Glossary of Antique Rugs and Oriental Carpets

Farahan Carpets and rugs produced in the Arak region of west central Iran. Those with a medallion design are called Sarouk- Farahans. Often they come close to the angular drawing of Herizes and Serapis, but a much finer scale appropriate to designs of classical derivation.

Field The portion of the rug containing the main design components, usually surrounded by one or more framing borders.

Fostat Also known as “Old Cairo,” Fostat was the site of a rubbish dump for the first few centuries after the foundation of the newer city of Cairo. This dump has produced fragments of some of the earliest known Islamic carpets, which were collected and published by the Swedish scholar C.J. Lamm.

Foundation The supporting portion of the rug into which the patterned fibers or yarns are woven.  In pile carpets and soumaks, this consists of the warps and wefts. In tapestry or kilim the foundation is the warps alone.

Fuchsine A  synthetic dye introduce from Europe in the 1860’s. It was used to produce a bright magenta purple color, but it faded radically when exposed to light, sometimes to an ash grey or white color.