Oriental Rugs

ALBERTO ALMEIDA

ORIENTAL RUGS

C 2010 COVER PICTURE - Kerman Lavar , BACKGROUND PICTURE; The Trip of Marco Polo lemos.almeida@gmail.com To the memory of a great man, Levy Kelaty, whose work goes on in the family.

Dome of a mosque at Isfahan

Shah Abbas / Safavid Dinasty

Philosophizing

Through the centuries, many people stepped on the most beautiful examples of art.

From humble origins, through the Caucasus Mountains to the arid plains of Iran, hand made rugs were coveted for centuries in Europe and America, and some of them, earned the respect of museums.

Tribal or master weavers show the world their art and culture and help write their history.

No other art has given so much comfort to our home.

Geometric, curvilinear, or pictorial rugs send our amazed look to the floor and walls.

Ancient or modern? The answer has more to do with our financial capacity than the looks of the rug ...

The tying of a knot, culminates months of preparation work ...

Alberto Almeida

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INTRODUCTION This book is not intended for the expert on oriental rugs and carpets, my intention is to provide a tool for those that love this art, but have no idea of its value.

I hope that this book will help those who wish to start to learn the basics of this ancient art.

I aim to show the main production areas including some of the most remarkable rugs produced there, with basic information on technics, material, symbols, type of looms, dyes, and history.

There are a lot more rugs being produced in these areas and many other countries that manufacture beautiful rugs which are not represented in this book.

For those that need a more detailed information, there are many books in the market that do specialized or more extensive work.

I do hope however, that this effort will help you to begin to understand why this form of art has been appreciated by nobles and commons alike.

I have tried to present the information in a simple way, so that the readers without deep knowledge of carpet weaving are able to read and absorb the information easily.

After reading the book a visit to a carpet dealer to compare your information with the rugs available is advisable.

Enjoy the book.

Afghan Shepherd and his flock

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PART 1

GENERAL INFORMATION Although no one knows precisely where and when the technique of weaving first began, there is no doubt that the art of weaving, in general, started in Central Asia. A population explosion caused the inhabitants of that area to migrate to the western parts of Asia in order to find more prosperous land. These migrating tribes were called Yuroks or nomadic tribes. During their migrations, these nomads, who were exposed to severe weather conditions, learned how to use goat hair to make their tents. Goat hair is longer and much stiffer than sheep's wool. The flat weave technique was used in the making of nomadic tents.

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4

ORIENTAL LOOM AND TOOLS

Notorious Rugs

An interesting fact is that the art of rug weaving flourished in the 15th Century in Persia and Turkey, followed by Indian early in the 16th Century and China in the 17th Century. Even though weaving was common to all humanity, the end result of each ethnic group was quite different.

In addition, paralleling urban weaving centres, nomadic and village weavers continued their centuries-old craft of knotted rugs, with the earliest surviving examples dating from the eighteenth century. In the 18th Century Oriental rugs were first used on floors as well as table coverings and wall hangings During the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, Oriental rugs were introduced to America. This rug exhibit made a lasting impression on the Americans who saw it. The founder of W.J. Sloan, William Sloan, bought the entire collection from the exhibition and opened the first major retailing store for Oriental rugs in America.

It was in Europe in the 19th Century that Oriental rugs were first studied by scholars. The first major Oriental rug exhibition in Europe was in Vienna in 1891. The most important collections of Persian rugs are now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the National Museum in Teheran, and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The art of rug making reaches back into pre-history. The majority of pieces available today at dealers, auctions, antique shops, department stores and even museums are mostly products of the 19th and 20th century In order to meet the demands of western markets new materials and dye processes were initiated to speed up the production of rug making after the second half of the 19th century. Although the methods of production have become more organized and standardized, many aspects of weaving remain unchanged in many of the traditional places of rug making Unfortunately very little is known about the earliest examples of knotted rugs. A small number of these have been preserved in museums and private collections, but sadly the vast majority of older rugs have disappeared.

Pazyryk The survival of the earliest knotted rug, the Pazyryk carpet, is owed to the Siberian ice in the Altai Mountains near the outer Mongolian border. This rug, discovered by Soviet archaeologist S.I. Rudenko in 1949, was covered by ice in a burial chamber and had been preserved that way for over 2500 years. The Pazyryk carpet is of unknown origin, measuring roughly 6 by 5 feet woven with the Turkish knot. The design is of a dominant tile-work central motif surrounded by borders featuring rows of elk and horsemen.

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Notorious Rugs

Ardebil - V&A Museum, London

As early as the Eighth Century B.C., wealthy families frequently adorned their homes with magnificent rugs. The great period of creativity in rug making took place in Persia during the Safavid period (1499-1722) under the reigns of Shah Tahmasp and Shah Abbas. From this period came the most glorious and outstanding rugs of historic significance Tabriz, Kashan, Herat, and Kerman became busy centres of rug production. Under the Persian king Shah Tahmasp in the late 16th Century, the famous Ardebil carpet was made. Today this priceless work of art is preserved in the Victoria and Albert museum in London. The Ardebil is regarded as one of the most magnificent rugs of the world. It is approximately 17 by 34 feet with over 32 million tightly woven knots

The Spring of Khosrow

The spring of Khosrow, winter carpet, a huge, late Sassanian royal carpet. The carpet measured 60 cubits (araš, derã) square (ca. 27 m x 27 m) *, that may have covered the floor of the great audience hall (Ayvãn-e Kesrã) at the winter capital of Madã'en.

Representations of paths and streams were embroidered on it with gems against a ground of gold. Its border was embroidered with emeralds to represent a cultivated green field in which was flowering spring plants with fruit embroidered with different coloured gems on stalks of gold with gold and silver flowers and silk foliage. It was used as a place to drink, as if in gardens, when the winter winds blew. The Habib al-star explains that when one sat on it in winter, it was as if it was spring.

When Madã'en fell to the Muslims in 637 this carpet was too heavy for the Persians to carry away so it was taken with the other booty.

The Muslims called it al-qetf “the picked” and, since it was left over after Sad Abī Waqqãṣ divided the booty; he sent it to ʿOmar in Medina. Although the assembly agreed that Omar should use his own judgment in disposing of it, Ali was concerned lest someone be deprived of a rightful share in the future, so Omar cut it up and divided it among the Muslims. Although Ali did not receive one of the best pieces, he sold his for 20,000 dirham. * Other information indicates a different measurement for this rug at being 450 long by 90 feet wide.

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Oriental Rugs History

Although historians have not been able to pinpoint exactly when knotted rugs were first made, it seems probable that they have been around since human civilization began. Man first began using animal furs as clothing and flooring, but as animals became domesticated and farming increased, the use of sheared wool and silk became mediums for weaving.

There are theories about the weaving of rugs originating with the Egyptians, Chinese and even Mayans. What is clear, however, is that as with most things in nomadic life, the origins were based on clothing and shelter not ornamentation. The nomadic people would have used wool from their own flocks of sheep to weave makeshift floor coverings, blankets and even tent coverings. The style of these coverings has changed little over thousands of years, but the designs have changed dramatically.

Oriental carpet weaving as and art form, however, has now been accurately traced back to the 5th century BC. Russian archaeologists excavating in the Pazyryk Valley of Siberia, near the outer Mongolian border in the Altai Mountains in southern Siberia unearthed a carpet from a burial chamber belonging to a Scythian Chieftain. It had been frozen in ice and was in remarkably good condition. Modern carbon dating has placed it as 2,500 years old. This carpet is now in the Hermitage Museum at St. Petersburg, Russia.

The Old Testament (Exodus, Chapter 36, verses 35, 37) regarded carpets as precious artefacts in the building of King Solomon's Temple (1014-965 BC). It talks about a fine curtain of red, purple and blue with cherubim woven into it by a skilled craftsman.

History of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II (605-562 BC) is also coloured with images of carpet weaving. He ruled Babylon and much of the Middle East. Each of his conquests resulted in a generous bounty of carpets and rugs. Unfortunately, wool textiles oxidize and crumble with the passage of time. There are carpet fragments dating from the 5th century that have been found throughout the Middle East. This seems to indicate that that the weaving art was highly perfected by that time. So we can see that the Scythians were not the only weavers.

The Scythians

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Oriental Rugs History

In China, carpet making dates back to the period of the Sung Dynasty (960 to 1279 AD). The Chinese produced rugs in factory workshops controlled by the emperors. The designs were characteristic of Buddhism and Taoism. Marco Polo discovered some of the earliest examples of carpets while travelling through China and Turkey in the 13th century. He was an ardent admirer of Chinese rugs.

Weaving as an art peaked in the royal court workshops in and Delhi, India during the Indian Moghul Empire in the sixteenth century.

The Romans adorned their palaces with rugs, both on the floor and on the walls. They were highly valued and were even used as payment for taxes. They were clearly perceived as better than money. It is well recorded in history that Queen Cleopatra was presented to Caesar rolled up in a carpet. Caesar ended up with two beautiful treasures.

Later still, Pakistan developed the art of carpet weaving from the Persians and even developed styles to suit the Mongolian Emperors.

One of the finest examples of carpet weaving can be found in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. It is a carpet, some 37 feet x 17 feet made of a blend of wool and silk which was found in the mosque at Ardebil in Persia, also in 1947. It has a cartouche in one corner, which bears the date AH947 in the Islamic calendar, which translates to 1540 AD in ours. The cartouche tells us that it was made by the order of the Shah Tahmasp by a weaver named Maksud al Kashani and was used in the Shayka Safi Shrine in Ardebil.

An excellent book, The Christian Oriental Carpet by Volkmar Gantzhorn, deals with the history of patterns in rugs. After the explorers, the next clues we get about rugs and their patterns come from artists. The Crusades introduced Europeans to Middle Eastern rugs.

They became status symbols for the very rich. Hans Holbein the Younger (c. 1497-1543) made Turkish carpets popular by including them in his paintings. Also, A Family Group, which was painted in 1547 by Lorenzo Lotto (c. 1480-1556) shows a rug border called the "kufic".

Paris, France has many examples of rug history. The Louvre Museum shows a stone carving of a threshold rug with a pattern that is still being made today. The Opus statue, also in the Louvre, depicts God in full decoration with a carpet on his back.

The history of rugs in France began with Louis IX (1226-1270). He was the leader of the Holy War of the Crusades. He conquered the Moors, who had migrated to France from Spain. Part of the bounty was fine rugs and carpets. By the end of the fifteenth century, Louis XII (1498-1515) had brought many Italian craftsmen to help train his French workers. Francis I (15151547) continued this tradition by brining such artists as Leonardo Da Vinci and Andrea de Sarto to work for the royal family.

From 1547-1589, the crafts dried up. In 1589, things took a dramatic upward spiral. Henry IV (1589-1610), started a rug factory in his palace to create rugs for the French market. He liked the rugs so well; he never shared them with the population. Louis XIII (1610-1643), his successor, started an outside workshop for the people called "Savonneries". These French designs, however, were not as popular as the Middle Eastern designs. “A Family Group� painted in 1547 by Lorenzo Lotto (c. 1480 - 1556),

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Oriental Rugs History

The documented history of rugs increases greatly for rugs from the 17th century onward. It is easy to see the changes since the 16th century are relatively minor, although patterns for general areas changed. In a series of books Oriental Rugs-Persian by Eric Aschenbrenner, the issue of geographic barriers to transportation and ethnographic barriers and how they affected the weaving of rugs. These barriers of transportation are the major reason that Persian rugs are such art forms whereas rugs from India and Pakistan have never achieved this status.

Oriental rugs made their way to America in the late seventeenth century. They were used as floor coverings and wall coverings. The nineteenth century Victorian era saw a dramatic increase in demand for the rugs. The bold colours and designs complemented the dark and heavy Victorian furniture. An Oriental Indian rug owned by Cornelius Vanderbilt sold for $950,000. The American market has always been strong for these beautiful works of art.

Geographic and ethnographic barriers created marked differentiation of rugs between weaving districts. The urban areas supported factories where weaving techniques could be refined. But a weaving district was not limited to just the city. In fact, families living in primitive conditions in areas surrounding the town of note did much of the production: Heriz is a small town in the northwest portion of Iran- yet the production of Heriz carpets is huge. This is because a lot of families made them according to set standards in the area. To be kind, these standards were not always strictly enforced. If there was no cotton for a foundation, they might use wool. If madder was in short supply, some other red dye might be used. Therefore, even within an area there is product differentiation. For instance, in the town of Bidjar, many rugs were woven with specific foundation pattern, and these rugs were called Bidjars. But more rugs were woven in the surrounding areas in the homes of "subcontractors" and they were called Bidjars also. The control over the countryside contractors was much weaker than the control held over the factory weavers. As a result, a Bidjar can vary according to location.

To the southeast of Bidjar is a mountainous area, inhabited by a tribe called the QuashQai? The rugs from this area are called "Shiraz" and are woven by a number of nomadic tribes roaming the desert. The QuashQai is one of these tribes. Although by miles the geographic distance between QuashQai and Bidjar is not much, the ethnographic difference is huge-and the difference in the rugs is huge also. If you keep this thought and proceed to the northwest of the QuashQai, you encounter the Zagros Mountains. North of this range is Isfahan. There are a huge difference Isfahan rugs and Shiraz rugs; this is probably due to the environment in which the people live.

Look at the map and find Northwest Persia. The weaving area of Heriz is most representative of northwest Persia. A Bakshaish rug, just south of Heriz, looks geometric like a Heriz but has pastel colours. Meshkin, close to Heriz but to the east, uses angular octagons instead of the Heriz arrowhead, but is made of wool sheared from dead sheep, and this wool holds dye differently than wool sheared from live sheep. Ardabil, to the north of Meshkin, stylizes the angularity of the Heriz rugs. Karaja, to the northeast of Heriz, uses a modified Heriz pattern. Ahar, to the north of Heriz, softens the angularity of the Heriz patterns and makes them slightly more curvilinear, like the patterns in the urban areas.

Nomads carrying rugs on a camel

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Oriental Rugs History

The town of Tabriz does not reflect similar weaving patterns to the other towns in the area. History explains this. Tabriz was settled at the foot of volcano Sahand. The town was never devastated by natural disasters. It was ruled at various times by Genghis Khan, Timur, and Shah Ishmael I who began the legendary Safavid weaving dynasty. This ruling period from 1501-1736 was highlighted by the reign of Shah Abbas the Great (1586-1628) who cultivated the arts to their highest pinnacle. It was known as the Golden Age of rug making.

As the Safavid Empire ended in the 1700's, the art of weaving decayed. The rekindling of the weaving greatness began in the early 1900's and has continued even until today. The weavers of Tabriz are known for their speed, and for their development of a special tool that permits them to weave and cut the knots at the rate of approximately 40 per minute. This is far above the average of 20 knots per minute for a skilled weaver.

Today, the same traditions of weaving still endure, with wool still being spun by local people from local sheep and some dyes still being made from plants. What is clear is that tradition is unlikely to die out in the unforeseeable future, as there are groups of wandering nomads (like the QuashQai in Iran) who continue in their old ways as long as there is land for them to live on. The seminomadic folk of the villages are still weaving the same patterns and styles as they have always done and the famous centres of fine carpet production, like Hereke in Turkey and Kashan, Shaman, Qum, Tabriz and many other places in Iran. Even in war torn Afghanistan, carpet production is still going on, while fine carpets are also found in Russia, Pakistan, India and China. There has been a movement recently, however, of weavers taking factory jobs in the larger cities as the Middle East area becomes more westernized. This could leave a void in some weaving districts.

As we enter the new Millennium, these unique treasures of the Orient and Middle East are still praised for their magnificent and incredible beauty. It is our mission to clean these rugs with the most practicable and diligent methods. In this way, we are helping to preserve a piece of history.

Old Tabriz

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VERTICAL LOOM

UPPER BEAM

SHED STICK *Often used instead of a second leash rod to raise the alternate warp strings as shown below(

LEASH ROD

WARP STRINGS

SHUTTLE

WEFT

NEXT SET Proximo conjunto OF KNOTS de nรณs GOES vai HERE aqui

WEFT (Goes between the row of knots)

OVERCASTING (Selvage)

LOWER BEAM

FRINGE (Warp strings)

Tools

Comb The comb is used to slide and beat down the weft between rows of knots. This come, moved up and down the warp, pressing the knots in place, securing them before a new row is started.

Hook The hook is a knife-like tool that becomes very narrow on the tip. This tool has two purposes - the weavers use the tip for separating the warp strands while tying a knot and then pulling out the yarn through the warp strands. The side of the hook, which works like a knife, is used for cutting the yarn after each knot is tied.

Scissors Special scissors are used to cut the long or uneven pile as the carpet is woven.

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Tools

Spindle A rod used for spinning fibre into yarn.

1 Square Inch 14 Knots 2,51 cm

Knot Density 14 Knots

Knot density could be a factor in the value of a rug, but this is not always true. In nomadic and some village items, knot density is usually not a factor. It is not a factor for collectors of these rugs either because nomadic and village rugs are judged by 2,51 cm different standards than workshop rugs. Nomads and village groups do not have the same sophisticated tools as other city weaving groups. Their items are valued by the fact that their designs are created from memory, their dyes and materials are provided from the nature around them, and most importantly the weavers' way of life is expressed in them. These rugs generally have a knot density of between 25 to 100 knots per square inch. Rugs with higher knot density take a longer time to make, and since nomads migrate as the seasons change, if their rugs are not finished in time for the migration, they will have to carry the looms with them. Therefore, their rugs Knot density 196 Sq Inch tend to have a lower knot density than workshop rugs. The value of these rugs lies in their heritage and simplicity. They have artistic value.

