Abdolmalek Shanbezadeh said the earliest handicraft discovered in Ilam is a simple wicker matt belonging to fifth millennium BC. The matt was discovered on Ali Kosh Hill in Dehloran County.
"Currently, 33 different fields of handicraft are active in the province with 1,000 organized artisans in the business,” he said.
He added that the embossed rug originated from Ilam.
"Embossed rug is a combination of plain rug and knotted rug in which the patterns are more prominent than the background,” he explained.
According to him, Ilam is home to many fields of handicraft including carpet weaving, cloak knitting, traditional dyeing, mosaic tiles, gilding, miniature, felting, pottery and traditional musical instrument making.
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