Everyone in this world has a secret or two in his life and quite plainly, silence and being humble are two magic spells needed for concealing them to our death. Likewise, the concealment charm that works in our houses, preventing people from spying inside and saving our household from peeping Toms is nothing but the curtains of our houses. Curtains have been the saviours of our secrets and precious things, from time unknown and they are getting better in doing this, each year.
In the days of the kings and queens, these were considered as royal gifts and were usually made of either pure silk or cotton. They were even made to hang over twenty to thirty metres long behind the throne and at the main entrances to their palaces. During those days, the use of curtains was restricted to the rich and noble, because of the prices of the materials needed to even make one of them.
Later on, people of lower status were given the privilege of using them in special occasions and marriage ceremonies. People in countries like India used to give curtains made of pure silk in rolls to the family of the bridegroom as dowry and gifting curtains was considered a great honour amongst the natives of Africa. The practice of using curtains for each room in a house was most prevalent from the eighteenth century onwards and till then, they were only considered either as a sacred object or as a present worthy of a King.
People in the nineteenth century made extensive modifications in the art of making curtains; designs, pattern printing, embroidery works and making frilly arrangements in the same and such were the most notable modifications of the time. People started using curtains for their doors and windows to keep out hot rays from the Sun and to see it dancing in the winds blowing at night. Cotton, silk and woollen materials were used for making curtains in this period and they were quite successful in almost all parts of the world. However, people in some under – developed parts of the world have been ignorant of the benefits and uses of the curtains.
After the end of the nineteenth century, traders from the western countries of the world brought their innovative ideas of making the finest and rich looking curtains to other parts of the world and this art of making them, flourished immensely under the care of the trading companies. Methods of weaving the curtains from soft wool and cotton were taught to the entire world by Indians and the demand for using curtains increased rapidly by this. The trading of curtains increased during the start of the twentieth century in all parts of the world, without any exceptions. In modern days, a house which does not have curtains for their windows and doors are often associated with a low status life. Curtains have also been quite useful in present times to keep out heat and dust. Modern methods have given birth to materials like nylon, polyester and even materials which reflect the heat completely from entering the house. Such are details regarding the history of curtains.
