Rug Glossary

A Comprehensive Glossary of Oriental Rugs and Carpets from A to Z

Glossary of Oriental Rugs – The Nazmiyal Collection in New York City is pleased to present this glossary of antique rug terms, which we hope will assist you in your quest to find the ideal rug or carpet for your home. Many shoppers who are new to the world of antique rugs and carpets may find that they are frequently running into terminology, language, and turns of phrase with which they are not familiar – industry specific terms like “Jufti Knot” or “vegetable dyes” are the sort of terms that you may have come across that ultimately left you scratching your head.

Because the world of fine rugs and carpets is so vast and so ancient, such terms are abundant, and are often used between rug-industry professionals. If you find that you are unable to keep up with such conversations, if you are shopping for a rug for your own home, or if you have a general interest in learning more about rugs and carpets, you will find this glossary to be very helpful. If you are seeking to learn more, you may be interested in consulting our guide to area rugs, where you will find links to a series of edifying articles covering a wide range of subjects, including a variety of articles about Persian rug and general antique Oriental rug subjects.

At the Nazmiyal Collection, we hope to make your rug buying experience something more than just shopping. We hope to provide you with the knowledge, information, and resources about antique rugs that you need, and that will stay with you for a long time after your new antique carpet is first set into place in your home.


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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: A

Abrash

AbrashAbrash: A Persian word meaning rainbow spectrum, used to describe changes in color in the pile or facing of rugs and textiles. Abrash resulted from the inability of dying large quantities of wool in uniform dye lots. Eventually weavers began to embrace or exploit such variation as a deliberate effect. Learn more about abrash color striations in Oriental Rugs.

Agra

Agra: A major center of carpet production in India since the great period of Mugal art in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The good rugs from Agra represent some of the best examples of antique rugs available today.

Allover Pattern

All Over Rug DesignAll-over pattern: Repeating designs that fill the entire ground of the carpet. Some patterns include a central motif on a well-filled background comprised of several types of repeating designs, as is exemplified by the Ardabil Carpet. Other patterns use a single motif, such as boteh, in grids or randomly arranged. The technique of completely filling the background of the carpet is used world-wide in weaving, including China, Spain, Europe, America, Persia and Turkey.

Alpujarra

Alpujarra Rug

Alpujarra: A type of thick-pile, folk-art rug woven in the South of Spain near Granada, whose origins may go back to the fifteenth century. Designs are geometric, in all over repeat patterns. The pile of the rug is left in uncut loops, with fringe running around all four edges.

Americana

Americana RugAmericana: Artifacts and designs that reflect American culture, folklore and history. Although Americana-style art is often made as for its artistic and aesthetic qualities today, originally the pieces were made out of necessity. Patchwork quilts, needlepoint, hooked rugs and rag rugs are examples of textile art made as utilitarian pieces that also display aesthetic qualities.

Amritsar

Amritsar: A distinctive production of Indian carpets from a new, nineteenth-century initiative under British rule. Their designs responded to contemporary Persian production, but with a softer more earthy palette, often with a tendency to burgundy or aubergine tones.

Angora Wool

Angora WoolAngora wool: A very fine soft, silky wool that comes from the belly of the sheep. Certain Oushak carpets from Turkey are made with pile that uses such wool exclusively.

Aniline Dyes

Aniline Dyes
Aniline Dyes: A term commonly applied to early synthetic dyes of the later nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Used to produces various shades of intense red, it faded on exposure to light into pinkish tones or a brownish shade like chop meat.

Animal Motifs

Animal Rug DesignAnimal motifs: The representation of animals on carpets is found in almost every culture. Animals are represented singly, as prey, in repose and as elements of large-scene hunting and garden carpets. Animals range from the fantastical such as dragons and phoenixes, to stylized representations of deer and lions or naturally rendered elephants and birds. As oriental carpets gained popularity in the West, Turkish carpets exhibiting animal motifs began appearing in the paintings of western artists as early as the 13th century. Animal motifs are used in folk art in most cultures. Americana-inspired textiles portray farm animals such as cows, sheep, goats, rabbits and dogs, or those found in the wild such as wolves, deer, buffalo and turkeys. Indian carpets of the Mughal period display intricately detailed representations of peacocks, elephants, tigers and leopards.

Animal Pelt Motifs, Particularly Tiger Pelts

Tiger Print Rug DesignAnimal pelt motifs, Animal pelts were traditionally symbolic of power. In the case of tiger pelts, they were often symbolic of wisdom within the designs of rugs from Tibet. Double-headed tiger pelts were often representative of female and male entities. Tantric Buddhists often use rugs which possess representations of humans, tigers, and elephants. Buddhist and Hindu teachers alike utilize these rugs for both meditation as well as receiving devotees.

Antique

Antique by NazmiyalAntique: A term used to designate a carpet or rug at least eighty years old. Rugs between fifty and eighty years old are deemed “vintage.” Rugs between thirty and fifty years are “old.” Rugs less than thirty years old are new.

Arabatchi

Arabatchi Rug by nazmiyal

Arabatchi: One of the rug-producing Turkoman tribes of Central Asia. Arabatchi weavings are relatively rare in comparison to other Turkomans. Early pieces are highly sought after for their distinctive designs, but later ones tend to have weak synthetic colors.

Architectural Elements

Architectural Rug DesignArchitectural elements: Representations of buildings, monuments, churches, temples and ruins as major designs or as elements of a larger design. Some carpets display legendary scenes from religious texts and epics that include architectural elements. Other carpets, such as Ottoman and Cairene prayer carpets, use columns to represent the mosque. Weavers portrayed detailed and ornate representations of important cultural monuments such as the palace at Persepolis and Biblical scenes such as King Solomon’s Temple.

