The Afghan Rugs show signs of War-Torn Afghanistan

You look at it from a distance, the otherwise ornate rug looks like a blur of color with ordinary geometric patterns. Come closer and look at it, you can see the ravaged impressions made by tanks, explosions, choppers and other sophisticated weaponry. This is the main reason why one often becomes teary eyed while looking at the Afghan Rugs. Calling Afghan Rugs an effort germinating from traditional craftsmanship amid utter chaos would not be an understatement or a hyperbole. Perhaps that is the sentiment resonating somewhere in faraway lands, where the sounds of war-cry still resonate in the ears of soldiers who have been a first-hand witness of all the carnage and mayhem. British Soldiers along with Americans and Canadians deployed in the suicidal Islamic lands often buy the Afghan Rugs as souvenirs, for many of their colleagues and comrades are buried in those sands fighting a war they wanted no part of ever. The Afghan Rug are evidence of artistry occurring in pretty chaotic times. They are an exhibition of art in motion under severe circumstances, where handwork gets splattered with blood and still nudges on. Perhaps the carnage has manifested itself into designs visible on these carpets. Lilies, daffodils and flora have made way for more moving and poignant designs like tanks, bullets, and irregular geometric insignias. The Afghan Rugs have earned the reputation of being cultural symbols. Modern pieces are woven for the world to take a closer look at the trauma experienced by the inhabitants, counting their numbered days and fearing a Tom Hawk may surprisingly be dropped on their roofs leading to an uncalled for explosion. Post 9/11, the designs on these Afghan Rugs have become more expressive. The anguish of those enduring the torture, the agony of those praying for reprieve, the distress of those wanting to flee have all been pretty exuberantly expressed on these carpets by the weavers. The social spectrum has seen a sea of change and the designs look more expressive than ever. This is perhaps why these carpets have created their own market. They are no bestsellers like the ones from Persia or as Talismanic as the Turks or as Flamboyant as the Armenians, but still amid all these flashy attributes lies a subtlety that buyers identify with. Carpet connoisseurs always spot the emotion expressed through these carpets, being moved to the extent of buying them, spreading them out at home and just seeing how they turn attention for the better. The rugs made in the darkest of hours the country has ever seen are evidence of the resilience shown by a country that many may struggle to even locate on a map. This is why perhaps they have such a high calling value attached to them.