IRAN ART EXHIBITION: TERMEH WEAVING IS ANOTHER TYPE OF PERSIAN HANDICRAFTS
The Persian word Termeh refers to a type of expensive cloth woven from very soft threads. Termeh weaving is one of the oldest Persian arts, and a work of Termeh is defined as “a patterned cloth with colorful floral and paisley designs.”
A valuable handicraft, Termeh was traditionally woven by hand from silk, while, today, most Termeh cloths are machine-made. Termeh comes in various patterns and color palettes. Used to harmonize with sky blue and navy blue, azure is among the most common colors in Iranian and Kashmiri Termeh. Beautiful color harmonies are a stable feature of Termeh cloths.
Steps of Termeh weaving
The usual steps taken in weaving a Termeh cloth are:
• Preparing the main materials, i.e. wool and silk
• Washing and cleaning the wool
• Whitening the wool
• Fixing the whiteness
• Dying the wool with natural dyes, which come from roots, stems, flowers, leaves, fruits, and barks.
Termeh patterns
Termeh artists use a variety of patterns in their works, including:
• Gol-e Shah Abbasi (“Shah Abbas flower”)
• Regular paisley
• Cypress paisley
• Golzar (“flower field”)
Termeh products
There’s a great variety of Termeh clothes, some of which are:
Tablecloths
Handbags
Shoes
Cushion cover
Poshti covers (cushion)
Prayer rugs
Boxes (gift boxes, tissue boxes, cutlery boxes, chocolate boxes)
The Price of Persian Termeh & Related Factors
When buying an original Termeh, you have to pay attention to certain factors in order to avoid making mistakes. This is cashmere that has silk fibers in it. Termeh woven with silk fibers is much heavier than ones woven with polyester fibers.
IRAN ART EXHIBITION: A termeh with silk fibers has a finer texture than polyester ones. Original termah fabric has a special lustre due to the property of reflecting light. A very high percentage of original termeh is made out of silk, and silk fibers are part of imported goods, so the price is directly related to the amount of silk used. Termineh prices range from $50 to $500
How to tell authentic from fake Termeh
Thanks to their varied uses, Termeh products are vastly popular. However, most Termeh enthusiasts don’t know how to tell a genuine Termeh from a fake one. Here, take a look at what you need to check to identify an authentic Termeh:
• Even and matching colors
• Authentic and woven patterns
• Softness: A genuine Termeh is extremely soft, so it can be easily distinguished by simply feeling it. If it felt rough, however, it means the Termeh is fake.
• Main material: Persian handwoven Termeh clothes are expected to be of high value, so they’re always woven from top-grade silk and are completely free of materials such as rayon, polyester, or cotton. Many Termeh products are made from low-grade main materials, which means they’re not genuine, high-quality Termeh.
• Reasonable price: A Termeh is a work of art made with care and through a time-consuming process. Therefore, Termeh products are of high value and more expensive. So, if a Termeh is sold as handwoven but priced similarly to or lower than machine-made Termeh, its authenticity should be doubted!
Which cities in Iran produce Termeh?
IRAN ART EXHIBITION: With a Termeh weaving tradition that goes back many generations, Yazd is the cradle of this traditional Persian handicraft. Today, the majority of Persian Termeh is produced in Yazd, Isfahan, Kerman, and Mashhad. “Razavi Termeh” is a type of Termeh produced in Mashhad and used for making prayer rugs.
Which countries are Iranian Termeh exported to?
Famous internationally and popular in numerous countries, Persian Termeh is currently exported to the US, Canada, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Turkey, the UAE, Armenia, China, the UK, and the Arab Persian Gulf countries.
