THE HISTORY OF TERMEH

TERMEH IS A NICE CLOTH WHICH IS WOVEN SINCE SAFAVI ERA IN IRAN.THERE IS AN ARGUMENT BETWEEN RESEARCHERS ABOUT ITS ORIGION .SOME OF THEM BELEIVE THAT TERMEH HAS BEEN MADE IN KASHMIR AND THEN BROUGHT TO IRAN.OTHERS SAY THAT IRANIAN HAVE BEEN THE INOVATORS OF WEAVING TERMEH AND THIS MATERIAL HAS BEEN TAKEN IN TO CONCENTRATION LIKE OTHER HANDICRAFTS IN OTHER PARTS OF WORLD (KASMIR :HISTORICAL REGION DIVIDED BETWEEN INDIA AND PAKISTAN)

BUT IT IS A REAL FACT THAT IRANIAN TERMEH IN COMPARISON WITH WHAT EVER PRODUCED IN KASHMIR IS MUCH BETTER AND IT HAS DIFFERENT COLORATION AND DESIGNS.

THE ONLY REASON THAT MADE THE KASHMERE  FAMOUS , IS USING A KIND OF STRING WHICH IS PRODUCED BY WILD GOAT'S WOOL.BESIDES,THE MAIN PLACE WHERE IT LIVES IS HIMALAYA MOUNTAIN RANGE LOCATED NORTH OF INDIA.SO  KASHMIRI TERMEH WEAVES HAVE HAD MORE  AVAILABILITY TO IT WHILE IRANIAN HAD TO USE FLEECE.

WEAVING

IN THE PAST, THE FIRST STEP IN TERMEH WEAVING WAS PREPARING ITS RAW MATERIALS .SO IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO BE CAREFUL WHILE PREPARING WOOL,WASHING AND DRYING IT.

WEAVING TERMEH NEEDS A GOOD WOOL WHICH HAS TALL FIBERS .USUALLY THE DESIGNS OF IRANIAN TERMEH WERE THE RESULT OF THE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN TWO MAIN PERSONS- AN EXPERT AND A WORKER -.WEAVING  TERMEH WAS A VERY CAREFUL ,SENSITIVE AND TIME CONSUMING WORK THAT  A GOOD WEAVER  COULD PRODUCE ONLY 25 TO 30 (1 FEET)CENTIMETER IN A  DAY .THE BACKGROUND COLORS WHICH ARE USED IN TERMEH ARE MOSTLY JUJUBE RED,LIGHT RED,GREEN ORANGE AND BLACK.

TERMEH AS A VALUABLE TEXTILE HAS MANY DIFFERENT USAGES.SO IT IS WOVEN ON DIFFERENT SIZES AND SHAPES SUCH AS:

1. 150*150 CENTIMETER FOR TABLE CLOTH AND WRAPPER.
2. CHECKED PATTERN WHICH IS LIKE BEE'S HIVE AND IS USED FOR  TABLECLOTH.
3. STRIPPED PATTERN WHICH IS OF TWO MODELS:NARROW AND WIDE STRIPED .
4. ATABAKI PATTERN WHICH WAS ONE OF THE KASHMIRI'S TERMEH USED FOR EXPENSIVE FABRIC BECAUSE IT WAS A FINELY WOVEN TERMEH.USUALLY NOBLES AND ARISTOCRATS USED IT AS COSTLY AND NICE CLOTH.
5. ZOMORRODI PATTERN IN WHICH THE GREEN COLOR WAS USED MORE THAN THE OTHERS.
6. KASHMIRI (CASHMERE) IN WHICH THE SHAPE OF DEER'S HORN WAS USED FOR ITS DESIGN.

TERMEH IS A VERY DURABLE CLOTH IN WHICH FIXED COLORS ARE USED SO IT CAN BE WASHED AND DRIED EASILY.

NOW A DAYS TERMEH IS MOSTLY USED FOR COLLECTIBLE TABLECLOTH.THESE TABLECLOTH ARE USUALY DECORATED WITH ELABORATIVE PERSIAN  EMBROIDERY  CALLED "SERMEH DOOZY".PLEASE READ THE SECOND PART OF THIS GUIDE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON SERMEH DOOZY AND ALSO PRICING FACTORS OF TERMEH.