However in many city and workshop rugs, knot density is vitally important to determining the price of a rug. Similar to television resolutions the more knots (or pixels) per square inch the sharper the design (or picture). A skilful weaver is able to tie a knot in about ten seconds, meaning 6 knots per minute or 360 knots per hour. That means it would take a weaver around 6,480 hours to weave a 9x12-foot rug with a density of 150 knots per square inch. Divide this number by 8 (an 8-hour working day) and it would take one weaver 810 days (approximately two and a half years!) to weave such a rug. A rug as large as a 9x12 is usually woven by two or three weavers, so the above time can be reduced by half or third but the labour costs increase. This is one reason why most Persian rugs are to be considered prestigious items.

Each country or region has its own way to count the knot density on a rug. The most comun is to count how many knots vertically and horizontally and multiply its result. This can be made per square centimetre, inch or square meter.

A low density knotted rug has between 60 to 90 000 knots per square meter. (This density is normally found on nomadic or village rugs). Average knotting found in most rugs is 130 to 250 000 knots per square meter.

Special rugs like; Isfahan, Ghoum, Tabriz, Nain (Iran) and Silk Hereke and Kum Kapi (Turkey) or the Chinese Silk Replicas (300 line) have a density up to 1 000 000 knots per square meter. Some exceptional pieces reaches over 1 600 0000 knots per square meter.

In China the density of the knotting is made by counting warp lines. A low density rug is a 90 line, 150 line is a good rug and the best (Normally made with silk) is 300 line.

In Tabriz, Isfahan and Ghoum the Raj is used for density. 30 Raj is low, 50 Raj is good and 70 Raj the best.

Nain has its own method of measuring density. Low quality Nain's are called Tabas. Other Nain's use the la measurement. 4L (sharla), the best , 6L (shishla) high density and 9L (ninela) middle density.

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Looms

VERTICAL VILLAGE LOOM

TRIBAL HORIZONTAL LOOM

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Looms

WEAVING AN ISFAHAN ON A TOWN VERTICAL LOOM

VERTICAL SMALL LOOM

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Knots

A knife to cut the thread, a comb to Ajust the pile and shears to level the pile are the basic tools for rug weaving

There are basically two types of knots Symmetrical or Turkish knot known as Ghiordes knot (Above yellow) and asymmetrical or Persian Knot known as Senneh (above red) There are two more less used knots (not shown here), the Tibetan Knot and the Spanish Knot) The knots are tied on the weft and held together by two rows of warp

Warp

Weft

Turkish Knot Persian Knot

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Shapes of Rugs

Foot Inches

Centimeters

Rectangular Rectangular rugs, also called regular rugs, are the most common rugs in the world and come in a variety of sizes.

Therefore, standard sizes have been assigned to rectangular rugs in order to make rug selection an easier process. However, standard sizes are not exact sizes. In the rug industry, a rug with measurements of 8 feet and 4 inches wide and 10 feet and 4 inches long is still called an 8 by 10 (8x10). Two sets of standard sizes exist, the Imperial British standard and the Metric standard. Below, we have a list of standard sizes in the Imperial system, and then a list of the Metric standard sizes below.

Runners Runners are the second most common shape of rug. They are very long and narrow rectangular rugs. Most runners in today's market are between 2.5 to 3 feet wide and 6 to 20 feet long, and in some cases even longer. They are used as coverings for hallways, stairways, and entrances. For this reason, they are also called Corridor rugs. The use of runners on stairs is a more common practice in the United States than in Europe. Until about 60 years ago, runners were also used in traditional Persian room arrangements. Many Persian living rooms were covered with a traditional set of rugs including one main piece, Mianfarsh or middle carpet, of approximately 6 to 8 feet wide by 16 to 20 feet long. At the head of the room, a runner called Kellegi was placed. Kellegi measured between 4 to 6 feet wide with a length of about two to three times its width. On each side of the middle carpet, two very narrow and long runners called Kenareh were placed.

Kenareh measured between 2.5 to 5 feet wide and anywhere between 5 to 40 feet long. Food was placed on a cloth on the middle rug.

The elderly and the host would sit on the headpiece, and everyone else would sit on the two side rugs. All four pieces were sold as a set. A complete set can rarely be found now.

Today, as mentioned above, runners are mainly used to cover hallways and stairways, and the wider ones tend to be used for entrances.

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Shapes of Rugs

Round-Rugs The length and width are equal in a round rug, and they are the same as the diameter of the rug, so when looking for a round rug, look for sizes such as 4x4, 8x8, etc. Round rugs are unique and rare. The oldest round rug is a sixteenth-century Mamluk. Mamluk rugs were woven in Egypt and had complex geometric designs with large medallions. Round rugs were also woven in French Aubusson and Savonnerie styles in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Round Chinese rugs were woven for the first time in Tientsin and Beijing in the early nineteenth century. Both new and old Chinese round rugs are still available in the market. In the past 40 years, round rugs have become more popular in Iran, and are mainly woven in the cities of Tabriz, Esfahan, and Nain. The layout of most round rugs tends to be medallion.

Oval-Rugs Oval rugs are unique and rare in shape. Therefore, no standard sizes have been established for them. However, oval rugs are measured in the same fashion as rectangular rugs. The larger diameter is considered the length, and the smaller diameter is considered the width. Oval rugs are similar to round rugs in their history and design. They have originated from Chinese and French Aubusson and Savonnerie styles. In the last 40 years, they have become popular in Iran. They are mainly woven in the cities of Tabriz, Esfahan, and Nain. Regardless of their origin, their layout is usually medallion.

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Shapes of Rugs

Square-Rugs Square rugs are very unique and rare. As their name implies, they have equal width and length. Therefore, when looking for a square rug, look for sizes such as 4x4, 8x8, etc. Square rugs are an ideal fit for square rooms.

Odd-Shapes At times, you will encounter hexagonal, octagonal or even triangular rugs. They are mostly rarities rather than the rule.

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Size names

Oriental Size names It is very common in the rug industry to name rugs according to their sizes. Below you will see a list of common rug names in Persian, Turkoman, Turkish, and some in English with their measurements next to them.

Zar-o-nim (Persian) Small qaliche, a rug size about 3x5 ft (one and a half zar in length).

Do-zar (Persian) Medium qaliche, rugs of about 7 feet (two zars) in length and about 4.5 feet in width.

Pushti (Persian), Yastik (Turkish) Pushti is a formal cushion covered with a rug of approximately 3x2 ft. These cushions are placed against the wall in living rooms. In such rooms where people sit on the floor, the main pieces of furniture are the rugs on the floor and the Pushti Qali, Ghali (Persian Any large rug measuring over 6x10 ft.

Qalin (Turkoman): A rug larger than 6x9 ft.

Dyes

Natural Dyes

Indian Dyes

Color

Background Color

In creating a work of art, the two most important elements are design and color. We could even say that color is more important than design because it is by color contrast that design is created, whether that work of art is a black-and-white portrait or a colorful handmade rug.

This is the dominant color in the background of the rug.

Background color is the underlying color of the entire rug with the exception of the border. In some cases, however, the background and the border color are the same. Handmade rugs contain many different motifs woven with exquisite colors. The motifs rest on a background woven in a solid color. The most widely used background colors are red, blue, beige, and yellow.

These colors come in various shades and hues.

In handmade rugs, colorful motifs are woven into the rug against the solid color in the background and the border, creating even more incredible color contrast. All handmade rugs are identified by their background color and border color.

Colors are also an important factor in determining the origin of handmade rugs. Different rug producing areas use different combinations of colors and different types of dyes. Colors are chosen according to the best dyes available in the environment whether natural or synthetic, and even sometimes according to their symbolic values (traditional and religious meanings).

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Colour in the Rug

From this material

Notes

Root of the madder plant

Rubia Tinctoria

Depleted madder dye

As dye baths are re used, the dye get weaker colours get lighter

Cochineal *Dried insect carapace(

Often from Dactylopius Coccus

Red to Orange Salmon Bright red to Burgandy

Often from Coccus Lacae

Lac *Resign secreted by insect

Blue Red to Purple Red

Indigoferra

Indigo

Light Blue to Navy Pale yellow to Yellow Brown

Larkspur *a flowering plant or Wel *A flowering herb

Brown

Oak Bark tree galls

Black

Tannin, Oak tree galls, Iron

Green

Double dye of Larkspur and Indigo

Deelphinium Sulpureum or Reseda Luteola

Quercus

This dye is often dammaging to wool

Colour in the Rug

Common vegetable dyes The most commonly used vegetable dyes are indigo (originally obtained by extracting and fermenting indican from the leaves of the indigo plant), madder (produced by boiling the dried, chunked root of the madder plant in the dye pot), and larkspur (produced by boiling the crushed leaves, stems, and flowers of the larkspur plant). These dyes produce, respectively, dark navy blue, dark rustyred, and muted gold. Long ago dyers realized that as more wool was dyed in a single dyepot, colors became weaker and weaker.

Dyers use this notion of depleated dyes to their advantage. The first dyeing produces a deep, strong color. Subsequent dyeings in the same dyepot produce lighter, softer colors (like the three shades of indigo, madder, and yellow illustrated here):

INDIGO

MADDER ROOT

LARKSPUR

1st Dye bath

1st Dye bath

1st Dye bath

2nd Dye Bath

2nd Dye Bath

2nd Dye Bath

3ed Dye bath

3ed Dye bath

3ed Dye bath

Dyers also quickly learned to combine colors to produce different hues. There is, for instance, no "vegetable" dye material that yields green (an important color if you're interested in weaving a floral design!). First dyeing wool blue, then dyeing it again with yellow, does produce a green color. If you look closely at the green color in a vegetable-dyed rug, you will commonly see that the color is uneven, more blue-green in some areas, and more yellow-green in others. This is because of the double-dyeing technique:

Double Dyeing Makes a new Coulor

INDIGO LARKSPUR GREEN 1st Dye bath

nd Dye bath

3rd Dye bath

+

+

+

+

+

+

So, by using the notion that depleted dyes produce different hues, and by combining some dyes through overdyeing wool, dyers can produce a surprisingly large pallette of colors from a very limited variety of materials. These people are clever!

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Motifs

Arabesk

Gul Bokhara

Boteh

Pendents

Islimi

Zell-i-sultan

Shah Abbas

Tree of Life

Herati

Descriptions of Persian rugs can sound like a foreign language. Here's a glossary of motif terms we hope you will find useful.

Arabesque A motif consisting of intertwining vines, branches, leaves, or blossoms. These could be woven in a geometric or curvilinear pattern. The Islimi motif is a version of Arabesque.

Boteh A pear-shaped figure usually used in the field of an all-over repeat layout. There are many versions of boteh from geometric to curvilinear and simple to complex. Boteh has been thought to symbolize a leaf, a bush, a flame, or a pinecone.

Islimi Medallion-and-Corner The field of this design is covered with a motif called islimi which is based on arabesque forms (intertwining leaves, stems, vines and blossoms). Often the islimi motif is used in conjunction with the shah abbas motif in which case the design could be called shah abbas and islimi medallion-and-corner; the shah abbas motif can be part of the medallion and also be seen in the field and the border.

Shah Abbas A group of palmettes that can be seen in all-over and medallion layouts as well as in borders. This motif is frequently seen in rugs of Kashan, Esfahan, Mashad, Nain, and in rugs of countries which copy Persian styles such as India, China and Pakistan.

Gul A motif in the shape of an octagon used in Turkoman rugs. Usually, one gul is repeated in an all-over layout.

Pendants Small floral extensions at the top and bottom of the medallion (centrepiece) in a medallion layout.

Zell-i sultan A design consisting of all-over repeating vases with floral arrangements. An example of this design can be seen in Qum rugs.

Tree of Life Shows de connection between mortal and spiritual life. Portraying the imortality of human soul.

Herati Pattern A motif consisting of a flower inside a diamond and curving leaves outside the diamond which are parallel to each side. This motif is commonly used in the field of an all-over layout. The leaves sometimes look similar to fish. Many versions of Herati pattern exist from geometric to curvilinear and simple to complex.

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Motifs

Border Color In many rugs, the border color is not as readily distinguished as the background color. One reason is that there are always colorful designs and patterns in the border of the rug, and hence they overshadow the actual border color. But if you examine the border carefully, you will be able to discern the dominant color in the border. Major border colors are red, blue, beige, yellow, and green. These colors come in various shades and hues.

Layout is the overall arrangement of motifs or objects woven into a rug. Motif is any single form or interrelated group of forms which make up part of the overall design. All rugs can be divided into three major layouts of all-over, medallion, or one-sided

All-over In this layout, there are no dominant or central designs. The motifs on the rug are spread throughout the rug. Sometimes they are connected and sometimes they are separate.

Usually a single motif or a group of motifs is repeated throughout the rug. The motifs could be small and repeated many times, or large and repeated only a few times. The Persian name afshan, which means scattered, has been given to the all-over layout. Some common designs that fall under this layout are repeating, endless repeat, and panelled.

In a repeating design, which is a very common example of the all-over layout, a single motif or group of motifs is repeated throughout the rug as mentioned above. In an endless repeat, the motifs do not end and are interrupted by the borders. Some say this design is symbolic of eternity. In a panelled design, the background is divided into compartments.

The same motif could be repeated in all the compartments, or different motifs could be repeated in different compartments.

Some common motifs used in the all-over layout are boteh, gul, herati, lattice, minakhani, mir-i-boteh, and lotto

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Motifs

Patterns

Curvilinear

In the rug industry, pattern is divided into the three categories of curvilinear, geometric, and pictorial. The first two refer to rugs with conventional motifs that are woven with curving lines (curvilinear) or straight lines (geometric). The third (a much smaller group) refers to rugs which portray people and/or animals. By dividing rugs into these three broad categories, we are able to eliminate what we don't want quickly and find what we do want a lot faster and easier when buying a rug. It is important to mention that these categories are not necessarily three distinct categories and sometimes overlap. Rugs are always categorized by their most dominant characteristics; therefore, even though all pictorial rugs are either curvilinear or geometric, they are not categorized under these two patterns because their dominant characteristic is their representation of people and/or animals. Also, we might even find a rug that consists of both curving and straight lines; we categorize such a rug according to the most dominant type of lines used in creating its design.

Patterns created with smooth curving lines are called curvilinear. Curvilinear patterns can be seen in all three layouts of all-over, medallion, and one-sided. Creation of curves generally requires a higher knot density. However, a high knot density does not automatically result in a curvilinear pattern. In curvilinear rugs, the pattern is usually drawn on a squared paper knot by knot. This extremely detailed drawing is called cartoon. Then the pattern is carefully copied from the cartoon onto the rug. This technique is more commonly used in workshops. Kerman, Kashan, Esfahan, Nain and Qum styles are good representations of the curvilinear pattern.

Geometric Patterns created with straight lines are called geometric. Their designs are created mostly with right angles, diagonals, triangles, and other geometric shapes. Geometric patterns can be seen in all three layouts of all-over, medallion, and onesided. With some exceptions, geometric rugs are predominantly woven by nomadic tribes and village groups.

The ones woven by nomads tend to be simple and the ones woven by villagers or workshops can have either simple or very complex motifs such as geometric rugs of Heriz (Persian) style, which are very intricate. Baluchi, Turkoman, Turkish and Caucasian styles are good representations of the geometric pattern.

Geometric

Pictorial rugs portray people and/or animals and are usually based on history and mythology. The naturalistic and realistic depiction of people and animals is not very common in the East; therefore, pictorial rugs are a special and less common pattern. Sometimes they consist of one or more figures (usually famous), and sometimes they depict a famous historical event.

Even though a few nomadic groups such as the Baluchi occasionally produce items with pictorial pattern, pictorial rugs are mainly produced in workshops and woven from fine cartoons. Workshops of Iran (particularly Kerman, Tabriz, and Kashan), India, and Pakistan to some extend, are the major producers of pictorial rugs. Since the beginning of the 19th century many pictorial rugs have also been woven in China.

Turkey, Afghanistan, and the Caucasus are not in the tradition of making pictorial rugs.

Pictorial rugs should not be mistaken with all-over hunting scenes. In pictorial rugs people and animals are the main design. In all-over hunting scenes, they are the supplementary decorative motifs

Curvilinear

Medallion

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Pictorial

All-over-design

One sided

Prayer Rug

Pictorial

Motifs

Medallion In this layout, a large centerpiece called medallion is the focal point of the design. In Persian, this centerpiece is called toranj. The medallion layout is by far the most frequently encountered layout in every handmade rug producing country.

Common shapes of the centerpiece are oval, circular, diamond, octagonal, hexagonal, and stars. One special case of a medallion layout is called medallion-andcorner, which was originally inspired by bookbindings, especially those of the holy book of Islam, Quran. This special medallion is distinguished by its quartered medallions in four corners of the rug in addition to the full medallion in the center. The corner elements are called spandrels or lachak in Turkish. Medallion-andcorner is also known as lachak-o-toranj (a Turko-Persian word).

Sometimes there are small floral extensions at the top and bottom of the medallion called pendants. The pendants usually consist of two parts. The part closer to the medallion is called katibeh and the part further away from the medallion is called kalaleh in Persian.

