Liz Clarke
hand. I always knew that one day I would follow in his footsteps.”
Not only did Ngcobo follow in his father’s footsteps, working in the same Persian carpet company, his one-man entrepreneurship business, which he established later, has brought him up close and personal to the wide spectrum of hand-woven carpets that beautify homes in Kwazulu-natal.
“I always say these special carpets are my friends. I know what they need to make them healthy and give them a long life.”
Among those golden rules, he says, is keeping a close watch on your carpet.
“You might think that a Persian carpet is just something that covers the floor. But it is a lot more than that. Like a beautiful car, they must be serviced regularly, otherwise they will lose their value.”
Among the things to look out for, Ngcobo says, are any scuffing or tears.
“Every oriental carpet has its own special pattern and particular coloured wools and silks. If too much of the design is lost, it is difficult to reconstruct.”
From his work bag, he pulls a handful of vibrant vegetable-dyed natural wools especially produced for carpet making and repairs. Skeins of sapphire blue, soft rose petal pinks and deep crimson are placed side by side, plus an array of carpet needles.
“I am so lucky that my father taught me how to reconstruct these old carpets perfectly, so you would never know that any part was missing.
“I am very grateful for that. Now I am teaching my children these lessons, so that when I retire they can continue.”
He prefers, he says, to work on a carpet in its setting.
“First, I look at the fringing. That tells me a lot. If colour has run, it means there is a bit of water damage or somebody has tried to wash it incorrectly.
“Once it is cleaned, that’s the first thing that needs replacing.” The edges are another wear-andtear area, he says.
“But those too can be brought back to new with correct stitching. It takes a bit of time, but it will mean that the value is not lost.”
While he loves working on all hand-made carpets, Ncgobo has his favourites.
“For me, one of the most beautiful carpets are the silk Herekes.
“If I had one wish in my life, it would be to go to Turkey to see how they are made.
“The designs are so beautiful that you can’t believe human fingers can do this work.”
For toughness and durability, Ncgobo believes you can’t beat hand-made carpets.
“They last longer and don’t lose their colour. Mr Azizollahof used to say you could run over a Persian with your car or have a herd of camels walk across them and they would still be okay. They were made for heavy work. But I love them too much – so I would rather play it safe.” lizclarke4@gmail.com