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Dhaka Day by Day

Exotic Carpets and Tapestry from Old Wool

by Fayza Haq
1 labibur Rehman, a 39 year old weaver from Comilla, I* a self-effacing, happy-go-lucky Individual, living at Gandaria.who can convert any post card or photo from a book into a gorgeous piece of tapestry or carpct.His customers arc foreigners and well-to-do locals for whom he docs TYirklsh. Persian or Jamdani designs.
Ilabib originally learnt his art from Syed Ahmed from Faridpur. and his. skill increased as he worked for the renowned artist Rashid Chowdhury, since he was a teenager. Rashid Chowdhury himself had learnt the art at Aubosson. (France) which has been the centre for tapestry irf France since the seventeenth century. Apart from having Americans and Europeans as his customers, he was once the main supplier of carpets for “Kumudini" and "Arong" and he still supplies to "Arong" and "Shaju's Art Gallery". He has done a superb piece of tapestry for the French Ambassador’s residence. Sometimes the patterns are semiabstract and some of them are traditional. He provides patterns of his own and converts pictures Into careful graphs, which he transforms Into carpels, tapestry and "shatranjl" work.
The weaver works with old wool that comes from abroad, from the wholesalers, Raj^hahi silk, Jute, cotton and silk. He has invested 13 lakh takas in his project which he has borrowed and he employs 12 workers whom he pays salaries ranging from Tk 700 to Tk 3000 a month. He also provides them living quarters. However, he docs not supply any meals to his employees. He works with -tools from India. Pakistan and also Bangladesh.
In '69. when trouble began in the country and he was th class IV, he began his work and today he takes pride in his personal designs that he sells lo the large shops in the cily. He enjoys bringing in scenes from the villages such as women carrying vessels on their hips, sailing boats plying the rivers, with fishermen, and the trees of Ihc countryside.
• His favourite colours arc blue and light grey. He sometimes works till four in the morning and begins work again at 9.30 a.m. He has’been trained at Banaras at the Gandhi Ashram In '91 and '92 for a fortnight, each time. Although he earns about Tk 8,000 a month he has no savings as he has his wife, and three children Hazira, Sal fur and Rafiqur lo support. Yet, he is not worried about the future for he is confident that his skill and labour will get him and his family through all weathers.
If I worked enough with my wife on a single machine, that would have been enough for me. Now I am providing employment for 12 other people and that gives me Joy. i am also pleased that I can make foreigners invest their dollars in my country," Habib commented about his work.
“I get my publicity through Colette Khan, Hamlda Hussain. Ruby Ghaznavi and other patrons by word of mouth. I am a partner with Colonel Mujibur Rahman Khan who pays me Tk 5.000 a month. 1 get extra graph, charges, and gel paid separately, when I do washing and repair jobs. I live close to my work place at Dlnonath Sen Road and am available for work any time", he added. •
"I ejin easily copy Rashid Chowdhury's patterns of tapestry but I feel It will not be fair to do so. The tapestry maybe sold but not properly displayed. Also. I do not want to simply copy. Rashid Chowdhury used to do the designs while I did the graphs and the weaving. Today, sometimes 1 am given a tiny postcard or a leaf from a book . I transfer this to an enormous brown paper graph and then a tissue paper. There is then further drawing on the threads which are strung on the loom. After, that I use coloured wool or threads to get the pattern," Habib continued.
'First 1 wash the wool with 'rtjha', a traditional fruit . to prevent It being eaten by moths. 1 then chose the ones that I find ■permanent. A shatranjl', 6'feet by 9 feel, with 12 figures and other decorative patterns' will be completed in 15 days, with two people working on it. A Bokhara carpet 7 feet by 10 feet, with six colours, will lake 90 days, with two workers working 10 hours. A tapestry 2 feet by 4 feel with seven colours will take 7 days with one worker working 10 hours on it per day," he explained some of the work that were bn the looms.
The price of the Bokhara carpet was Tk 15,000, that of the "shatranjee" Tk. 13,000, and that of the tapestry Tk 2,000. For carpels he charges Tk 100 lo Tk 250 per sq. feet and for the tapestry he charges Tk 750 per sq. feet. He uses 17'looms in five rooms. He has had occasions of haggling and lower payment than originally promised bul. this has not occurred often.
It was wonderful to sec the old rejected wool, coming from abroad, and being transformed into beautiful carpels and rugs to brighten people s homes. Habib's energy and optimism, along with his dedication and skill was also remarkable.