One-sided In this layout, the design is woven in one direction.

Therefore, the rug can be properly viewed only from one side, similar to a photograph. For this reason, this layout is also known as one-directional. Prayer and pictorial rugs fall into this category The usual design of a prayer rug is a mihrab (the prayer niche constructed in a mosque wall that indicates the direction of Mecca); pictorial rugs portray people, animals, and places. It is essential that one-sided rugs be viewed from the right direction; otherwise, they lose much of their effect. Rugs of this layout should be placed where they cannot be seen upside-down. For example, the top side of the rug could lay against a wall, or the rug could be used as a wall-hanging.

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Material and Tecniques

Wool

Pile-Weave

Wool is the most frequently used pile material in handmade rugs because it is soft, durable, easy to work with and not too expensive. This combination of characteristics is not found in other natural fibers. Wool comes from the coat of sheep.

Pile weave or knotted weave refers to the method of weaving used in most rugs. In this technique the rug is woven by creation of knots. A short piece of yarn is tied around two neighboring warp strands creating a knot on the surface of the rug. After each row of knots is created, one or more strands of weft are passed through a complete set of warp strands. Then the knots and the weft strands are beaten with a comb securing the knots in place. Even though all pile rugs are woven with knots, different weaving groups use different types of knots. The weaving process begins at the bottom of the loom and moves upward as the horizontal rows of knots and wefts are added.

Fibers from animals such as goat or camel are considered hair, and even though the use of some hair in rugs adds shine, their extensive use is undesirable because they do not dye well. Moderately coarse wool is more durable than fine wool, and the sheep producing this kind of wool can usually be found in the Middle East.

In general, wool from sheep grazing at high altitudes is superior, and very high quality wool can be found at high altitudes of the Caucasian mountains and mountainous areas of Iran. Wool from China, Australia and New Zealand is also very good. Natural wool comes in colors of white, brown, fawn, yellow and gray, which are sometimes used directly without going through a dyeing process.

Silk Silk is an expensive fiber, and therefore, it is less frequently used in handmade rugs. Silk comes from the cocoon of silkworms, which thrive on mulberry leaves.

Silk originally came from China and it was then cultivated in countries such as Iran, Turkey, India and some countries of the ex-Soviet Union.

The best quality silk still comes from China and an area of Iran in the south shores of the Caspian Sea. Silk has the two qualities of fineness and strength, hardly found in other natural fibers. Silk can be used alone or in combination with wool. Because of their fineness, pure silk rugs require more care. Therefore, they are generally used as decorative items and hung on walls, or if used as floor coverings, they are placed in rooms with less traffic.

Cotton Cotton is used primarily in the foundation of rugs.

However, some weaving groups such as Turkomans also use cotton for weaving small white details into the rug in order to create contrast.

Weave refers to the technique used in making handmade rugs. There are three major techniques: pile weave, flat weave and hand-tufted.

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Every single knot is tied by hand. A rug can consist of 25 to over 1000 knots per square inch. A skillful weaver is able to tie a knot in about ten seconds, meaning 6 knots per minute or 360 knots per hour. That means it would take a skillful weaver 6480 hours to weave a 9x12-foot rug with a density of 150 knots per square inch. If we divide this number by 8-hour working days, that means it would take one weaver 810 days (approximately two and a half years) to weave such a rug. A rug as large as a 9x12 is usually woven in a workshop or master workshop setting by two or three weavers, so the above time can be reduced by half or third. Imagine if the knot density is even higher! Handmade rugs are functional and exceptional works of art created with great patience.

Foundation refers to the basic structural components of handmade rugs. These components consist of warps and wefts.

Warp Warps are vertical strands of fiber which stretch from the top to the bottom of the rug. Warps are an extremely important component because the knots are tied to them and the weft strands are passed (woven) through them. Even tension of all warp strands is essential in producing a rug without wrinkles.

The extensions of warp strands are rug fringes. Fringes are knotted at the ends to ensure that the wefts and the knots do not unravel.

Weft Wefts are horizontal strands of fiber that are passed (woven) through the warp strands. Unlike the warps, wefts are not structured prior to weaving. They are added before and in between the rows of knots to secure the knots in place. Each side of the rug, where the wefts begin and end, is called selvedge.

Natural Dyes

Material and Tecniques

Foundation Material In general, the same material is used for both warp and weft, and it is often cotton. Wool is used as a foundation material in some nomadic and village rugs because wool is readily available to these weaving groups. Silk is generally used in foundation of rugs with silk piles.

Rugs with silk foundation and pile are very exceptional and expensive. These rugs are light in weight and are very finely knotted. Silk is a very good foundation material because it is very strong and keeps its shape.

Handmade rugs are produced in different settings referred to as category. Handmade rugs are generally woven in the settings of nomadic, village, workshop and master workshop.

Nomadic Nomadic rugs are woven by tribes who are mostly sheepherders, live in tents and migrate to the mountain pastures in the summer. They include the Lurs, Qashghais and Bakhtiaris of Iran, Turkomans of Afghanistan, Uzbakestan, Turkmenistan, and the area of northwestern China (known as Turkestan in ancient times), and other tribes of Turkey. Rug weaving is part of their culture and life rather than an occupation. They weave rugs for their everyday usage. Women are the sole rug weavers in nomadic tribes. Their expertise in rug weaving is an important factor in determining their social status. Girls learn this skill from an early age and in most tribes they show their first work as proof of their eligibility for marriage.

Nomadic tribes use small horizontal looms that can be dismantled rapidly at the time of migration. As a result, nomadic rugs are usually small. They are also limited in range of colors because nomads use natural colors that are few but available in their surroundings.

Nomadic rugs usually have geometric patterns with bold and simple motifs. The nomadic rugs that reach the Western market are originally woven for personal use. The beauty of nomadic rugs lies within their heritage and simplicity.

Village Village rugs are woven by villagers. In village settings, usually all family members or the women of the family are weavers and their home is their place of work.

More variety of styles are woven by villagers than by any other weaving category because village weaving has been influenced by both nomads and the nearby cities. The influence of nomads can be seen in the bold and simple motifs used by villagers. Many nomads have settled in villages and brought with them their traditional styles and techniques. At the same time, many village weavers accept orders from rug dealers or choose their patterns according to the demand of the market in nearby cities, and this influence can be seen in the elaborate and complex motifs used by villagers. Contemporary village rugs are mainly woven in Iran, Turkey and, to a lesser degree, Afghanistan.

Workshop In a workshop setting, both men and women are employed, and very skillful weavers can eventually become master weavers and receive widespread recognition and financial rewards.

Workshops are far more sophisticated than nomadic tents or village settings. They have more sophisticated tools such as large permanent vertical looms, and use a large variety of dyes.

Also, rug weavers usually work from a cartoon (a drawing laid out on squared paper) or work under the supervision of a master weaver who calls out both the weaving and the color of each knot. As a result of this sophistication, workshop items are technically very exact and can be produced in variety of sizes including very large sizes. In addition to the styles of their own area, many workshops weave rugs in other styles as well Master-Workshop Master workshops are specialty workshops run by usually a well-known master designer/artist. The rug weavers are talented students who are directed by the master designer. In this setting very unique rugs are woven. Some are of traditional Persian schemes such as miniature paintings, some are of abstract schemes portraying contemporary life, and others are a combination. Many of these rugs look like paintings. Master workshop rugs are technically perfect with very fine knotting, exact patterns, uniform color tones, and the very best materials Master workshops pay attention to the artistic aspect of weaving rather than the market demand. These intricate rugs are woven for the purpose of creating art. Many master-workshop rugs are displayed in galleries and museums. Two of the well-known master designers of Iran are Seyrafian and Arabzadeh, and some well-known master workshops of Iran are located in the cities of Tehran, Esfahan and Tabriz

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Definition of age

The age attribute specifies how old a rug is. There are three major timelines: antique, semi-antique and contemporary.

Sometimes the date of creation is woven into the rug.

Antique Rugs over 60 years old are considered antique.

The condition of a rug is an important element because it affects the beauty and value of the rug. Handmade rugs are classified according to their overall condition. In the handmade rug industry these conditions are fine, average and worn.

Fine A fine rug is a rug in excellent shape with no stains, tears or holes, and no previous repair work. Since handmade rugs are very durable, most rugs are in fine condition. It is very easy to maintain a rug in its fine condition. For some maintenance suggestions, please go to the maintenance segment.

Average An average rug is a rug which may have undergone or may require some minor repair because of a few broken or torn warp strands, knots or fringes. If repair is needed, it could simply be done at a professional rug retailer.

Worn A worn rug is a rug which may have discoloration, fading, insect or foundation damage. However, rugs with no damage and only extensive pile wear are also considered worn. Worn rugs, even though worn, should not be dismissed because similar to fine and average rugs, they can still have a very good resale value. Some are even considered valuable antiques.

Repair It is important to keep the following points in mind when it comes to rug repair: Almost any rug can be repaired and restored to its original condition. Repairing a handmade rug, similar to weaving, is very time consuming and labor intensive; as a result, repair can sometimes be costly. Therefore, when attempting to repair a rug, if the cost of repair is too high in comparison to the value of the rug, it might be best not to have the rug repaired.

Repair Repair

Restoring Colour

Reweaving a fragment of the rug

Repairing the fringes

Sometimes, it is better if collectible items remain in their original state and not be repaired because their value might actually decrease by any change, even if the change is good. However, getting the opinion of a professional is still a good idea.

If fringes wear out or get damaged, the value of the rug will not decrease, but it would be a good idea to have them repaired professionally to stop further damage.

If repair is needed, it is best to take the rug to an expert and have it professionally repaired. Most reputable handmade rug retailers offer repair services. A high quality repair expert will try to use the same type of yarn and dye used in the original rug and that can be costly, so even though the best repair is suggested, the cost of repair should be comparable to the value of the rug, as mentioned earlier.

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Maintenance

Before discussing different ways of maintaining a rug, it is important to mention that even though a handmade rug is a work of art, it is made to be used and walked on.

Traditionally, handmade rugs, especially in the Middle East, were the only type of furniture; people slept, ate, and sat on them. Older rugs are expected to look worn.

With usage, as the top layers of pile (in most cases wool) break, the pile looks shinier and smoother, and with light exposure the colors look more harmonious.

With proper use, handmade rugs generally become more valuable. Remember that handmade rugs are not easily damaged, so enjoy your handmade rug without any worries

In case of soft drink or alcohol spill, apply salt or baking soda to the spot for a few minutes to absorb the color of the drink. Then vacuum off the salt or baking soda. After vacuuming, use a wet towel to gently wipe the stain in the direction of the nap (the direction the pile faces).

You can wet the towel with regular or carbonated water.

Be gentle; do not scrub the rug. For old stains, take the rug to a professional handmade rug retailer. Do not try to clean old stains yourself.

Meanwhile, you can take the following few easy steps to make sure that your rug is aging gracefully: Vacuum or sweep your rug as you would wall-to-wall carpeting. The only exception is that you need to be careful that The fringes do not get pulled or sucked in by the vacuum cleaner.

Rotate your rug 180 degrees every few months depending on the extent of traffic. Rotation is necessary for two reasons. First, all parts of a rug should be exposed to light equally so that the colors fade evenly. When colors are exposed to the sun evenly, they become harmonious and the rug ages nicely, but if different parts of the rug receive unequal amount of sun exposure, overtime, one side might look over faded and one side too bright.

The second reason for rotation is traffic. All parts of the rug should be exposed to equal amount of traffic so that the pile wears evenly. Every two to three years wash the rug professionally. It is important to have it washed professionally because as the rug is used, dust, dirt and broken fiber get into the foundation. Professionals dust the rug with special equipment to get all of these elements out of the foundation before washing the rug .

Then, they usually wash the rug by hand using natural soap

Fragment of an antique rug

They will also make sure the rug is dried from the surface to the foundation before it is used again It is important to inquire about their method of wash before choosing a cleaner. In addition, do not take the rug to general carpet-cleaning companies because the techniques and chemicals they use for wall-to-wall carpets may not be appropriate for handmade rugs.

It is also important to know that most reputable handmade rug dealers and retailers offer appropriate cleaning services.If the rug is to be stored for a long time in a place without exposure to light or air, first vacuum or broom it. Then use mothballs (sometimes tobacco is also used) in order to protect it against insect damage. It is best to put the mothballs in the middle of the rug and roll the rug reasonably tight against its nap (against the direction the pile faces) so that it looks like a cylinder. Then the rug should be stored in a dry location.

In case of water spill, dry the wet spot immediately with a hairdryer on warm temperature. Try to dry both sides of the rug if possible.

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Main Production Centers

Spain Rug weaving was introduced to Europe through Spain during the control of Muslim Moors who ruled from the 8th through the 13th century. Moors who stayed in Spain after the 13th century wove rugs in two styles: a mixture of Islamic and Christian motifs, and copies of Turkish motifs. For example, some early 15th century rugs had coats of arms (Christian motif) and kufesque borders (Islamic motif). Rugs of Turkish influence, which became more dominant in the 16th and 17th centuries, had large octagonal medallions or were woven in Holbein or Lotto designs. In the 18th and 19th centuries, French Aubusson and Savonnerie styles became dominant in Spain.

Today Spanish rugs are made in a variety of styles including modern European styles, and Persian and Anatolian styles.

The dominant colors used in these contemporary Spanish rugs are light blue, yellow and green

Savonnerie (France)

England The earliest English pile rugs date back to 1570, most of which were Turkish copies. Some early custom-made rugs also included designs of coats of arms and heraldic devices. From about 1765 through 1790 Adam architectural and interior designs became fashionable. During this time, pile rugs which echoed the Adam designs were also woven. Some common motifs of Adam designs included oval and octagonal shapes in addition to fans, wreaths and garlands. Once again the rug designs mirrored the embossed paneled ceilings of the rooms for which the rugs were commissioned. The main colors used in these designs were gray, light blue and some shades of red.

Old Spannish Rug

France It could be said that the most important styles in the history of European rugs include the Savonnerie and Aubusson French styles of the 17th and 18th century.

Savonnerie rugs were mainly woven for palaces and by special orders. These designs produced under the direction of artists of the royal courts consisted of naturalistic floral motifs, coats of arms and heraldic devices and some architectural motifs. Many rugs echoed the elegant ceilings of the rooms for which they were commissioned. The greatest period for Savonnerie rugs was between 1650 and 1789 Aubusson rugs were first made in Aubusson, France in about 1665. The initial designs were Turkish copies; however, later designs were simpler versions of the Savonnerie designs, which consisted of floral medallions with naturalistic floral and some architectural motifs in the field. By the 1870s rug production had stopped in Aubusson. Today, Savonnerie and Aubusson styles are copied in India, Pakistan and China.

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Another name associated with English rugs is William Morris, who was an artist, writer, designer, and social activist. His designs included floral motifs with arabesques, influenced by Persian styles. The dominant colors used in his designs were blues and reds. His designs were made between 1878 and 1881; however, these designs are still among the European designs copied by China, Pakistan and India. By the end of the 19th century, tufted rugs replaced pile rugs in England.

William Morris Rug

Main Production Centers

Portugal

Anatolia

From the VIII Century to the end of XV Century Lisbon had a thriving production made mainly by Muslims manufacturers.

From this time on The Turkish rugs imported via Venice became very popular in Europe.

Anatolian (Turkish) rugs generally come in smaller sizes with the exception of Ushak rugs, which can be as large as 25 feet by 50 feet. The majority of Anatolian rugs are prayer rugs with very distinct designs. Anatolian runners are also common.

Most Anatolian rugs with the exception of Hereke and Ushak seem to be geometric and very much influenced by Caucasian designs. The two sub-styles mentioned above tend to be more curvilinear and have been influenced by curvilinear Persian styles such as Kerman. The majority of the Turkish population is Sunni Muslim and because of certain religious beliefs, naturalistic living motifs such as humans or animals, and the sacred color green have not been used in older Anatolian rugs. However, today, both living creatures and the color green can be found in these rugs. Another characteristic of Anatolian rugs is their rich and colorful palette similar to Caucasian rugs. Some Anatolian sub-styles include Hereke, Bergama, Kula, Melas, Konya, Kirshehir, Kayseri, Sivas, Kurd, Yuruk, Ushak, Ghiordes and Sparta.

With the discovery of the sea passage to India and consequent arrival of Persian and Indian rugs with their beauty and high quality, coveted by the main European families, the National production declined to its eventual disappearance.

At the beginning of the XVII Century, the village of Arraiolos became the main rug production center in Portugal bearing its name. The production of Arraiolos became almost extinct in the XIX Century to be revived on the XX Century.

Today the majority of the Arraiolos (Portuguese needle point) are made in china. Some production is so well made there; they are hard to distinguish from the original. .The high cost of European labour makes it difficult for private companies and the authorities to keep alive this old national tradition. .The Arraiolos knot differs from the oriental knot, it's called precisely “Arraiolos knot” and is more like needle point knotting, done in a cruciform manner. The design is very appealing and the colors are discreet and smooth.

Some of the best priceless antique examples of these rugs, including one weaved with silk can be seen at Casa Museu dos Patudos (Home of José Relvas, Embassador of Portugal in Spain) at Alpiarça, Portugal.

