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Namda/ Gabbeh is a kind of
felt rug, having its origins in Kashmir.
Namda is made by felting the wool rather than weaving it. Wool,
mixed with a small quantity of cotton, is sandwitched between 2 woven rugs
(cheap natural fiber made) which are then rolled and tied with ropes and secured
well. The rolled rugs are then beaten with wooden sticks uniformly. After this
procedure is complete, the knots are untied to reveal a finished namda ready to
use as a rug or to send for embroidery work to give it a more attractive look.
Namda is of two types, plain and embroidered. Embroidered
namdas have woolen embroidery work. Embroidery work on namda felt rugs adds
beauty, color and strength to them.
Prices of namda rugs depend upon
their quality of wool, type (plain or embroidered), size of the product and the
neatness in designs. Far less expensive are these colorful floor coverings made
from woolen fiber manually pressed into shape. Prices also vary with the
percentage of wool – a Namda containing 80% wool being more expensive than the
one containing 50% wool.
Namdas may be oblong or circular and come in a range of sizes, maximum being 6x8
feet, larger sizes can be custom-made. Background color may be white, black,
navy or red.
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