Key Points
The goldenhued grass mats woven in Kashmir are called wagoo..
Traditionally, the room floors, which were covered by a thin layer of clay blends, after drying, were then covered by thepatijandwagoomats made of straw andpaeich.Wagoowas used on floors in dwellings and as floor coverings and enclosures for passengers in boats (Pirie and Pirie, 1909: 18, 233; Jaitley, 1990: 169)..
The antiquity of the craft is attributed to the impressions of mat-weaving on the base of pottery excavated at Burzahom and Kanishkapura; however, with the continuous decline in demand in recent years, the mat that once existed in every household is struggling for its existence (Jaitley, 1990: 155; Mani, 2006: NA; Ashraf, 2016: NA)...
Unlike thekaleenand embroidered rugs such as thenamdah, gabbaandarirugs, . where the spatial boundaries are divided into sections incorporating distinct design compositions, thewagoodoes not comprise of a framework constituting of thehashiya, kunjvatandmattan.The entirewagooconstitutes themattan, framed by themoschuh, selvedge on either side, and thetharon opposite ends..
(Excerpted with permission from Floor Coverings of Kashmir: Kaleen Carpets, Namdah, Gabba, Ari Rugs and Wagoo Mats by Promil Pande, published by Niyogi Books; 2023).
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