The borders of Anatolian rugs tend to be very wide with many minor borders. Often times the width of the field is less than the width of the two borders. As a result, the field is usually narrow. The borders are crowded, often times more crowded than the field. Kufic calligraphy can also be seen in the borders. Many mihrabs in prayer rugs tend to be even solid without any motifs. Some common mihrab designs include the double-ended mihrab, the horse-shoe shaped arch, the triple arch, the three curved arch, the waisted mihrab, the mihrab supported by two or four pillars, the V-shaped mihrab and the stepped mihrab. Another design includes tulips at the foot of the rug. Sometimes there are one or a few lamps hanging from the top of the prayer niche. Often a hook called kotchak is also attached to the top of the arch like a crown.

A special kind of prayer rug is a long runner which consists of multiple prayer niches or mihrabs. Traditionally, these runners have been used to pray on by several worshipers at the same time. These rugs are called Saf, which means a group of people in line.

Armenia Armenia is bordered by Georgia on the north, Azerbaijan on the east, and Turkey on the west and south. Armenia has a population of 3.5 million (1998 estimate) and covers an area of 29, 800 sq km (11,500 sq mi). Erevan is the capital of Armenia.

Azerbaijan

Seteais (Arraiolos, Portugal)

Azerbaijan is bordered by Russia on the north, Georgia on the northwest, the Caspian Sea on the east, Iran on the south, and Armenia on the west. Azerbaijan has a population of about 8 million (1998 estimate), and it covers an area of 86,600 sq km (33,400 sq mi). Its capital is Baku (Baky).

Georgia Georgia is bordered on the west by the Black Sea, on the north and east by Russia, and on the south by Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkey. It has a population of 5 million (1998 estimate) and covers an area of 69,700 sq km (26,900 sq mi). The capital of Georgia is Tbilisi.

Arraiolos (Portugal) / Oriental design

All three countries are near the Caucasus Mountains.

That is the reason the styles which have originated from these areas are called Caucasian. There is still a market for the older Caucasian rugs; however, since the new productions have not adapted their colors and designs to the Western taste, they now have a relatively small rug production industry.

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Main Production Centers

When we think about Persian Rugs we immediatly thimk about curvilinear designs, however, Persian Rugs is the most varied in the world.

Caucasus Caucasian rugs are woven by tribal weavers of the region south of Russia, near the Caucasus Mountains, between the Black and Caspian Seas. This area includes the countries of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. There are approximately 350 different tribes, speaking 150 different dialects in this area. Caucasian rugs, even though made by different weaving groups, still have very common characteristics. Some Caucasian styles include the Kazak, Karabagh, Gendje, Talish, Shirvan, Baku, Kuba and Daghestan. Caucasian rugs have been influenced by Persian, Anatolian, Turkoman and Chinese styles One common characteristic among Caucasian rugs is the positioning of similar shapes in different sizes next to one another. Another common characteristic is their colorful and bright palette. Colors of blue, red, purple, yellow, green, navy, black and beige can all be combined in one rug. The patterns are very geometric. The common designs tend to be stripes, crosses, squares, diamonds, hexagons, triangles, botehs, 'S' shapes (derived from old dragon designs), some very geometric animal figures such as crab and tarantula, and even sometimes geometric human figures. The crab figures are mainly woven in the borders. The shapes tend to be placed inside one another. For example, a diamond might be inside several bigger diamonds or other shapes. The layout could consist of a large single medallion, large multiple medallions, or it could be all-over. It is very common for steps and hooks to form the outer borders of the motifs. Most rugs tend to have several minor borders, which are filled with motifs. Sometimes the background is very crowded and sometimes it could be solid.

The famous tree-of-life prayer rug has several minor borders and guard strips. The mihrab is in a camel color, usually undyed camel hair, which looks like a very geometric narrow and long human trunk with a square head. Above the mihrab arch, on the field, there are two square corners very similar to the design and the color of the interior of the mihrab itself. The design inside the mihrab includes a tree with several branches with maple leaves. Each leaf is divided into four quarters. The quarters across from each other are the same color; two are blue and two are red. Inside the head (top of the tree) the leaves become more similar to the Turkoman gul. The borders are generally in red, navy and very little white with small geometric shapes that look similar to hooks or the Turkoman gul.

In the all-over layout with repeating floral motifs, a common design consists of rows of red square flowers with smaller white flowers in between the rows. The background is generally dark blue and the flowers are usually inside a lattice of some form, sometimes a diamond shape. The main borders are generally red. The minor borders have the zigzag design in white. These designs are often called Mina-khani.

Very unique prayer rugs are also woven in this area.

Caucasian prayer rugs Baluchi (Belouch, Balushi) Baluchi rugs are mainly woven by Baluchi tribal weavers in southwest of Pakistan, northeast of Iran and northwest of Afghanistan. Baluchi rugs are mainly geometric. The Blauchi tree-of-life prayer rug is the most well known of all Baluchi designs. Other designs include repeating all-overs with floral motifs or repeating all-overs with abstract living creatures such as animals (birds are common) and humans. The main colors used in Baluchi rugs are red, dark blue, camel, beige and white. A common border design is a zigzag design also seen in Turkoman and Anatolian borders. Baluchi rugs are generally made in small sizes.

Even though Baluchi rugs are sometimes sold under the name of the specific tribe which has woven them such as the Mushwani, Nishapur, Dokhtar-e-Ghazi, Koudani and Haft Bolah and the village of Chichaksu, often times Baluchi rugs are marketed by the names of Mashad or Herat Baluchi. Herat Baluchi rugs are made in Afghanistan and are mainly prayer rugs. The Mashad Baluchi rugs are made in Iran and are generally all-over repeats.

Oil painting by Holbein depicting a rug

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Main Production Centers

Turkey

Turkmenistan

Turkey is located in Southwest Asia. Turkey is bordered

by Bulgaria and Greece on the northwest; Black Sea on the north; Georgia and Armenia on the northeast; Iran on the east; Iraq, Syria and the Mediterranean Sea on the south; and Aegean Sea on the west. Turkey covers an area of 779, 452 sq km (300,948 sq mi) with a population of approximately 65 million. Turkey's capital is Ankara.

Turkmenistan is bordered by Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on the north and northeast, Afghanistan on the south and southeast, Iran on the south, and the Caspian Sea on the west.

Turkmenistan covers an area of 488,100 sq km (188,500 sq mi) with a population of 4.3 million. The capital of Turkmenistan is Ashgabad.

The earliest Anatolian (Turkish) handmade rugs date back to the thirteenth century. Many examples of Anatolian rugs can be seen in European paintings from 1350 to 1450. Rugs have been woven in Turkey for at least as long as they have been in Iran.

Rugs produced today are generally very beautiful and high quality. In the late 1970s the government began a program to improve the quality and profitability of the rug industry. The program reintroduced the use of natural dyes and traditional weaving methods. Thus, DOBAG (a Turkish acronym meaning Natural Dye Research and Development Project) was created. Turkey produces a wide variety of village and workshop rugs particularly in Hereke, which also produces one of the best silk rugs in the world and, to a lesser extent, in Kayseria.

Even though Turkey does not export nearly as many rugs as Iran, India or China, it is still considered a large exporter of handmade rugs. Market sizing data from the exporting countries is difficult to obtain, as some of the countries may not track the data or disclose it.

Nevertheless, from foreign embassies, industry specialists, and magazine articles, the 1998 rug export estimate for Turkey is 150 million dollars.

Afghanistan Afghanistan is situated in South Asia. It is bordered by Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan on the north; China and Jammu-and-Kashmir on the east; Pakistan on the east and south; and Iran on the west. It covers an area of 652,225 sq km (251,825 sq mi) with a population of about 25 million (1998 estimate). The capital of Afghanistan is Kabul.

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan is bordered by Kazakhstan on the north and west, Kyrgyzstan on the east, Tajikistan on the southeast, and Afghanistan and Turkmenistan on the south. It covers an area of 447,400 sq km (172,700 sq mi) with a population of approximately 23.8 million. The capital of Uzbekistan is Tashkent.

The rugs from these two countries are known as Turkoman.

Turkoman art and culture has originally been influenced by Mongolian and Turkish art and culture. Turkoman rugs are easily distinguished from all other rugs, especially since their overall appearance has not changed in centuries. Turkoman rugs are unique in that they are almost always red, and the main motif used is called gul.

Near the end of the nineteenth century, as the Turkomans came under the control of Russia, Turkoman rug weaving became more and more commercialized. It changed from being fundamentally a local occupation and became a marketable export. Rug weaving for the Western market became an important part of their economy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Even though in the past Turkoman rugs have been mostly of nomadic nature, they are now made in workshops, villages, and still by different tribesmen. Turkoman rugs of Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are generally marketed as Bokhara or Beshir.

The rug production of these countries is neither minor nor as major as Iran, India or China.

India India is located in South Asia. India is bordered by China, Nepal and Bhutan on the north; Bangladesh and Myanmar (Burma) on the east; the Bay of Bengal on the southeast; the Palk Strait, the Gulf of Mannar, and the Indian Ocean on the south; and Pakistan and the Arabian Sea on the west. India covers an area of 3,165,596 sq km (1,222,243 sq mi).

Índia Índia is located in the South of Asia its borders are with China, Nepal and Butan to the north, Bangladesh and Myanmar to the east, the Bay of Bengala to the southeast, the straight of Palk, the golf of Manar and the Indian ocean to the south and Pakistan and the Arabia sea to the west. It has an area of 3.165.596 Suare km.

Afghanistan produces handmade rugs for both its local market and exportation; however, because of the political problems over the past twenty years, there is no current information about the rug exportation status of the country. Many of the rugs are exported through neighboring countries such as Pakistan. Even without exact numbers, we know that Afghanistan does not produce nearly as many handmade rugs as Iran, China or India. Índia.

33

Main Production Centers

Ă?ndia

Iran

Rug weaving was introduced to India during the sixteenth century at the time of the Moghul Emperor Akbar. Indian workshops prospered about the same time as the royal Persian rug manufacturers of the Safavid Dynasty in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Many of the workshops were under the supervision of Iranian weavers. Consequently, Indian designs were strongly influenced by those of Iran.

Iran is located in Southwestern Asia, and it is bordered by Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Caspian Sea, and Turkmenistan on the north; Afghanistan and Pakistan on the east; Iraq and Turkey on the west; and the Gulf of Oman, the Strait of Hormuz, and the Persian Gulf on the south. The area of Iran is 1,648,000 sq km (636,296 sq mi) with a population of approximately 69 million. Iran was called Persia prior to the Muslim conquest in the 7th century AD; however, it continued to be known as Persia abroad until the 1930s. Its capital and largest city is Teheran. For 2500 years Iran was a monarchy, but it became an Islamic Republic following the 1979 revolution.

Rug weaving almost stopped in India in the late seventeenth century, and it was not until about 1850 that large factories managed by the British, and later by American companies, began producing large quantities of rugs again. This time, however, rugs were produced largely for exportation. Many are copies of Persian and French eighteenth century designs.

The major rug producing centers of India are in the towns of Srinagar, Amritsar, Jaipur, Agra, Bhadohi, Mirzapur, Khamariah and Ellora. Many Indian rugs are marketed under the Persian style names from which they are copied. For example, a rug could be sold under the name Indo-Esfahan, which means it is an Esfahan style made in India.

Currently, India is one of the largest producers of handmade rugs. Market sizing data from the exporting countries is difficult to obtain, as some of the countries may not track the data or disclose it. Nevertheless, from foreign embassies, industry specialists, and magazine articles, the 1998 rug export estimate for India is 500 million dollars. India produces handmade rugs mainly for exportation.

Pakistan Pakistan is located in South Asia. Pakistan is bordered by Afghanistan on the north and northwest, China on the northeast, India on the east and southeast, Arabian Sea on the south, and Iran on the west. Pakistan covers an area of 796,095 sq km (307,374 sq mi) and it has a population of 135 million (1998 estimate). Islamabad is the capital of Pakistan.

Pakistan gained its independence from the British Empire in 1947.

As with India, the art of rug weaving in Pakistan began during the reign of Akbar Shah in the sixteenth century. During that period Persian master weavers were brought to Lahore, and from then on rug making developed rapidly. Until the eighties, two basic types of rugs were produced in Pakistan: the Pakistani and the Mori. The Pakistani mostly copy Persian styles of especially Kerman and Tabriz. The Mori copy the styles of Turkoman Bokhara, which are characterized by repetitive gulls.

At the present time, Pakistan produces handmade rugs mainly for exportation. It is among the four largest exporters of rugs in the world. Market sizing data from the exporting countries is difficult to obtain, as some of the countries may not track the data or disclose it. Nevertheless, from foreign embassies, industry specialists, and magazine articles, the 1998 rug export estimate for Pakistan is 250 million dollars.

34

Until the eighties Iran remained the greatest rug-weaving country in the world. It is estimated that Iran produced approximately three-quarters of all the handmade rugs in the world.

Iran has the highest and most diverse number of weaving groups from master workshops to nomadic tribes, and as a result, it produces the most diverse styles worldwide. Rugs are produced almost in all parts of Iran from north to south and east to west. In the northwest the cities of Tabriz and Heriz (influenced by rugs of the Caucasus), in the northeast Mashad (influenced by rugs of Turkoman), in the center Esfahan, Qum, Kashan and Nain, and in the south Shiraz and Kerman are just a few examples among many rug-producing cities in Iran.

Persian styles have been copied in machine-made rugs by the West and by most handmade rug-producing countries of the East such as India, Pakistan and China.

Even though it is not certain when rug weaving started in Iran, in early Persian manuscripts of sixth century during the rule of Khosrau I (King of Persia from 531 to 579) there is a mention of a rug called The Spring Carpet of Khosrau made of wool, silk, gold, silver, and precious and semi-precious stones. Also, centuries later, in 1295, Marco Polo had mentioned that Tabriz rugs were superior to any other rug he had seen.

Rug weaving as an art reached its peak during the reign of Shah Abbas (1586-1628) of Safavid Dynasty, and during the late 1960's and the early 1970's, rug production increased in Iran to fulfill the demands of both the Western and the domestic population. The rug industry has continued to be extremely successful. Market sizing data from the exporting countries is difficult to obtain as some of the countries may not track the data or disclose it. Nevertheless, from foreign embassies, industry specialists, and magazine articles, the 1998 rug export estimate for Iran is 800 million dollars. Iran also produces a large number of rugs for its local market.

Traditionally, Iranians have purchased rugs as investments.

Pile refers to the material (fiber) used for weaving rugs. Only natural fibers are used in handmade rugs. The main pile materials are wool and silk. Sometimes, goat and camel hair are also used by nomadic and village weavers.

Marco Polo´s Journay

Main Production Centers

History of Chinese Carpet With 2200 years history, the Chinese carpet has its origins in the north-west of the country in the area around Xinjiang. Sadly, there is no contemporary record from which we can determine with any real accuracy how and when carpets were first created and began to be used. However, it is significant that in 1978 an archaeologist working from Xinjiang discovered a fragment of woollen fabric thought to be three thousand years old and which is likely to be the forerunner of the tufted carpet. Subsequent finds show that tufted carpets with coloured designs were being produced in China twenty-five centuries ago. Research indicates that following the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC - 24 AD) the technique of carpet making spread along the Silk Route extending from Qinghai, Gansu, Nigxia, Shenmu and Yulin to Inner Mongolia and Shanxi. Carpet weaving later extended into other locations such as Beijing (formerly Peking), Tianjing, Hebei and Shandong, where their own distinctive styles evolved.

In late period of 19th century, Chinese carpet reached its full maturity. After this period, the machine and chemical dye enter into China, the China carpet went through huge Change. Carpets, particularly large wool carpets, were not used in China until comparatively recent times. Rugs to cover the Kang or fire heated brick bed platform typical in North China were not uncommon at least as early as Ming Dynasty. These rugs were typically divided to give a place to set a table on the Kang or designed to cover the entire Kang. Most of these rugs were made of felt and used camel hair, which was dyed black and red at the borders. The felt rugs, some silk and others wool, in the Shoso-in at Nara, Japan are probably the earliest examples of Chinese carpets and although dating is questioned may date back to Tang Dynasty. From historical records, it appears that no wool looms were in use in Beijing until the very early 1860s. In 1860, a Buddhist priest named Ho Chi-qing started a weaving school at Paoku for the poor of Beijing. This proved successful and the school divided into a Western gate and Eastern gate schools. Later, the Western gate school moved to Tientsin where it developed a tradition of making very durable camel wool carpets decorated with simple geometrical patterns in red, blue and brown. In the later years of the 1800´s the quality of the rug making had deteriorated markedly. The Tientsin wool rug industry collapsed completely with the fall of the Qing Dynasty. In the 1930´s the rug industry was restarted in both Tientsin and Shanghai with the aid of western capital. In 1949, the tradition was further transplanted to Hong Kong and other points in Asia where it carries on the tradition through more modern techniques.

Typical Chinês Rug

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PART 2

Rugs by COUNTRY

Russian Khalyk

37

AFGHANISTAN

‫أﻓﻐﺎﻧﺳﺗﺎن‬

39

AFGHANISTAN

Although Afghanistan shares its western border with Iran, its carpets have more in common with the tribal weavings of Central Asia in terms of color, design, and weave than with their more sophisticated Persian counterparts. The Afghanis are a nomadic, tribal population constantly traveling from one place to another. Their rugs, woven on small portable looms, are mainly produced for use in their homes, namely to adorn their tents. Therefore, it is not surprising that Afghan weavings are available in limited quantities and generally in small rug sizes. Many feature vegetable-dyed handspun Afghan wool.

