Termeh bāfi (the art of braiding the Termeh)

The Termeh is a type of traditional Iranian fabric, produced - since the most remote past, that of the Great Persia - with extremely valuable materials and bearing images of Boteh jegheh, arabesques and the like.
The Termeh, just like the hand-made carpets, has a weft and a warp; the warp is placed, free, behind the fabric and - precisely because of this - the accumulation of the same is remarkable. The warp yarn of the original Iranian Termeh was composed of very fine wool or natural silk, while that of the weft consisted of mercerized cotton. However, the yarn from today's Termeh warp consists of viscose and the weft is made of cotton or polyester.
The fiber color of traditional Iranian Termehs is generally derived from plants. This color is obtained from roots, trunks, leaves, flowers, fruit, etc. Today, due to the variety of customers, the Termeh are produced with multiple colors and patterns.
The Termeh, in the past, was used for the most disparate reasons. Among these, the use of this fabric for the packaging of sumptuous and aristocratic clothes deserves a mention. Among the peculiar characteristics of the Termeh, it must be added that this fabric has the advantage of never saturating the eye and keeping its innovative charge and beauty unaltered.
Like any other form of art, the art of weaving the Termeh requires figures and representations. In the distant past, those who worked at Termeh relied on their visual strength and imagination; subsequently, through the drawing up of stabilized images on plaid sheets, the artists traced the figures and at a later time proceeded to realize them on the plot and on the warp. Nowadays, however, thanks to the progress of technology, it is possible to use sophisticated software that allows to draw more precise and more beautiful figures as well as to facilitate drawing and coloring operations. By virtue of this progress, the artists can verify in advance the outcome of their work, quickly providing for the finishing of this.
Currently, the art of weaving the Termeh is confined to the Province of Yazd.
The Termeh is used for the production of various types of shawl, rusari, boghcheh, etc.