イラン・ヤズド州メイボド地域におけるズィールー織業の展開過程

抄録

Relying on the data gathered from field work, this research note aims to explore the spatial spread of zilu (cotton carpet) hand-weaving industry from the 1950's until the beginning of 1970's in Meybod of Yazd province, Iran.
The division of labour of zilu weaving within each unit is articulated on the basis of skill seniority, i. e., unskilled and highly skilled labour. Young boys from the age 5 or 6 participate in unskilled tasks to help skilled workers or master weavers: they beat the weft with a beater comb. A weaver begins as a boy working for his master, and after several years, progresses to skilled work, and eventually becomes an independent master. This skill seniority plays a crucial role in the spatial dispersion of this industry.
The author divided the development and change of zilu industry over the past two decades in Meybod into three stages. These three stages are as follows:
(1) Zilu weaving industry have a long history in Meybod and can be traced from its history back to the Middle Age. But until the beginning of 1950's, zilu weaving industry had only existed in neighboring villages around Bashnighan which is a part of the center of Meybod region. The mode of zilu production was principally household-based and its labour supply was mainly provided by household members with additional apprentices from outside.
(2) Since the beginning of the 1950's when zilu was in heavy demand suddenly, master weavers of Bashnighan have begun to utilize child labour in the surrounding villages to raise the productive capacity and to increase the number of looms within their workshops. These new children labour were literally wage labour rather than arduous apprentices. As a result of these changes, the mode of production of zilu weaving industry has been changed to the manufacture mode.
(3) From the end of the 1950's zilu weaving workshops began to be located in surrounding villages of Bashnighan gradually. Practically there was no constraint for a young weaver who had learned weaving skills in Bashnighan to seek independence. Newly independent weavers could also acquire the necessary capital outlay to establish their own workshop and buy some materials with assistance from their family members or merchants. Eventually zilu workshops were widely distributed all over the Meybod region.