CARPET. The following kinds of carpets are now made in Great Britain :—Axminster, Venetian, Kidderminster or Scotch, British or damask Venetian, Brussels, and Wilton or Pile carpeting. These names do not always denote either the present or original place of manufacture. Brussels carpets were intro duced into Kidderminster from Tourney in 1745 : and it is doubtful whether Venetians were ever made at Venice. Wiltons (which are in fact Brussels carpets) were made on the continent before they were introduced at Wilton ; and what are called Kidderminster are made in the greatest quantities in Scotland or Yorkshire.
Aznzinster Carpets are usually made in one piece, according to the dimensions of the room for which they are required. The warp or chain is of strong linen, placed perpendicularly between two rolls, or beams which turn round and enable the chain to be rolled from off one beam and on to the other as the weaving of the carpet proceeds. Small tufts or bunches of different coloured worsted or woollen are tied to or fastened under the warp ; and when one row of these tufts has been completed, the shoot of linen is also thrown in and firmly rammed down. Another row of tufts is then arranged in such a manner as, by a change of the colours, to form a further portion of the pattern. To guide the weaver as to the posi tion of the colours, a small paper design or drawing constantly hangs before him, from which lie works. The tufts wholly conceal the linen threads. Real Turkey carpets are manufactured in a similar manner, and they are regularly imported, though not in very large quantities. Finger or Town-made and Stormont rugs are also formed with tufts put in as they are in Axminster carpets, but with , a different arrangement of apparatus.
Venetian Carpets.—Here the warp or chain which is of worsted, and generally arranged, in stripes of different colours, is alone visible ; the shoot, which is of a dark colour and usu ally black, is concealed between the upper and under surface. By using shoot of different sizes these carpets are sometimes made to assume the appearance of plaids, checks, or twills.
Kidderminster or Scotch Carpets are formed by the intersection of two or more cloths of different colours ; hut as these cloths may be woven in stripes of different shades, by intro ducing at intervals shoots of different colours, the carpet is usually made to assume a great variety of colours. These carpets are some
times three-ply; or have three thicknesses of cloth ; but for the most part they are 'two-ply.' Each cloth is perfect in itself, so that, if one cloth were carefully cut away, the other would remain perfect, and be in appearance like a very coarse baize. The process of weaving both cloths is carried on at the same time, and in each part of the carpet that cloth is brought to the surface which is required to produce that portion of the pattern. The back of the carpet will necessarily be of ex actly the same pattern as the front, but the colours will be reversed. A complicated vari ety of the jacquard loom is employed in weav ing these carpets, British. or damask Venetian Carpets partake both of the character of Venetian and Kidder. minster, though more of the former than the latter. The warp, as in the Venetian, is the only part seen, whereas in Kidderminsters the shoot forms by far the greatest portion of what is visible.
Brussels Carpets form by far the most impor tant and increasing portion of the carpet trade. Brussels are composed of linen and worsted, the cloth or reticulated part of the structure being entirely of linen, which is formed into a kind of very coarse sampler cloth, with two threads of linen for the shoot (one above, and the other below the worsted). The mode of bringing up to the surface the particular wor sted thread which gives the pattern requires much ingenuity in the arrangement of the Brussels loom.
Wilton or Pile Carpets differ from Brussels only in this : that the loops of worsted are all cut through, and the carpet assumes a velvety appearance. At Glasgow a beautiAsl kind of velvet carpet is manufactured, in which co loured chenille is thrown in as a shoot, and afterwards cut at the surface. The manufac ture of Brussels carpet was introduced into Wilton soon after its introduction into Kidder minster: the Wilton carpets being originally a better description of goods, were distin guished by the name of Cut or Wilton Car pets.