Weaving a decorative history
Xinjiang artisans use traditional patterns to tell stories and attempt to ignite the next generation's interest to keep the ancient craft alive, Xing Wen in Hotan and Mao Weihua in Urumqi report.
Cultivating young designers
Ilham is the only experienced and stable designer in the company. As he ages, he has started working remotely from home.
Pei is also concerned that the lack of young designers is a challenge for the sustainable development of the handmade carpet industry.
He says traditional carpet patterns were passed down orally by craftspeople. In the 1970s, these patterns were summarized and standardized.
In the 1980s, Pei studied traditional carpet patterns systematically for three years in Hotan.
"My teacher told me to be careful with every stroke. In those years, I spent my mornings drawing patterns and afternoons interning in the workshop learning about every aspect of carpet weaving," he recalls.
"This craft requires years of practice to gain experience."
Nowadays, carpet designer training sessions are regularly held but are just 10-day crash courses.
"Each training period is short and most participants come from private companies and might leave before the next session starts, making it hard to cultivate young designers effectively," Pei points out.
For instance, carpets shrink after their first wash. Designers must estimate the shrinkage rate based on the size of each carpet. The higher the carpet density, the lower the shrinkage rate. These require a designer to invest a significant amount of time and effort to learn and master.
