuring good profit to all, save perhaps for the labourers themselves.
Costs are continually cut to ensure greater gains: cheap chemical dyes are obviously more economical than the organic ones; only humans can produce a hand-knotted rug. Skilled workers demand money, and it takes time to produce a finished product.
The one area where money can be saved is the material: wool.
And here comes the solution: the so-called ‘dead wool’.
‘Dead wool’ is wool collected from dead (slaughtered) animals, and it is by far the least expensive material available to textile industry.
It is also used in carpet manufacturing although, it is argued, dead sheep wool is dry, brittle and lacking of lustre.
Carpets made of dead sheep wool are inexpensive, but their appearance is inferior to most virgin wool products.
‘The poorest-quality wool, taken from dead sheep, is referred to as tabachi, “dead wool.”
An easy way to recognize a rug made from tabachi is to rub it with your hand. Notice how the wool feels. Good wool feels springy, while dead wool feels brittle and may actually break when you stroke it. In than case, you can expect the rug to deteriorate with even a moderate amount of wear.’ [1]
To sum up, ‘Go Vegan!’ when buying a carpet
Caroline Bosly Rugs to Riches Unwin Hyman London, 1987 p.40