Various qualities of pile carpets are available, ranging from coarse to medium in weave, in addition to kilims.

Afghanis strictly observe the principles of Islam, which forbid the depiction of human and animal forms. Therefore, Afghan carpets are characterized by easily identifiable geometric patterns. Several types of Afghan rugs exist. Most prevalent is the "Afghan Bokkara," characterized by the gul motif, a large, quartered octagon also called "elephant's foot," generally displayed in columns or rows and framed within a border.

Of all the carpet types available today Afghan rugs are probably the most truly authentic expression of a weaver's culture. They hold a special appeal for buyers seeking truly original ethnic expression in Oriental rugs.

Large Gull Bokhara

Afghan Killim

Also popular are the nomadic Belouch rugs, generally prayer rugs with geometric motifs. Most Afghan rugs fall into the dark red hues (occasionally blue) with black or blue motifs and sometimes with touches of ivory or green. Balouch rugs are more varied in style than Afghans, but most have geometric designs with dark brown, charcoal, rust and black as main colors. Balouchi weavers produce many prayer rugs in scatter sizes.

The past decade has seen a much larger and more interesting supply of Afghan and Balouch weavings than in previous years. Weavers in Afghanistan make saddlebags, tent bands, and purely decorative wall hangings in addition to a wide variety of small and medium-size scatters The best Afghans are very desirable rugs - tightly woven and heavy, with extremely dense and solid construction.

Most Afghans use old Turkoman-derived designs and are woven on wool warp and weft Colors are usually madder red, ivory, and black with accents of rust and sometimes green, Some very fine rugs in south Persian Qashgai designs made in the refugee camps in Pakistan are more colorful and even more intricate in pattern.

41

AFGHANISTAN

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Afghanistan, strategically located along the ancient "Silk Route", and geographically situated between the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent at the crossroads of central, west, and south Asia, has been described by British historian Arnold Toynbee as "a roundabout of the ancient world ..." and from that fertile and well traveled yet turbulent ground has sprung a rich mosaic of ethnic and linguistic groups.

Afghan Belouch

Despite it's rugged and forbidding terrain, and the threat of fierce military resistance on behalf of it's populace, Afghanistan has nonetheless suffered numerous invasions over the centuries - present history included.

This phenomenom is no better illustrated, perhaps, than by the so-called "Great Game" - as (czarist) Russia and the British (Empire) vied for influence and control of Afghanistan over 100 years ago.

Afghan Belouch

42

AFGHANISTAN

It's recent history - in the latter part of the twentieth century and the early twentyfirst century especially - has been marked by both political and religious instability and controversy as well as civil war and military occupations. Such developments have forced many skilled carpet weavers to attempt to carry on their occupation in refugee camps and has driven others to the point of desperation in finding new ways to market their products while compensating for an inflation rate of near 200%.

Not surprisingly, perhaps, Afghan weavers have recently produced an interesting selection of "war rugs" exhibiting stylized depictions of military paraphernalia such as tanks, grenades, and guns which are a vivid reflection of the war-torn environment that has reigned throughout the 1980s. Such trends, however, are dictated predominantly by a marketplace where, often-purchased as novelties by occupying military officers, these types of rugs fetch a much higher sum than traditional products - so in essence if any statement, in fact, is being made - it is a financial one rather than a political one.

Afghan War Rug

43

AFGHANISTAN

Afghan Modern Rugs Production at Peshawer (Pakistan)

Ziegler Brown

Afghan Kazak

44

CAUCASUS

Кавказ

45

CAUCASUS

Tekke Bokhara / Turkmanistan Tekke The proper name of the Tekke people is Teke. Altough Tekke is the most communly used name.

The Teke were part of the Salyr (Salor) of the Oguz Turks.

When the Oguz split over the issue of converting to Islam the Teke/Salyr coveted to Islam and became part of the Seljuk/Oguz.

The Salyr split in the face of the Mongol onslaught. What we know today as Salor are those that stayed in Turkestan and came under the sway of the Mongols. The Teke emerged again in the 16th century as part of the Sayin Khan-Salor. At this point the Salor/Salar split occurred. The Teke with the Salor stayed in Turkestan under the domination of the Uzbek Mongols. A significant part of the Salyr moved east under the protection of the Mogholistan Khans. They are now in China as the Salar.

In the late seventeenth century the Salor confederation broke up which forced the three primary tribes of the confederation, the Salyr, the Saryk, and the Teke out of the Mangyshlak Peninsula and the Balkan Mountains. The tribes moved eastward and then south. this set off a series of incidents where the Saryk usurped the Salyr and then the Tekke/Teke usurped the Saryk. The Tekke/Teke were the dominant southern Turkmen tribe when the Russians came in.

In Turkmen rugs we regularly see wefts made from hair as opposed to wool.They main motif is the Gull in an all-overdesign.

Daghestan Daghestan is located at Northeast corner of the caucasus and its varied tribes like Kuba, Shirvan, etc, are mainly moslems.

The rugs from these districts wil be described separatly.

Daghestan

Azeri Chul (Karabagh)

47

CAUCASUS Eagle Kazak

Kazak Caucasian rugs are woven by tribal weavers of the region south of Russia, near the Caucasus Mountains, between the Black and Caspian Seas. This area includes the countries of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. There are approximately 350 different tribes, speaking 150 different dialects in this area. Caucasian rugs, even though made by different weaving groups, still have very common characteristics. One common characteristic among Caucasian rugs is the positioning of similar shapes in different sizes next to one another. Another common characteristic is their colorful and bright palette.

Colors of blue, red, purple, yellow, green, navy, black and beige can all be combined in one rug. The patterns are very geometric. The common designs tend to be stripes, crosses, squares, diamonds, hexagons, triangles, botehs, 'S' shapes (derived from old dragon designs), some very geometric animal figures such as crab and tarantula, and even sometimes geometric human figures.

Karabagh The name Karabagh translates to “Black Garden� in English, and it is interesting that many of the rugs from the area have black fields or borders decorated with flowers.

Karabagh is primarily known for the production of geometrically designed rugs, but weavers also made many rugs in floral patterns with European influence, following the 19 Century colonial expansion into the region.

Because of the resemblance of colors and styles some of the Karabagh rugs are mistaken as Kazaks. The most common errors are the Cloudband and so called Eagle or Adler Kazaks.

These rugs were actually made in the Chelarberd district of Karabagh.

Karabagh Kuba Kuba rugs come in many qualities, but non-are sub-standard.

Patterns can repeat themes from neighboring Perpedil, Konagkend, and Seichur, but a Kuba usually has a border with a variant of the "Running Dog", stars, carnations, and/or flowers. The field is usually a dark indigo. Warps are light or light brown, wefts are double and light, selvages double and light.

48

Antique Kuba

CAUCASUS

Shirvan Shirvan is one of the principal weaving areas of the Caucasus stretching from the central east coast some 400 km inland and encompassing towns which produce particular design variations common to the Shirvan group. These include Bidjov, Marasali, Khila, Surahani, Baku and Saliani. The Shirvan rugs are noted as being some of the finest rugs from Caucasian.

They are usually thin and densely knotted. The warp threads are usually light and undyed brown sheep's wool spun together. The wefts are light and thin, and selvages are usually white over double or triple threads. Cotton wefts are also seen, as are silk wefts

Soumak or Sumak When one talks about a flat woven Kelim- one almost always hears mention of the kelims from Soumak. They are distinguishable by the fact that the pattern is visible only from one side- with the reverse often having threads of yarn 2 to 4 cm long left hanging on the back. The Soumak kilims are heavy and stiff and make a great floor rug. They are found in bag faces, animal covers and have been used as curtains and bed covers. Designs are almost always bold and colorful and employ many of the design patterns of the knotted Caucasian rugs.

Talish Talish borders on Persian Azerbaijan and encompasses Lenkoran and Moghan rug areas. These rugs are noted for their elongated shape- often in the form of a runner. A common motif is the St Andrew's cross, separated by octagonal medallions. Occasionally the Lenkoran Tortoise motif replaces the St Andrews cross. Warps are a mixture of undyed beige and Brown wool, wefts are usually 2 strands of gray cotton.

49

CAUCASUS

Daghestan Prior to the coming of the Russians Daghestan was only the Mountainous area of what is now Daghestan and the flat area near the sea was Derbent.

When the Russians set up their administrative districts they combined the two and called it Daghestan. I should have more Daghestan rugs and I might. The problem is that Daghestan rugs can look like Shirvan rugs or even Marsali rugs.. The key to identification is that the Daghestan rugs have a deeply ribbed back. On a Kuba rug look for warp depression of about 45 to 70 degrees and Daghestan rugs to be over 70 degrees.

Yamout Also known as yomud, yamout is one of the main Turkoman tribes.

It was frequent in old yamout design to use the Gul Dyrnak, Kepse and Gul Muska.

Daghestan Runner

50

CAUCASUS

Kazak

Turkmanistan Weaver

51

CHINA

中国

53

CHINA

Chinese Silk Rugs are beautiful pieces of Chinese art.China, a country of ancient civilization, is the birthplace of many dazzling arts and crafts, and Chinese handicraft articles found their way into overseas markets as an important medium of exchange with other countries.

Chinese silk, following a route known later as the Silk Road, reached the distant Roman Empire along the coast of the Mediterranean in the Han(206BC-AD220) and Tang(168-907) dynasties, and China enjoyed fame as the Land of Silk in the East Silk carpet making was not a Chinese tradition, but it was born of wool weaving of nomadic tribes. While rugs were being woven in China two thousand years ago, there was not a real industry until the mid-eighteenth century.

Chinese Silk rugs differ radically from their main Islamic counterparts by using traditional Buddhist and Taoist motifs, and blue, apricot and yellow as their main colors.

Before the 1987 embargo from Iran, Persian rugs from were the most famous and pricey carpets, due to their their beauty and high quality. During the embargo, copies of Persian rugs were made in other Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

Chinese Silk rugs became more popular and Persian rugs declined in sales, mainly because they were cut out of the U.S. trade, and Iranian weavers have not kept up with U.S. fashion trends, and during the embargo, the quality of Iranian rugs declined, while weavers in China improved.

Traditional Silk Chinese Rugs

Iran lost their focus after the embargo, and quality dropped dramatically. Iranians tend to be a little bit less perfectionist, where the Chinese are very perfectionist Iranians tend to be a little bit less perfectionist, where the Chinese are very perfectionist.

Although fine rugs are made on machines, many people prefer Chinese handmade rugs because they embody culture and tradition.

You can tell a machine-made rug because its fringe is attached after the rug is manufactured rather than being an integral part of the rug. You also can pull individual threads from the pile because a machine-made rug doesn't have knots.

55

CHINA

China China has woven hand-knotted rugs for centuries. There are reports of rugs being woven in north-central China, in the area around Ningxia, as early as 1696. By the 1860's there were workshops in Beijing making rugs for the imperial court. In the 1920's and 30's many rugs in vaguely Art Deco style were produced for the American market in rug "factories" in Hebel and Shandong provinces.

These rugs were woven by hand, but the workshops were highly organized with foreign companies controlling all phases of the production. Many rugs from this period had plain grounds of pearl grey or navy with wide solid-color borders and simple floral spray design elements.

The 1950's and 60's saw the Chinese government take over the carpet factories, and the development of thick, carved rugs from China in "Chinese" designs and pastel colors. Most of these rugs are made in state-owned co-operatives in and around Tianjin.

Common qualities are "70 line" (34 knots per sq. in.) and "90 line" (56 knots per sq. In.).

By the late 1980's, some factories began to produce more finely woven rugs in Persian patterns. In qualities like "160 line" (177 knots per sq. in.) and finer, these "Sino-Persian" rugs have intricate floral patterns and closely-clipped nap. These rugs are not carved.

Traditional Silk Chinese Rug

56

CHINA

The high quality of Chinese rĂŠplicas of SinoPersian rugs made the weaving of rugs like Hereke (Turkey) and Isfahan (Iran) to be ordered from China by western importers.

One of the reason is cost. These high quality rugs are a lot cheaper to be made in China than at the country of origin. The other reason is that some rugs are hardly made at the country of origin (Hereke, Kum Kapi).

Turkish Hereke Replica

Iranian Isfahan Replica

57

CHINA

Tapestry Art Tapestry art is one of the most effective forms of literary expression the world has ever known. Through the use of this unique art form, the stories of Homer's Odyssey and Iliad were told and made vivid to the ancient Greeks. Even the stories of Virgil's Aneida and Ovid's Metamorphoses were made vivid to the Romans through the use of these woven art pieces. In fact, woven tapestry art has vividly told the stories of the Greeks, Romans, Medieval, and the Renaissance period as well as the Old & New Testament. Countless heroes and nobility have owned hand-woven tapestry art in France, England, Germany, and Italy from ancient times to more recently throughout the Thirteenth to the Eighteenth centuries. Between the hand-woven tapestry art of classical antiquity and that of the Thirteenth century, a long period of darkness and artistic void intervened in western culture, and for over a thousand years weavers were content to leave the making of large wall paintings to artists and embroiderers. Today they are made on Jacquard looms or by hand by chinese artisans, li the two examples displayed here.

Chinese Tapestry Antique replica

58

CHINA

Chinese Needle point

59

CHINA

Nepalese Rugs, High qualitywool and weaving

60

INDIA

61

INDIA

Indian Rugs Jute took the place of cotton in the foundations, and the general decadence of the native product was complete.

In an article in The Nineteenth Century, in 1891, on "The Decline of Taste in Indian Art", Georgiana Kingscote, speaking of the spontaneous native industry, says: "At one time there were more than two hundred houses where there are now twos and threes, and the famished inhabitants cannot even afford to keep a stock of rugs on hand, and as soon as one is finished are only too ready to sell it, at a loss even, simply as a means of subsistence; and the trade is at such a low ebb that if you want an Indian rug you must advance the money, and wait until they can get through it, as they cannot afford to employ many workers.

Ă?ndia has recovered and is today one of the largest rugs producers in the world.

It is difficult to find in today´s India examples of their best sil Kashmir, Agra or Jaipur, but they weave nice Persian style rugs as well as all modern designs so much in fashion in the west today.

Just like Pakistan and China, India makes knotted, tufted, machine made and loom knotted rugs.

Most of their production is contemporary design or copies of famous Persian rugs, like Tabriz.

They use chrome dyes, which are high quality even if they are a little bright as is custom in this country.

Although, wool and silk are still used in India, their main raw material today are synthetic fibbers, like polyester and polypropylene.

"The coloring of the Indian rugs originally came from Persia, and these colors, especially reds and blues, were as beautiful as those of that country still are. Now, unfortunately, the revival of rug manufacture is principally carried on in the jails, under English supervision, and the patterns are decidedly English, and the texture thick like English pile, thus encouraging the loss of that extremely fine work peculiar to the Persian rugs.

Here, again, magenta, being a cheap English color, plays a great part, and spoils the harmony of the coloring. One drop of water is enough to spoil the rug by making the magenta in it run into the white ground. French and English machine-made rugs and Brussels rugs are invading India, and the rug trade is sinking fast as, if not faster than, any other".

Jaipur Star

63

INDIA

In India the women do no weaving. The great majority of the weavers are boys, ranging in age from six to fifteen years, and most of them under twelve. They are under the absolute sway of the native masters, a sort of padrones, and when, from one reason or another, the "boss weaver" leaves a factory, he takes his entire following with him. This is an altogether uncomfortable state of things for the firms carrying on the business, since in places like Amritsar the defection of a large body of these tiny toilers can cause incalculable inconvenience and delay. The maximum wage of one of these child weavers is about five cents a day. Skilled adults work by the thousand stitches, and a great day's earning is about twenty-five or thirty cents.

What has been said in another chapter on the transportation of designs from one part of the Orient to another, and their adoption into other ornament systems, applies in its fullest force to India. Considering the illimitable conservatism of the Hindu, it is difficult to understand how the Mohammedan designs could have crowded out those of the earlier races, while the language, religion, and social customs remain. All through the north of India the Persian forms were used almost exclusively, though taking on a rich ornamental character which even in the most finished of the Persianized products suggested the native, half-barbarian splendor. In the south of India there were retained many of the old creations; but even these were of the same ancient origin as the Persian, although altered by centuries of native Indian usage. They had been brought into India by Aryan invasion further back even than the time of Darius, and thus, after long separation, the currents of the primitive and universal symbolism were again united.

The treatment in many of the modern India rugs is little more than a burlesque; but some pieces made upon special orders preserve with comparative fidelity the details of the Persian rugs from which they are copied. In the weaving both the Senneh and Ghiordes knots are used, and in the cheap grades a simple twist, which is no knot at all, but merely a turning of the yarn around the warp, depending wholly upon the tension of the weft to hold it. It must have been rugs of such workmanship which prompted Sir George Birdwood to say in his "Industrial Arts of India", in 1884: "The foundation, as now scamped, is quite insufficient to carry the heavy pile which is a feature of this make, and is, moreover, so short in the staple as to be incapable of bearing the tension even of the process of manufacture. Jaipur rugs often reach this country, which will not bear sweeping or even unpacking. I know of two which were shaken to pieces in the attempt to shake the dust out of them when first unpacked. The designs once had some local character, but have lost it during the last five years".

