"Chushkarcheto" is a family company of hereditary carpet makers, founded in 1998 in the town of Chiprovtsi, which has preserved the tradition until today. The main goal of the company-manufacturer is to present Chiprovtsi carpets in a new light - a product adequate to the modern market requirements, which meets the specific needs of the customer. In addition to the classic carpet, a team of architects and designers develops new models in line with current trends in interior design.
Their carpets are part of the interiors of: the Anglo-American School of Sofia; the World Bank; the International Monetary Fund; the Embassies of Spain, Great Britain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Serbia and the USA; the Bulgarian National Bank; the Council of Ministers; Bulgarian State Railways; Sofia Hotel Balkan; Magnolia Hotel - Primorsko; Flamingo Hotel - "Albena" resort, and many others.
In the magazine of the Bulgarian Industrial Association, we meet Velika Stoeva. Born into a family of hereditary carpet weavers Chushkarete, Velika was introduced to the mystery of weaving at a very young age. Her grandmother kindled such a love for this craft that Velika eventually put aside her economic education and made carpet making the meaning of her life.
What makes Chiprovtsi carpets so unique?
The Chiprovski carpet is hand woven. Like any handmade object, it cannot be made the same way twice. There are different schools of carpet making in the world, which are distinguished mainly by their ornaments and the way they are made. The Chiprovski carpet is of the highest quality. There are other places in Bulgaria where carpets were made, but the town of Chiprovtsi was like a big carpet factory. Literally every house had a loom and carpets were woven.
What are the intricacies of making Chiprovtsi carpets?
It is lightweight but very durable. It is woven on a vertical loom, which is much slower but more precise and beautiful than a horizontal one. Each figure on the carpets carries a symbolism that goes back centuries. The oldest are the ‘kanatitsa’ and the ‘karachka’ (or 'black-eyed bride'), newer are the 'tsveke' (flower), 'chickens', spring and autumn vine motifs, and among the newest are 'bombs', 'flower pots', and 'trunks'. The combination of their colors should be harmonious, not too colorful and too bright. Triangular motifs have a very ancient symbolism - they symbolize a man and a woman creating a new life. Nowadays, the old symbolism has been lost and has a mainly decorative meaning.
The materials from which the carpets are made are all natural wool and cotton - the backing is cotton and the weft is wool. In the past, carpets were all wool. Chiprovtsi is situated in the mountains and one of the main livelihoods was sheep farming. This provided the main raw material for making carpets - wool. The long experience accumulated and passed down through generations for more than 200 years has resulted in high quality and unique carpets. A handmade carpet (not only a Chiprovski carpet) should not be perceived as just an ordinary carpet. It is an heirloom that is passed down through generations. When you order a rug, you can choose everything - size, design and colors to create your unique pattern.
Does one have to come to Chiprovtsi to buy a Chiprovski carpet?
The truth is that Chiprovski carpets can be bought not only in the town of Chiprovtsi. Our company store, where you can often see me in front of the loom, is located at 38 Rakovski Street in Sofia.
An interesting fact is that some of the oldest ancestors of the Chiprovski carpet are found in Turkey.
Where are your customers from?
The largest group of customers are Bulgarians living abroad, but the common thing among all our customers is that they are people who have been brought up to appreciate manual labour. They don't just buy an object - they buy an emotion.
Is there anyone to weave the carpets today?
Chiprovtsi is no longer a huge manufactory, but times are different. More and more people are interested in weaving. At the moment there are a lot of people who are learning to make carpets. They are mostly not from Chiprovtsi, but the teaching is being passed on.
You are a hereditary carpetmaker. What are the biggest difficulties for the family business?
The biggest difficulty facing a family business is that one person usually juggles many activities. This very often makes it difficult to meet certain deadlines.
And before carpetmaking as a craft?
The difficulties facing carpet making are like those facing all other crafts - there are machines that can produce much faster, cheaper and similar products, but if we are talking about state policy, it is not right that we, the producers of handmade products, should be treated as mere traders, because this is in fact an art that has been handed down through the generations.
