VISITING A TRADITIONAL WEAVING FAMILY
This year I had the privilege to visit another weaver family in Turkey, who still produce traditional pestemals in their home weaving studio.
The family, pictured below, took pride in presenting their weaving atelier, situated next to their house.
In true Turkish hospitability I was invited for lunch and had the pleasure to discuss, exchange opinions and ideas regarding
traditional weaving, which seems to be a disappearing art these days and, of course, the current political situation.
A GENERATIONAL SHIFT?
I came to realize during my last * and this year's visit that the younger generation is not really interested for the traditional art of weaving and, as such, the passed on family traditions are slowly disappearing. The younger generation tends towards a preference for higher education to be perhaps a teacher or a lawyer instead of being a handworker. Modern corporate philosophy where factories produce large quantities of woven textiles quickly and efficiently have become the norm. A few of these companies outsource some pestemal production to traditional family businesses with semi- automatic looms or traditional handlooms, for a reduced fee as dictated by these corporations.
The black loom pictured above has slower production times than the fully automated industrial looms, needs constant supervision and the thread needs to be changed frequently by hand.
TRADITIONAL HANDWEAVING
Pictured below is an experienced weaver who at 75 still produces scarves and pestemals on his foot pedal driven hand loom. I had the opportunity to visit this studio where he currently weaves and he told me that he has been weaving for 65 years! Fortunately, modern Turkish child labor laws forbid a child of 10 years of age to work.
THE CURRENT TREND
Modern industrial automated machines that work faster, more precisely and more efficiently are expediting the demise of Turkeys cultural weaving heritage with the consequence that a great deal of traditional knowledge may be lost. My vision would be to support and encourage the maintenance of traditional weaver families and their independent studios so that they may continue to prosper and pass on the centuries old art of weaving. Treat you’s philosophy is to purchase directly from these craftsmen as much as I can despite the challenging bureaucratic hurdles.
SOME PERSONAL THOUGHTS
I must say I learned a lot and had many exciting experiences by meeting this family of traditional weavers. The cultural differences between us were more than apparent.
From seeing goats, sheep and turtles along the highway, to having people look at me strangely when I actually stopped at the crosswalk and to learn that Switzerland is better known in this region for black money rather than chocolate, cheese and watches were just some of my anecdotal experiences.