There are among the Indian rugs of today, nevertheless, some fabrics which are stout, soundly made, quite well dyed, and, being copies of good spontaneous Persian designs, are meritorious in that regard. It is not hard to distinguish the wheat from the chaff. In selecting from among these rugs there is probably no rule other than of personal preference in design, supplemented by the general requirements as to material and texture, and the customary tests for solidity of color.

Agra Round

Agra Has a long tradition as rug weavers. Quality rugs were and are woven in Agra, a large majority with Indo-Persian or Persian design.

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INDIA

Agra The rugs and carpets woven in Agra are woven by descendants of weavers who worked during Mughal times and learnt the craft of carpet weaving from Persian master weavers. The floral motifs and geometric designs woven into the rugs and carpets of Agra are similar to the designs of Persian carpets.

The rug and carpet weavers of Agra offer a wide choice of rugs, prayer mats, wall hangings and carpets, in various shapes and sizes.

Agra Antigo

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INDIA

Jaipur This is the capital of the state of the same name, is the principal commercial center of Rajputana. It stands in a plain, surrounded on all sides save one by hills which the ancient rulers made sites of remarkable fortifications. Under British dominion the city has progressed greatly. It has fine paved streets, gas lighting, hospitals, dispensaries, almshouses and schools, and a famous observatory, built in 1728. The rugs woven here copy the designs found chiefly in the rugs of eastern and middle Persia. They nearly always present the cypress-tree, and also many animal forms, laid upon ground of dark red, blue or ivory white. The borders have a swaying-vine pattern, with the customary floral adjuncts.

Jaipur

66

INDIA

Kashmir Silk Kashmir carpet or rug weaving in Kashmir was not originally indigenous but is thought to have come in by way of Persia. Silk Kashmir carpet or rug weaving is therefore strongly reflective of Persian styling. Till today most designs are distinctly Persian with local; variations. One example, however, of a typical Kashmir design is the tree of life. Persian design not withstanding, any carpet woven in Kashmir is referred to as Kashmir. The Silk Kashmir carpets or rugs are made predominantly in the Srinagar area of Kashmir, and generally confined to the men of the family, though nowadays, women are also entering the trade. These exquisite creations are hand-knotted on the warp threads, one at a time, in accordance to a strict code of colours in the order of their appearance in the pattern. Often the code is lyric into a song, which is hummed by the artisans at the time of weaving. The knotted product is clipped with shears to smoothness, and then treated with several brightening and protective chemical washes. The colourway of Silk Kashmir carpet or rug and its details differentiate it from any other carpet. And while on the subject of colours, it should be kept in mind that although the colours of Silk Kashmiri carpets or rugs are more subtle and muted than elsewhere in the country, only chemical dyes are used-vegetable dyes have not been available now for hundred years.

Silk Kashmir

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‫‪IRAN‬‬

‫اﯾران‬

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IRAN

The Pazyryk Carpet A hand-woven carpet was found in the Pazyryk valley in a tumulus dating back to the fifth century BC. This unique piece of art was partly damaged by age and oxidation, but it was preserved in a thick sheet of ice -- which had protected it for twenty-five centuries. Late in 1929, a Russian ethnographic mission led by Rudenko and Griaznov began the excavation of five tumuli dating from the Scythian period. In 1949 during the excavation of the fifth tumulus, a magnificent carpet came to light which today represents the most important piece of evidence in the history of Oriental Carpets. This is the only rug from the Achaemenid period known and preserved up to the present day. Although it was found in a Scythian burial-mound, most experts attribute it to Persia The discovery of the Pazyryk carpet leads us therefore, to the belief that in a much more remote epoch than the sixteenthcentury Imperial period, carpet-making had gone through an earlier, brilliant phase, in which a very high level of technique and decorative values had been reached.

Unfortunately between this rug and the next discovered carpet there is big gap in time. This does not mean that the production had stopped but rather vanished by nature or destroyed by invasions.

The Springtime of Khosrow was exceptional. The whole design represents a garden in springtime to illustrate the spring during the winter time for the monarch and was described by Arab historians thus: ' The border was a magnificent flower bed of blue, red, white, yellow and green stones; in the background the colour of the earth was imitated with gold; clear stones like crystals gave the illusion of water; the plants were in silk and the fruits, were formed by coloured stones.

PERSIA UNDER THE CALIPH OF BAGHDAD (661 - 861 AD) The Sassanid dynasty was followed by a long period during which Persia was under the rule of Caliphs of Baghdad. There is not sufficient historic documentation to establish that knotted carpets were made at the time in Persia. As a powerful local dynasty did not exist, it is very unlikely that high quality carpets were made. On the other hand, the testimony of Arab historians confirms that the craft was not extinguished and that in addition to the carpets made by nomads, there were very probably some carpets of very real artistic value made. This period has influenced the future of this craftsmanship. The integration of Persian and Islamic cultures could be seen in the designs of golden time of Safavid rulers.

THE MINOR DYNASTIES (861-1037 AD)

The epicenter of the craft of carpet-making is traditionally Persia and the history of the craft is linked to the history of Persia, sharing its development and fortunes. The other centres of carpet-craft of, whose existence we have concrete proof from the Middle Ages onwards were manifestations of the work of isolated artists, though directly linked to the history of Persian rulers. The first group includes the ancient Caucasian carpets like the so-called Armenian ones and to the second group belong carpets of the Turkish court period, coming from the workshops of Konya, the capital of the Seljuks, a dynasty which ruled Persia for a very long time.

CYRUS AND THE ACHAEMENIAN DYNASTY It is very likely that Persian nomads knew the use of the knotted carpet even before the time of Cyrus, but almost certainly a true craft did not exist and the function of the carpet was more practical than artistic.

At the time of the conquest of Sardis (546 BC) and Babylon (539 BC) the Achaemenian culture was still at its dawn.

Confirmation of this is the fact that Cyrus, struck by the splendour of Babylon, refused to allow it to be sacked. It was probably he who introduced the art of carpet- making into Persia. Its said that tomb of Cyrus, who died in 529 BC and was buried at Pasargade, was covered with precious carpets.

The dominance of the Caliphs of Baghdad was followed by a period of no less than two centuries during which some Persian dynasties succeeded in obtaining relative independence and in regaining power over their own land.

There is no certain information about the craft of carpet making during these two centuries.

PERSIA UNDER THE SELJUK TURKS (1037 - l194 AD) After the period of domination and control by the Arab Caliphates, Persia was conquered by the Seljuk's, a Turkish people named after their founder. Seljuk domination was of great importance in the history of Persian carpets, the Seljuk in fact being very sensitive to all arts. Their womenfolk were skilful carpet makers, using Turkish knots. In the provinces of Azerbaijan and Hamadan where Seljuk influence was strongest and the longest lasting, the Turkish knot is used to this day. There are no existing carpets to help us to know more about this period.

In this period lived the two best-known Persian poets: Abolghasem Firdausi and Hakim Omar Khayyam their writings (Shah Nameh and Rubiat Khayyam) are an endless source of inspiration to the designers of pictorial carpets at the present time in Iran (the modern name for Persia).

THE SASSANID DYNASTY (224 AD - 641AD) There are documents on the existence of carpets during the period of the Sassanid dynasty. The production of carpets in Persia is in fact mentioned in Chinese texts of the period.

Moreover, the Emperor Heradius in AD 628 brought back a variety of carpets from the sack of Ctesiphon, the Sassanian capital. Among the spoils brought back by the Arabs who conquered Ctesiphon in 636 were said to be many carpets, among which was the famous and magnificent garden carpet called 'The Spring time of Khosrow. This carpet has passed into history as the most precious of all time. It was made during the reign of Khosrow 1 (531 AD - 578), a Sassanid king known as Anushirvn.

Table Carpet - V&A Museum, London

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IRAN

MONGOL DOMINATION (1220-1449) In the latter part of the twelfth century Seljuk power gradually came to an end and Persia came under the domination of the Shah of Khiva who reigned over Kharesm, a central Asian state situated along the lower reaches of the Amu Darya River.

This period was short, as in 1219 Persia, was devastated by the invasion of Genghis Khan. The Mongols were savage people and certainly knew nothing of any of the Persian arts.

Very probably during this period carpet-making was carried out only by nomadic tribes. However, in the time the Mongols came under the influence of the Coventry they had conquered.

The palace of Tabriz, belonging to the leader Gazhan Khan (1295 - 1304) who was the last Mongol leader to be converted to Islam, had paved floors covered with carpets. There are no existing carpets to help us to know more about this period.

THE SAFAVID DYNASTY (1499 -1722) In the second half of the fifteenth century, the Mongol dynasties gradually lost control of Persia. In the western region, they were superseded by the Turcoman tribe of the White Sheep (Ag - Goinlo), and their Emir Uzon Hassan set himself up in Tabriz in a palace where the paved floors were covered with carpets. At the same time, the last Mongol rulers were embellishing the palaces of Herat with carpets. This was an important turning point in Persia's history because, after more than seven centuries of foreign domination, a national dynasty was in a position to gain power and take control.

In fact, in 1499 Shah Ismail 1(1499 - 1524) drove out the White Sheep tribe and founded the Safavid dynasty. In the course of a few years, by means of a few expeditions sent out from Tabriz, Shah Ismail succeeded in conquering almost all of Persia which thus came to be conquered once more by a local dynasty. Liberation from the foreign yoke created a new ferment in the whole country and all Persian art saw a period of renaissance. Shah Ismail was sensitive to this movement and facilitated the renaissance of the arts as well as gaining the sympathy of the people. The great miniaturists such as Bihzad and the others lived at court with honours reserved for high dignitaries.

In the cities, craft centres were created for the manufacture of carpets. To these centres came the most skilled village craftsmen who, under the guidance of the miniaturist, wove the knotted carpets for which Persia is famous.

The accession to power of the Safavid rulers is therefore of great importance in the history of Persian carpets. Moreover, it is from this period that the first concrete proofs of this craft are dated. In fact, about 1,500 examples from this period are preserved in various museums and in private collections.

Shah Ismail, was succeeded in 1524 by his son Shah Tahmasp, was only twelve years of age. Shah Tahmasp, was devoted to, and a great patron of, all the Persian arts. His royal palace, first at Tabriz and later at Kasvin, was frequented by miniaturists and painters; it seems that Shah Tahmasp did not create a court workshop for carpets, preferring that this art should evolve contemporarily in all the centres of Persia, evidently under the control of artists and craftsmen from his court.

In spite of the lack of an effective court workshop, the most beautiful examples of the Safavid period were made during his long reign. The best carpets of this epoch came from Kashan, Tabriz and Isfahan. Among the examples which have come down to us from the period of the reign of Shah Tahmasp are the carpet discovered in the mosque of Ardebil and the hunting carpet.

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Shah Tahmasp reigned until 1567. After a turbulent period lasting for some ten years, Shah Abbas the Great (1587 1629) seized power.

In 1590 Shah Abbas moved his Capital to Isfahan where, around a large square (Midane Shah) which served as a polo ground, he constructed a magnificent royal palace (Aali Gapo) and two splendid mosques. Shah Abbas also created at Isfahan a court workshop for carpets where skilled designers and craftsmen set to work to create magnificent specimens.

These were almost always in silk and often contained gold and silver thread as well. At the death of Shah Abbas (1629) Shah Safi (1629 -1642) came to the throne. He was succeeded by the Shah Abbas II, Shah Suleiman and Sultan Hussein.

During this period Persia found itself involved in various wars against the Turks, and consequently the arts underwent a progressive decline. In 1722 the Afghans invaded Persia and occupied and destroyed Isfahan. They ended the Safavid dynasty and the court period of the Persian carpet.

FROM THE AFGHAN INVASION TO THE PAHLEVI DYNASTY Afghan domination lasted ten years and ended with the victory of a clever leader, a native of Khorassan, Nadir Ghali who, in 1736, was named Shah of Persia. The reign of Nader Shah lasted ten years, during which all the forces of the country were utilised in victorious campaigns against the Turks, the Russians and the Afghans. At the death of Nader Shah (1747) there followed several turbulent years until the prince of the Luri tribe, Karim Khan Zand , took power and had himself nominated ruler of the Kingdom of Persia, establishing his capital at Shiraz.

During the reign of Karim Khan Zand (1750 - 1799) no carpets of great value were made in the city workshops and the tradition of this craft was continued solely by the nomads.

After the death of Karim Khan, Persia, went through a period of disorder until Agha Mohammed Khan Qajar (1786) took power and founded the dynasty of the Qajar which lasted up to 1925. They transferred the capital to Tehran.

During the Qajar the trade and craftsmanship regained their importance, in the last quarter of the nineteenth century because of the merchants of Tabriz who had begun to export to Europe through Istanbul. At the end of nineteenth century some European and American companies set up their businesses in Persia and organised craft production destined for western markets. In 1925, Reza Shah took power from the Qajar and founded the Pahlevi dynasty (1925 - 1979). He encouraged the craft of carpet making and created Imperial workshops. These workshops produced some of the masterpieces for his palaces in Tehran which are already considered museum pieces. His son Mohammed Reza Pahlevi followed his father's policy and promoted this art by opening the Tehran Museum and facilitating the export and trade.

The Pahlevi rule was ended in 1979 by the Islamic Revolution in Iran. The present government in Iran is trying to keep this tradition going on by organising annual seminars on carpets, inviting the curators of all the world's great museums to participate in the seminars which are large scale and well planned. The carpet museum in Tehran is aweinspiring, and anyone who has the opportunity to visit should definitely do so.

IRAN

Old Killim Afhar

Afshar Afshar rugs are woven by nomads and villagers residing between the cities of Shiraz, Kerman, and Yazd in southeastern Iran. Afshar style, like most Persian styles, is copied by other areas of Iran as well as other countries such as India, China and Pakistan. These rugs, as most nomad rugs, are generally small. They are made in sizes of up to 5x7' and occasionally larger sizes.

Afshar rugs are similar to Caucasian rugs in style and colour.

The pattern is usually geometric. Some common designs consist of multiple connected medallions in diamond shape, single medallions in diamond, hexagon or octagon shape, or a huge hexagon medallion almost covering the entire field. Allover Gul farangi (roses), Boteh, and chicken-like motifs (Afshar-e-Morghi in Persian) are also common. Another common design is a floral medallion and corner and a vase at each end of the rug. The common colours include dark red, reddish brown, brown, dark reddish-blue, dark blue, burnt orange, ochre, and camel; white, ivory and yellow are used to create contrast The symmetric (Turkish) knot is mainly used; however, the asymmetric (Persian) knot is also sometimes used. The foundation is often wool, but cotton foundation is also seen in more recent rugs. Most Afshar rugs are marketed in the cities of Shiraz, Kerman and Yazd

Bidjar

Bidjar

Bidjar rugs are mainly woven in the town of Bidjar and its surrounding villages. Bidjar is located in the province of Kurdistan in northwest of Iran. Bidjar rugs are mostly considered village rugs because whether woven in the town of Bidjar itself or its surrounding villages, they are woven inside houses rather than workshops. The pattern of Bidjar rugs is a combination of curvilinear and geometric with curvilinear being dominant. The favourite colours of Bidjar weavers consist of navy, cherry red, brown, light blue, pink, yellow, ochre, orange, beige and ivory. The symmetrical (Turkish) knot is mainly used although the asymmetrical (Persian) knot is seen as well One of the most common motifs used in Bidjar rugs is the Herati motif. This motif can be seen in both the allover and medallion layouts. The signature design of Bidjar rugs is the Herati medallion-and-corner, which has a very large hexagon-shaped medallion usually with pendants.

Often several hexagon medallions are woven inside one another and they become larger as they get further away from the centre. In this design, the entire rug with the exception of the borders is filled with Herati motifs.In addition to the Herati motif, other all-over motifs and designs used in Bidjar rugs are Boteh, mina-khani, Zell-i-sultan and Gul farangi Bidjar rugs generally tend to have several minor borders, and one frequently seen motif in the border is the Shah Abbas motif.

Bidjar weavers beat the weft strands against the rows of knot repeatedly until the weave becomes extremely compact. As a result, Bidjar rugs are dense, heavy, and exceptionally durable. Since the warp and the weft strands are so firmly pressed together, if Bidjar rugs are folded, their foundation may break. Therefore, they should not be folded; they should be rolled

73

IRAN

Ghoum Qum rugs are woven in workshops of Qum, a city of northwest central Iran. Since rug production did not begin in Qum until about seventy years ago in 1930s, Qum doesn't have any traditional designs of its own. Qum weavers prefer to weave the most favourable designs of other Persian weaving groups and sometimes Caucasian weaving groups and adjusting these designs to their own taste.

It is possible for Qum rugs to be mistaken with Kashan or Esfahan rugs. However, they will not be mistaken with Tabriz rugs because Qum, Kashan and Esfahan rugs are woven with the asymmetric (Persian) knot and Tabriz rugs are woven with the symmetric (Turkish) knot. All silk, part silk/part wool, and Kork (fine wool taken from the belly of sheep) Qum rugs are very well-known in Iran and abroad. The foundation of Qum rugs could be either cotton or silk Most Qum rugs have curvilinear patterns, and very elaborate floral motifs with intricate leaves and vines. As mentioned above the designs are varied, taken from different weaving groups. Some designs used in Qum rugs consist of vase, Moharramaat, mir-iboteh, Zell I sultan, panelled garden, hunting, tree-of-life, pictorial, Shah Abbas medallion-and-corner with usually a circular medallion, all-over Shah Abbas, medallion with open field, medallions resembling the famous Esfahan Sheikh Lotfollah medallion, prayer and all-over Gul farangi (roses). The Gul farangi motif seems to be a popular motif also used in vase, tree-of-life, and Zell I sultan designs A panelled design containing very different motifs in each compartment is also common; the motifs inside the compartments can consist of pictorials, vases, hunting scenes, and Boteh all in one rug. The colours used in Qum rugs are as diverse as the designs.

