1975–1980 :: Weaving Factory & Early Rugs
1975 was an incredibly productive year as Ira and Sylvia divided their time between weaving projects in Balkh, Afghanistan and Bahawalpur, a Pakistani village near the Sind Desert. Balkh, an ancient sleepy village near the Soviet border, was a former capital of Alexander the Great's empire, birthplace of the poet Rumi, and purported resting place of Zoroaster. Renting a vacant lot behind the main square's tea house and across from a lovely park, Ira oversaw the construction of a small factory housing 15 looms. That winter, sixty men, including dye-masters and assistants were busily engaged. Though the work was often challenging, the weavers chanting to the beats of their shuttle sticks imbued the atmosphere with harmony and magic. Throughout the fall and freezing, snowy winter, warmed by makeshift wood stoves and layers of clothing, Ira and Sylvia worked with their Afghan crew to create the finest rugs possible. Building on local traditions, they designed naturally dyed, flatwoven rugs, both geometric and figurative. They also created one of a kind silk, art rugs interwoven with metallic copper, silver, and gold threads imported from France.
Throughout this endeavor, Sylvia was the only woman among this group of Afghan men with their intense, weathered faces and imposing manners. She recalls it as a creative, comfortable working environment, but she also sought out the companionship of local Mazar-i-Sharif women, working with one on patchwork velvet quilts. The weavers were receptive to new techniques and learned to weave intricate birds, fish, animals, and figures in addition to geometric patterns. Contracted to create custom orders first by Harmony Carpet of NY, then by Patterson, Flynn and Martin, one of the first custom orders cut from the new looms was a special design for Gloria Vanderbilt, featuring horses and elephants. Ira and Sylvia went on to design a popular line of dhurries and kilim called Afghan Traffic, inspired by the continual trains of camels, flocks of sheep, and pure white doves crossing the Afghan landscape. The weavers continued filling orders for New York over the next few years. After the Serets returned to New York in July of 1978, the factory was turned over to its manager, Sher Mohammad, who continued the work for many years until the pressures of war forced its closure.