The overall appearance could either be pale with background and border colours such as ivory, champagne, turquoise and light green, or it could be dark with background colours such as dark blue and even sometimes red. Red, blue and green are also used as motif colours. Other commonly used colours in Qum rugs are mushroom, rose, gold, yellow ochre and orange ochre. In silk Qum rugs, golden yellow outlines are sometimes woven around the motifs.

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Silk Ghoum

IRAN

Tabriz Tabriz rugs are woven in workshops of Tabriz and its vicinity. Tabriz is the capital of Eastern-Azerbaijan province in northwest of Iran.

Tabriz is one of the most important rug weaving centres in Iran. Although a variety of curvilinear designs are woven in Tabriz, geometric rugs can also be found. Tabriz rugs mostly use the symmetric (Turkish) knot.

Tabriz designs are the most diverse designs of Iran. Tabriz weavers use many different Persian and universal designs and motifs in their weaving. Often rather than directly copying these designs, they use their own interpretations such as their interpretation of the Herati medallion-and-corner of Bidjar Some of the designs and motifs used by the Tabriz weavers consist of shah Abbas medallion-and-corner, Islimi medallion-andcorner, shah Abbas and Islimi medallion-and corner, Koran medallion-and-corner, Sheikh Safi medallion-and-corner (a medallion surrounded by 16 leaf-like pendants with two lamps connected to the medallion), panelled garden, vase, hunting, pictorial, prayer rug with lamps and/or columns, animal, scenery, tree, all-over Boteh, all-over Gul farangi, and all-over Herati; the Boteh, Gul farangi and Herati motifs can be seen in the medallion layout as well The palette of Tabriz rugs is as diverse as the designs. Colours used can be very vivid or pastel depending on the market demand. A distinguishing characteristic of Tabriz rugs is the numerous colours used in one rug.

One popular and expensive design is the finely woven, exceptionally detailed shah Abbas and/or Islimi medallion-and-corner. These rugs are generally woven with silk foundation and wool pile with silk highlights. The common background and border colours used in this design are pink, peach, camel, beige, and ivory. Although the motifs are in variety of colours such as blue, green, yellow, orange, and lavender, often times the overall look of these rugs is pastel. Although pastel colours are frequently used, you can still find Tabriz rugs of this design with darker colours.

Silk Tabriz

75

IRAN

Tabriz Different types of carpets were made here, including pile and flat-weave, with simple and complex composition. The carpet making art was passed on from generation to generation and was considered the most valued heirloom. The traditional topics for the Tabriz carpets are the ornamental patterns, with the following dominant background colours: cream, red or navy blue. The most typical for this school are rugs and carpets grouped under the common name “Lachak Toranj”. In the middle of the centre field and in the corners of the carpet (“lachak”triangle) there are “Toranj” (Citron). The Toranj in the centre of the carpet is a symbol of the Moon, and the pattern formed by lozenges with the toothed leaves on the edges symbolizes the scales of the fish, which rise to the surface of the water at midnight to admire the Moon reflection. The origin of this composition dates back to the 9th-10th centuries. Often the topics for the Tabriz carpets are drawn from the works of the great Oriental poets. The carpets often depict the scenes of falconry or images of a ferocious lion. Well known are also Tabriz carpet-pictures with images of fragments of palaces and mosques, scenes of battles. Often, in creation of this or that ornamental pattern carpet weavers were inspired by the hand-painted covers of ancient books.

Modern Tabriz

Tabriz All-over-design

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IRAN

Isfahan Isfahan is located in western central Iran. Isfahan rugs have been and still remain very famous worldwide. Since Isfahan has been a capital city of many rulers including Shah Abbas of Safavid Dynasty, many mosques, palaces and other great monuments have been built in Isfahan, especially during the reign of Shah Abbas in the 16th and 17th centuries when Isfahan was a great centre of art.

These buildings have greatly influenced the rug designs of Isfahan One very common design is based on a large round medallion resembling the tile (mosaic) work of the interior of the dome of the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque. Other designs include Shah Abbas medallion and corner, Islimi medallion and corner, trees with animals, Shah Abbas all-over, geometric medallion and corner, and pictorials of people and nature, sometimes based on Safavid miniatures.

Many colours are used in an Isfahan rug; seldom less than 15 colours are used in one rug. The colours most commonly used are turquoise, navy, red, beige and pale mushroom. The background and the borders are visibly divided by usually two to five minor borders

70 Raj silk Isfahan

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IRAN

Kashan Kashan rugs are woven in workshops of the city of Kashan, in north central Iran. Kashan rugs style, like most Persian styles, is copied by other areas of Iran as well as other countries such as India, China and Pakistan. Their pattern is almost always curvilinear. One traditional design is an elongated diamond-shaped and lobed medallion with floral (usually Shah Abbas) pendants.

This design is one type of the Shah Abbas medallion. The entire rug including the medallion itself, the corners (in the case of medallion-and-corner), the borders, and the field are filled with Shah Abbas and Islimi motifs. It is common for this traditional design to have a navy medallion with similar corners and border in a red background or vice versa.

A Form of Shah Abbas Motif Another frequently seen design is all-over Shah Abbas. Other designs include vase, hunting and pictorial. The field is usually covered with palmettos and arabesques. The common background colours are navy, rich red, beige and ivory. Common design colours include red, blue, turquoise, ochre, beige, white, brown and occasionally green.

The asymmetric (Persian) knot is used in Kashan rugs woven in Kashan.

Kashan

78

IRAN

Kashan The city of Kashan in central Persia has been a major centre of textile production since the Safavid dynasty and was an early centre of sericulture. Halfway between Tehran and Isfahan, Kashan is situated in an arid, treeless and almost waterless plain. During the 16th and 17th centuries, its inhabitants, unable to make a living from the land, turned to textile production. The Afghan invasion of Persia in 1723 brought an end to most weaving centres due to unrest and turmoil with a revival of the tradition in the 19th century during the Qajar dynasty. The resurrection of handmade rugs competed with the machine made textiles exported to Persia from the West, with sophisticated workshops, such as Mohtashem, thriving.

The controversial term "Mohtashem" is shrouded in mystery. Carpet legend asserts that a Hajji Mullah Mohammad Hassan Mohtashem of Kashan, a successful textile businessman, married a young woman from Sultanabad, an active weaving village at the time.

Taking advantage of her knotted pile expertise, he had her weave some rugs that quickly became popular and "Mohtashem" became the preeminent workshop in Kashan.There is no definitive information to support this legend, but there are two known carpets signed Hajji Mullah Mohammad Hassan Mohtashem, indicating that there was an active workshop producing rugs and carpets of high quality, most of which were unsigned.

The structure, highly sophisticated design, superior quality of wool and array of colour of the present example illustrates the exceptional quality of carpets woven in Kashan in the late 19th century and more specifically those attributed to the Mohtashem workshop.

Silk Kashan

79

IRAN

Lavar The name Lavar is used to describe two types of rugs. The first type are rugs woven in the town of Lavar, located in northeast of Kerman, which produces rugs mainly in the Kerman style.

One special Lavar design is called the 'thousand flower.' As its name implies, flowers cover the entire field of the rug.

The name Lavar or Lave (a corrupted version of Lavar used in the west) is also used to describe the highest quality rugs made in and around Kerman, whether or not actually made in the town of Lavar itself.

The production of these rugs were more appreciate by the American market than the European, because of the excessively rich colours and higher pile. Some of the older models (like the rug at the bottom) were well accepted in Europe.

Kerman Lavar

Lavar Rug

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IRAN

Heriz The Heriz rugs, which for reasons already explained were for a long time classed as a coarse grade of Hamadan fabrics, have triumphed by sheer merit over the lack of favour, which such an introduction would naturally invoke. It has, in fact, been customary to class the weavings of all the villages in the Heriz neighbourhood as belonging to the Hamadan districts, not alone those, which were plainly, enough superior to the Hamadan proper but those held of less worth. It was very difficult to see clearly how the Heriz pieces and the extraordinarily fine, well-woven medallion rugs known as Serapi and Gorevan could come from the same looms or vicinity as the Hamadan, most of which can be distinguished anywhere by their fretted grounds and their broad outside bands of what is made to look like camel's-hair. A very brief inquiry into the matter, near at hand, made the error plain.

The Heriz rugs district, so called, lies in Azerbaijan, a little journey to the eastward of Tabriz, on the road which leads by Ardebil to Astara, the Russian outpost, and other ports on the Caspian Sea. It is wholly dissociate from Hamadan and its entire works, for between the two lies a long stretch of Kurdish country, where rugs of an altogether different sort are made. Its relation with Tabriz is scarcely greater, although it has taken some notions from the Tabriz weavers and the product of the district, perforce, goes to the capital to be sold.

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IRAN

Nain The city of Nain is located in the central Iranian province of Esfahan. Prior to the 1930s, men's cloaks (abaas) were woven in this city; however, as cloaks went out of fashion, the rug industry replaced the cloak-industry. Nain rugs are woven with the asymmetrical (Persian) knot inside both workshops and homes, and are sold through the bazaars of the capital city of the province also named Esfahan. Although the majority of Nain rugs have either wool pile, or wool pile with silk highlights, all-silk Nain rugs are woven as well.

The foundation of Nain rugs can be either cotton or silk.

Nain rugs are known worldwide for their fine weave and extremely detailed curvilinear designs. They are similar to Esfahan rugs in both design and construction. One main difference is that more animal motifs, especially birds, are used in the background of Nain rugs. One distinguishing trait that sets Nain rugs apart from other styles is the use of the Islimi motif. The common designs consist of star medallions, shah abase and Islimi medallion-and-corner, all-over shah Abbas, mina-khani, and panelled (often curved panels).

It is common to see floral (mainly shah Abbas) and animal motifs (frequently birds) inside the panels and even inside the compartments of the mina-khani. The shah Abbas motif is the most common border motif In the shah Abbas and Islimi medallion-and-corner design, the medallion is frequently round and surrounded by about 16 shah Abbas motifs in a way that the medallion resembles the centre of a large flower and the shah Abbas motifs surrounding it are its petals. The pendants attached to the top and bottom of the medallion are large and very noticeable. The background of the rug is filled with shah Abbas and Islimi motifs. Each corner is a quarter of the circular medallion, and the border is filled with shah Abbas motifs One distinguishing characteristic of Nain rugs is their restrained yet elegant palette. The colours used in Nain rugs tend to be muted rather than bright. White, ivory, beige, buff, light gray, light blue, turquoise, navy, light brown, camel, and burgundy are among the most frequently used colours with beige and navy being the dominant background colours. Red and green are also used but to a much lesser extent

Nain 9L Medallion

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Nain 9L All-over-design

IRAN

Belouch Persia (Iran) and Afghanistan, Nomadic, inexpensive, well made rugs, produced in a wide variety of designs, that consistently combine tribal authenticity with a delightful, if somewhat primitive, decorative charm. The Belouch, or Baluchi, are a large tribal grouping who roam the vast border region between eastern Persia and western Afghanistan, and not, as the name would imply the province of Baluchistan in south east Persia, although some tribes have been known to drift into Pakistan.

The vast majority of Belouch rugs are made by the nomadic tribesmen, but a small number are woven in the villages around Firdaus in central Khorassan, by people of Arab extraction. However, all Belouch are produced in the same way and can justifiably be referred to as nomadic rugs.

They are normally woven on woollen foundations, although cotton has been used in recent years, with between 60 and 100 Persian knots per square inch; the pile wool, although not particularly lustrous, is generally of excellent quality. Belouch designs are usually confined prayer rugs and repeating all over geometrical motifs, although some figurative compositions, often referred to as “figurative” or “presentation” rugs, are sometimes produced.

Within this limited repertoire, a wide variety of motifs and decorative schemes may be found. In prayer rugs, the most common field decorations are highly stylized tree-of-life, leaf, vegetal and geometric scheme, but architectural Boteh and Gul like patterns are also employed. In repeating all over compositions the motifs may be either vegetal inspired or entirely geometric, but they are nearly always highly abstracted.

These all over compositions are similar to those of the Beshir, but a Belouch can usually be recognized by a tendency to enclose motifs within a lattice, and by the use of strong white or yellow ochre outlines, particularly in the border.

The Belouch palette is dominated by shades of red and blue; camel and beige are also employed, either as pigments or by using natural, undyed wool.

There are a number of sub-tribes and villages within the collective Belouch group whose rugs may be marketed under their individual names, these include the Mushwani, Hishapur, Dokhtar-e Ghazi, Koudani and haft Bolah nomads and the village of Chichaksu, but most Belouch rugs are sold as either Mashad or Herat Belouch. The former are made in Persia, Mashed being the principal city in the region, and are characterized by their stiffer “feel”, more sombre colouring and use of all over repeating designs.

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IRAN

Shiraz Shiraz rugs and carpets usually have nomadic patterns with pole medallions or small medallions scattered all over the carpet. They are great choices for wooden floors. Due to the proximity of the qashqai tribe, shiraz rugs and carpets bear some similarity to those of the qashqai.

Shiraz rugs and carpets are of good quality. They are durable and are great for places that people walk often. Remember, tribal rugs and carpets are much stronger than city rugs.

Shiraz rugs and carpets come in different sizes, but the majority of them are mid-size (4 x 6 to 8 x 10 feet). It is very hard to find large size (10 x 18 feet).

Strong red and brown is the main indicator of shiraz rugs and carpets. Other colours such as soft green and khaki are found in newer ones.

Shiraz rugs and carpets usually are thick and do not have very tight pile.

Warps is mostly wool, weft is either cotton or wool.

Shiraz rugs and carpets are usually woven on horizontal looms. The quality of the carpet depends upon the number of knots, which varies, but averages from around 120kpsi (30 raj).

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IRAN

Sarouk Sarouk is a village located in the province of Markazi in central Iran. Sarouk rugs are made in and around this village in both village and workshop settings. In general these well-known rugs are of very high quality. They are woven with good quality wool on cotton foundation with the asymmetrical knot. Sarouk rugs can be geometric or curvilinear in pattern.

Sarouk rugs come in the two types of traditional and American Sarouk rugs. The traditional designs consist of Herati, Boteh, or Gul Hannai motifs in either an all-over or medallion layout. The medallion layout could have a hexagon, oval, diamond, round or angular floral-shape medallion.

The most interesting traditional design is a medallion-and-corner layout which consists of geometric yet very naturalistic floral motifs.

After World War I, the American Sarouk design of disconnected floral sprays which seem to be branching out from a floral medallion or medallion-like centre became very popular. Sometimes these rugs have an open field similar to modern Kerman. Sarouk weavers also weave beautiful prayer/vase combination rugs, which tend to be as curvilinear as the American Sarouk The main colours used in the traditional designs consisted of red, blue, burnt orange, ochre and champagne. The main colours used in American Sarouk are rich reds and blues. Sometimes the motifs are outlined with a lighter red, light yellow or turquoise to create contrast between the background and the motifs, especially in the case of the open field design. An intense salmon pink called dughi pink is typical of the American Sarouk; this colour is obtained by adding yogurt or curdled milk to the dye mixture. A mixture of yogurt and water is called Dughi in Persian. This colour was one of the reasons American Sarouk became so popular in the United States.

Today, American Sarouk designs are also copied in India, Romania and China

Sarouk antigo

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IRAN

Ferahan Ferahan is a village located in the province of Markazi in central Iran. Older Ferahan rugs are very popular in the West. Most Ferahan rugs have a geometric pattern although some curvilinear rugs are woven in Ferahan as well. These high quality rugs are mainly woven by the asymmetrical knot on cotton foundation the rugs from this area can be divided into two types. The first type is characterized by an all-over layout, usually an endless repeat, with motifs or designs such as the Herati, Gul Hannai, Boteh or minakhani. Herati, being the most popular motif, has many variations and the Boteh motifs are usually woven inside hexagon-shape panels The second type is characterized by its medallion layout. The medallions can be large hexagon, diamond, or oval shapes with large pendants. The corners are so long that they either almost meet or do meet near the centre of each border on each side of the rug. Two common motifs used in the field of these rugs are the Herati and Gul Hannai Unburst Medallion a special kind of medallion design is a large circular serrated medallion similar to a radiating sun; this design is known in the trade as 'sunburst.' The field of this design is not very crowded. A small section of a medallion identical to the centre medallion is woven at each end of the rug, interrupted by the border The palette is dominated by indigo blue, dark and other shades of green (green is more frequently used than in most Persian rugs), yellow and orange-red. Black or deep blue are used for outlining the motifs. The size of most Ferahan rugs is do-zar (about 4.5x7 ft)

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IRAN

Mashad Mashad is the capital city of the province of Khorassan in north-eastern Iran. This holy city is famous for the shrine of the eighth Shiite Imam Reza. Another factor which has given Mashad great significance is its geographical positioning in eastern Iran. In addition to being a rug-weaving centre, Mashad is also a trade centre for the rugs of its neighbouring villages and tribes such as Baluchi and Turcoman of Iran, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. The Majority of Mashad rugs are woven in workshops; others are made on home-based looms in surrounding villages. Mashad mostly produces large rugs. The majority of Mashad rugs are woven with the asymmetrical (Persian) knot although the symmetrical (Turkish) knot is found.

The pattern of Mashad rugs is almost always curvilinear. The most common Mashad design is shah Abbas medallion-and-corner with large pendants. This design is sometimes similar to the Kashan shah Abbas medallion-and-corner with a diamond shape medallion and a background filled with shah Abbas motifs, and other times it is similar to Kerman Koran medallion-and-corner design with a plainer background; however, the medallion tends to be more circular than Kerman medallions.

One unique characteristic, which helps differentiate Mashad rugs from Kashan rugs, but not necessarily from Kerman rugs, is their elongated corners. The corners of the Mashad medallion-and-corner layout are so long that they either almost meet or do meet near the centre of each border on each side of the rug. Another characteristic in this design which can help distinguish Mashad rugs from other rugs, but it makes them even more similar to Kashan rugs, is the weavers' almost exclusive use of deep red for the background and dark blue for the medallion, corners, and the border. However, all colours are used in creating the motifs.

In addition to the shah Abbas motif, other motifs used by Mashad weavers are Herati and Boteh, usually in an all-over repeating or endless repeat. Mashad rugs with the Herati motif are sometimes marketed under the name of the province, Khorassan. These designs are not always woven in the typical Mashad red and blue. In fact, beige, camel, and brown are colours commonly used to create the Herati and Boteh all-over designs. Some pictorials are woven in Mashad as well

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IRAN Kellims (Kilims) Before we begin to address the subject of kilim nomenclature there is one point to be clarified, mainly for those first entering the realm of the kilim.

Although at times you may find kilim rugs included in the general genre of "oriental rugs", in more accepted practice kilim rugs are in a class of their own, and it is then The difference between a kilim area rug and a carpet or a pile rug is that whereas the design visible on the kilim is made by interweaving the variously coloured wefts and warps, thus creating what is known as a flat weave, in a pile rug individual short strands of different colour, usually of wool, are knotted onto the warps and held together by pressing the wefts tightly against each other.

In this case the whole design is made by these separately knotted strands which form the pile, and the patterns become clearly visible after any excessive lengths of the knotted materials are shorn off to create a level surface.

Killim Hamadan

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Killim Curdo

Killim Senneh

Killim Shiraz

Pakistan

‫ﺑﺎﻛﺳﺗﺎن‬ 89

Pakistan

Traditional Pakistan Bokhara

In 1947 Pakistan became independent from India and is now in the mainstream of rug production. Rugs woven in Pakistan are still woven at home, to a large extent, following the influences of Persian, Moslem and Turkomen craftsmen. Pakistan rugs can be identified by their wide variety of colours and the repetitive 'gul' motif.

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Pakistan

Ziegler These fashionable carpets, produced in the border regions of Pakistan, are an authentic replication of the genuine 'Ziegler' carpets that was originally designed and created at the turn of the 19th century in Persia by a Swiss-English company called Ziegler & Co. The pattern refers to the antique Mahal, Oushak and Sultanabad rugs. Rather than the small pattern of the traditional Persian carpets, they follow the prevailing Western fashions of the time integrating large floral and Oriental inspired motifs and designs.

Never overcrowded, their airy visual effect gives a sense of open space and elegance.

These semi-antique rugs are woven with high quality hand-spun Afghan wool using vegetable dyes. By a special finish wash, a soft and silky feel and shine are added to the carpet. Pale and pastel colour compositions and an original weave are used, resulting in a simpler balance, exemplifying a true antique look. Again in fashion, the new Ziegler's are in harmony with today's furnishings and suitable to all kinds of furniture styles

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Pakistan

Peshawar Rug

Modern Pakistan Production

Lahore

Chuby (Ziegler)

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Turkey

Türkiye

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Turkey

Dosemealti-Antalya These carpets are made by Yoruk's semi-nomadic tribes who leave near the ocean on the warm plains during the winter months. The villages are around Antalya, on the Mediterranean cost, are the main producing centres of this type of carpets are made with wool and dyes produced by the nomads themselves.

The predominant colours are always bright red and dark blue, with a smaller amount of white. Distinctive patterns in the borders are the sheep's eye and knife tip and the "hands on hips" motif, an age old symbol denoting female fertility which dates back to the time when the tribes worshipped madder goddesses.

The field are usually are taken up by a large red double mihrab, edged in ram's horn motif. Often the shape of the double mihrab is cut into by two triangles on either side. Ears of grain representing fertility and carnations are frequently seen. If there is a tree of life it's generally made up of carnations, "the flowers of the people". Some times one can see a strange motif, a stylized representation of the human figure which is used to guard against evil.

The number of knots in these carpets is equal to 160,000 knots per square meter.

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Turkey

Kayseri Bunyan Bunyan carpets are often in floral designs of a typical Oriental carpet. The yarn is cotton and wool dyed with vegetable dyes, and about 120,000 to 150,000 knots per square meter. The Kayseri Bunyan carpets are made in different sizes; from pillow sizes of 62 by 100 cm. to the large 16 square meters carpet. Kayseri natural wool carpets have all the properties of Bunyan carpets except there are not as many colours used as in the Bunyan carpets. Colours of white, cream, light and dark brown and sometimes black are used in these types of carpets with the same number knots as in the Bunyan carpets.

Carpets are often in floral designs of a typical Oriental carpet. The yarn is cotton and wool dyed with vegetable dyes, and about 120,000 to 150,000 knots per square meter. The Kayseri Bunyan carpets are made in different sizes; from pillow sizes of 62 by 100 cm. to the large 16 square meters carpet.

Kayseri natural wool carpets have all the properties of Bunyan carpets except there are not as many colours used as in the Bunyan carpets. Colours of white, cream, light and dark brown and sometimes black are used in these types of carpets with the same number knots as in the Bunyan carpets.

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Turkey

Kayseri The town of Kayseri, situated in central Turkey, has been famous as a carpet making centre for centuries. Carpets and Kilims of Kayseri are of various types. Silk carpets, artificial silk and wool (floss), natural wool (no dyes), and Bunyan carpets are the major categories produced. Kayseri carpets are woven both at the workshops and in the homes. Weavers usually buy yarn from shops and after finishing their carpet would sell it to the same shop in order to buy more yarn.

The Kayseri floss carpets with silk looking yarns in bright colours, have found favour with Europeans with their attractive designs.

They look very much like silk carpets to foreigners. The sizes, designs and number of knots are the same as Bunyan carpets, but the large sizes are rather rare. In the floss carpets chemical dyes are used, because the yarn (floss) can only be dyed with chemicals.

Cotton is used as warp and weft and floss is used for the knots.

These carpets are considered the masterpieces of Kayseri and as such are sought out by dealers to sell to the foreign trade.

Sometimes Kayseri carpets are woven entirely in silk and will have 600,000 to 700,000 knots per square meter.

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Turkey

Hereke A wide variety of type of carpets is produced in Turkey within widely varying degrees of quality. For the discerning buyer or collector there are twelve recognized types of carpets, each type produced in different geographical districts and each having distinctive designs, colours and quality?

They are easily noted once one learns to "read" or recognize the patterns or designs and colours associated with the geographical area in which produced. The finest contemporary and highest quality of silk and wool carpets currently made in Turkey are produced in town near Istanbul, called Hereke.

The Hereke carpets are either woven in pure silk or cotton and wool. The pure silk carpet uses silk from Bursa. In wool and cotton carpets the warps and wefts are cotton and the best quality of wool is used d-for knots in the pile. The silk Hereke carpets have from 1.0 to 1.2 million knots per square meter.

The knot density in the highest quality wool carpets is any where between 360,000 to 400,000 knots per square meter. In second quality wool carpets the knots are around 250,000 to 300,000 per square meter.

The dominant colours in Hereke carpets are dark blue, cream and cinnamon and occasionally yellow and green are used. The traditional floral designs are common and each design has its own name, such as: Seljuk Star, Seven Mountain Flowers, Polonaise, 101 Flowers, and Tulip. The flowers in the design and the harmony of colours add warmth to a home

Old Hereke Silk

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Turkey

Kum Kapi The Armenian quarter of Istanbul was an impoverished neighbourhood at the end of the 19th century and the early 20th century. The term Kum Kapi (Sand Gate), or Kum Kapour, refers to this area and also to the magnificent carpets that were created here during this period.

Kum Kapi was in close proximity to the Top Kapi neighbourhood with its splendid monuments, which inspired much of the stylistic designs. The flourishing silk industry that existed in nearby Hereke also contributed to the setting up of workshops in Kum Kapi.

Kum Kapi rugs have a silk pile and are woven in symmetrical knot. A technique was employed where weaving gold and silverwrapped threads into the upper level warps created embossed highlights in the silk pile. To arrive at this technique Top Kapi and Salting Group carpets were scrutinized. Top Kapi and the Salting Group rugs were in turn inspired by the masterpieces of classical Safavid Persia.

The Kum Kapi weavers were mostly Turkish Armenians who migrated west to Istanbul. Some of the best known masters (or Oushak) of Kum Kapi included famous master weavers such as Zareh.

The start of the Second World War in 1939, abruptly ended trading and production of carpets in Istanbul.

Mehmet Ocevik was instrumental in the revival of Kum Kapi weaving after the war, but his untimely death in 1971 brought and end to the short re-birth of the Kum Kapi Rug.

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Turkey

Milas (Melas) Milas is the centre of a weaving area in Western Turkey near Izmir. It gives its name to all the carpets produced in the region. Those made in the immediate area of Milas are different in style to those made in the South-west Peninsula, around the centre of Karaoba.

There are four sub-types which constitute the Milas family,' the prayer carpet with the lozenge shaped niche, the bright red medallion Milas, the antique Milas which is woven in shades of red-brown and yellow and the Ada Milas which is quite restrained in design.

The prayer rugs are the most important sub-type, with their unusual shaped Mihrab, elongated, terminating in a lozenge, representing the immortality of the soul.

Carpets from no other region have Mihrab in this shape. There are approximately 160.000 knots per square meter in the Milas carpets.

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Turkey

Yagcibedir Karakecili, Ienikoy, Karaoba and Kokaoba (the oba ending means nomad tent).

According to the legend Yagcibedir was a butter seller from Kayseri who made excellent quality carpets to supplement his income.

He shared his skills with the people of the villages he visited, so when they started to produce, they named their carpets after him.

The warp, weft and knots are made of pure lamb's wool, and the pile is clipped short to allow the pattern to be clearly seen. The dominant colours are dark indigo blue and rich madder red, sometimes with the inclusion of cream, brown, softer shades of red and pinks.

As the carpets age they become more and more lovely, as the dark reds fade to a beautiful soft red-brown. The colours and patterns of Yagcibedir carpets have remained the same for countless generations. They are very distinctive and easy to recognize. The dark blue ground is patterned with geometric forms: stars, flowers, stylized birds and numerous stars of Suleiman.

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Turkey

Ladik Ladik is a town located north of Konya in the hearth of Anatolia. The main sources of income in this area are animal husbandry, aggregator and carpet production. Konya and Ladik are the oldest carpet making centres in Turkey.

Even during the 15th Century the art of carpet weaving flourished in Konya because it was the capital of the Seljuk Empire and a very important communication and political centre.

There are many notable at works and Konya and perhaps the most famous in the Green Mosque. From Arabia, Iran and other countries many artists came to Konya to practice their crafts. The surviving carpets of this era offer ample evidence of the Turkish character. During this same period carpet weaving skills spread from Konya to other parts of Anatolia.

The colours in Ladik carpets are very vivid and well matched. After Kula carpets, Ladik carpets, with their 250,000 knots per square meter, are considered just as fine.

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Turkey

Konya kilim This kilim was weaved in Konya, the master weaver was known as the best master on natural dyes.

These are among the best Kilims around with hand spinned wool, natural dyes and Anatolian traditional design.

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Turkey

Taspinar Taspinar is a small hamlet in the carpet weaving areas of the Nidge. Nidge is one of the main roads that cross the Taurus Mountains.

Taspinar produces excellent carpet of a thick pile, knotted in high quality wool. They have a predominantly blue and red field enlivened by delicate motifs in lighter shades. The yarn is dyed with natural vegetable dyes by the Caucasian methods.

Taspinar carpets are among the most beautiful of all Anatolian carpets. In the old Taspinar carpets the Persian influence can be seen which are plant figures and geometric designs used simultaneously. However, the rich colours and beautifully proportioned somewhat formal design prevent this unusual mixture from this pleasing the eye.

Well cared for, old Taspinar have a wonderful silk like quality. As the lanolin in the wool rises to the surface it gives the pile a soft rich velvety sheen. New Taspinar are made in the same rich colours as old ones, but the designs are becoming more varied. Caucasian and nomadic pattern have become more regular in recent years. The knot density of Taspinar carpets is 140,000 per square meter.

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Turkey

Kars Kars located near the Russian border in Turkey, produces carpets designed in the Caucasian style.

The main motif used is the large cruciform. The quiet olive-green combined with a dull red-brown and lighter beige tones give the piece enormous warmth. The eight stylized trees of life in the corners are surrounded by a Caucasian calyx-and-leaf border and the guard stripes are called 'running dogs."

The extremely valuable hand-spun mountain wool is used in the hand weaving and is especially prized by acknowledged buyers.

Natural dyed wool is used with the dominate odours navy blue, red and cream.

There are 200.000 knots per square meter in Kars carpet's and for this reason Kars carpets are so noted fine works of art.

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Turkey

Karapinar The town Karapinar is located to the Eastern part of the great Konya-area. The name Karapinar means "The Black Spring-water" from the spring that today can be seen on the top of the city.

From Karaman in the West to the Karacadag-mountains in the East, there have been produced rugs of a special type, originating from the period when the Turkish Karamanoglari-tribe had control over the area.That means from 1250 to 1446 when they were attacked by the Ottomans.

The rugs we today call Karapinar were probably sold at the market-place in Karapinar, but woven in the area between Karaman and Karacadag.

When I named the rugs "Karapinar", the women went angry and told that this type of rugs originates from Salor and have been woven there for as long as they can remember. They told that they are genuine Turkmens from the Salor-tribe, and they have built this village before the Ottomans arrived (probably in the 14th century).

The circle-medallion pattern have changed since that time and today the pattern is more geometric, but still charming with a dominating centre-medallion and distinct pattern in the corners.

The rugs with one medallion in the centre are probably even today used as prayer-rugs because they are found since long times in mosques.

Karapinar runner, Central Anatolia XVIII century

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Turkey

Turquish Prayer Rug

TURKISH (Cairo, Bursa or Istanbul) Prayer Rug Late 16th century Silk warp and weft, wool and wool pile, 288 KPSI 5 ft 5 in x 4 ft 2 in (1.65 x 1.27 m) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

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Zennur Bor

Zennur Bor at El Corte Inglés in Lisbon Zennur Bor is a carpet designer, teacher at the University of Istanbul and the only woman known to the author that is capable of weaving a rug from designing the rug, setting up the loom, tying the knots, to the final cut.

The full job of weaving a rug is normally made by several people, for example: the loom is made and set up by the equivalent of a carpenter; someone else (Normally the master weaver) sets up the warp ; the weaver ties the knots and puts in the weft and the master levels the pile before cutting the rug off the loom.

The author invited Zennur to come to El Corte Inglés in Lisbon on three occasions. She brought all she needed to weave a carpet from Turkey including the wood to set up the loom. In these three visits she made demonstrations on carpet weaving and knotted over one meter of a Turkish rug.

This was documented in a video and it is amazing her dexterity which amazed all that watched her work.

Some were lucky enough to learn how to tie the two main knots, the Turkish Ghiordes and the Persian Senneh.For future memory, I include the pictures and names of those that learned to tie the first knots on a Turkish rug.

We thank Zennur Bor for her exceptional capacity to show to the world this magnificent art.

Showing how to weave António Alberto

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Joaquim Domingos

Paulo Piteira

Tiago Gouveia

Vitor Carvalho

Índex

Page

Philosophizing Introduction Part 1 - General Information Oriental Loom and Tools Notorious Rugs Oriental Rugs History Tools Looms Knots Shapes of Rugs Size names Dyes Motifs Material and Tecniques D e f i n i t i o n o f a g e 28 Maintenance Main Production Centers Part 2 Rugs by Contry Afganistan Cáucasos China Índia Iran Paquistan Turkey

a n d

1 2 3 4 5 7 12 14 16 17 20 20 22 26 r e p a i r 29 30 37 39 45 53 61 69 89 95

Born at Rio Tinto Porto Portugal, Alberto Almeida first fell in love with oriental rugs, after leaving the directorship of a hotel in the late 70´s and starting a new life as manager of an art gallery in Manaus, Brazil.

Surrounded by the most precious rugs soon it became an obsession to find out the roots of this magnificent art. After 30 years of research he believes that he is only at the beginning.

He is however convinced that it was time to publish a book that if not academic, it at least has the merit to help beginners to learn to understand and appreciate the oriental rug technique, history and it's fabulous beauty.

My thanks to Tina Erika & Monica for putting up with me.

Alberto Almeida

Isfahan Silk XVII Century Aprox. (231 cm. x 170 cm.)Sold at Christies for: $ 4 450 000

ALBERTO ALMEIDA

ORIENTAL RUGS

Shah Abbas Rug

ARDABIL V&A Museum - London