Art Deco

Art Deco: A new movement in modern European decorative arts during the first third of the twentieth century. Carpets of this type include the classic Art Deco of the late twenties and thirties, as well as earlier Arts and Crafts styles like Donegal rugs, and Nichols carpets from China. Carpets inspired by contemporary modern painters of the day constitute the most cutting-edge Deco style.

Ardabil Carpet

Ardabil Carpet

Ardabil Carpet: Actually two carpets with the maker’s signature, Maghsud Kashani, and date of manufacture, 946 (by the Islamic calendar) or AD 1539-40, woven into the design. The carpets were placed in the burial shrine of Sheikh Safi ad-Din in Ardabil, Persia. They remained there until the 1800’s when they were purchased by Ziegler & Co. and brought to England. They were sold in 1893. One, purchased by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, was repaired using parts of the second. This carpet measures 34 by 17.5 feet. The second, slightly smaller, is now housed in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The design features a floral central medallion with matching spandrels and an intricately woven field of flowers and vine-scrolls. The composition is balanced, with mosque lamps suspended from the central medallion on each long side. This composition has been a favorite of weavers over the last five centuries.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: B

Bakshaish

Bakshaish A type of rug or carpet produced in North Iran, not far from the Caucasus, prized for their bold, geometric, dynamic, and abstract design.

Baluch

Baluch A nomadic, rug-producing tribe of mixed Iranian and Turkic origin ranging between Eastern Iran and western Afghanistan. Baluch weavings are often considered derivative of the rugs of the neighboring Turkomans, but they made use of a much wider design repertoire and more varied palette, which relates them to various types of Persian and Turkish rugs as well.

Berber Tattoo Motifs on Moroccan Rugs

Moroccan Berber Tattoo Designs

Berber tattoo motifs on Moroccan rugs: These designs are adaptations of traditional tattoos that are adapted into rug designs by Berber women. The women pass these designs, as well as the techniques used to weave them, from mother to daughter over multiple generations. The designs themselves are a combination of both traditional and indigenous designs as well as designs influenced by Islamic and other African cultures. Zig zags, triangles, crosses, stars, and checks are common motifs, and they are all symbolic—for example a zig zag snake design can be symbolic of fertility whereas an eye can offer protection from the evil eye.

Beshir

beshir carpets A sub-group of antique Ersari Turkoman weavings distinguished by their more urban designs, which show either the influence of Persian Mina Khani floral patterns or patterns based on Central Asian Ikat textiles.

Bezalel

Bezalel Rugs – Bezalel rugs are those carpets that were produced in the Israeli art school by the same name which is located in the city of Jerusalem. These carpets were woven by art students and were later sold in the School’s store.

Bibikabad

bibikabad carpets A rug-producing town in the Hamadan region of Iran. Bibikabad carpets are related to Malayers in technique. They tend to come in allover designs, usually the Herati pattern or Boteh (Paisley), which may at times have a medallion as well. Even the borders on Bibikabad rugs are based on the Boteh motif.

Bijar

Bijar A town in Northwest Iran known for producing some of the finest Persian rugs by virtue of their design and technique. They cannot be identified readily by their patterns, but primarily by their weave, which is perhaps the densest and most durable of all oriental rugs. Bijar carpets were produced in a classical medallion format as well as in allover designs, with drawing that can be classically precise or wildly tribal.

Bokara

bokara rugs A major caravan city in Central Asia whose name has come in the rug trade to designate carpets of various Turkoman manufacture that were largely exported through this city. There is, in reality, no such thing as a Bokara carpet.

Border

Antique Rug Border by nazmiyal
Border: The frame-like areas at the outer edges of the rug that enclose the field. Their may be multiple borders, with perhaps a main one and one or more minor borders.

Boteh

boteh rug designBoteh: A paisley-shaped design with ornamentation inside and around the edges. The motif is often used to symbolize immortality, fire and the season of autumn. Boteh are frequently used on rugs from Persia, the Caucasus and Turkey. Boteh can be incorporated into a larger pattern as a minor design element, or can be used as the major design in an all-over pattern.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: C

Cairene

Cairene RugCairene rugs: These rugs first began to appear in sixteenth century Cairo, when the city was under the rule of the Ottoman Turks. They are heavily influenced by classical Persian rugs and feature vine and palmette designs all well as medallions. The colors within these rugs tend to be more subtle and subdued in comparison to other rugs.

Camels

Camel Design In Antique Rugs by Nazmiyal

Depictions of camels are common in carpets from Central Asia as well as the Middle East, due to the fact that they were essential to life in these regions. Using images of camels within textile weaving was considered a form of blessing, contributing to their popularity amongst weaving from these regions.

Canakkale

Canakkale: A rug producing town in Northwest Turkey. Often lumped in with the Bergama production, Canakkales can be distinguished by their distinctive palette of soft apricots, blues, and ivory in conjunction with classically derived Turkish designs.

Carding

Carding Wool For Making Rugs: Carding is a process in which dirt can be removed from wool, using a process similar to combing. It also begins to separate the fibers to allow them to be spun. The beginnings of other fabrics, such as silk cocoons and cotton balls, are carded as well.

Carpet

Carpet – A term of Armenian origin denoting any form of woven floor covering, but usually referring to knotted pile weavings of any size. Equivalent to the English term rug, Turkish “Hali,” Turkoman, “Khali,” and Farsi “Ghali.”

Cartoon

Rug Weaving Design Cartoon by Nazmiyal

Cartoon: A weaving aid consisting of a sketch or diagram detailing the design of a rug or carpet, or a portion of that design that can be repeated symmetrically to produce the entire design. The use of cartoons is one of the factors that distinguish the production of city rugs from village and nomadic weaving, where designs are worked out from memory or imitation of existing rugs.

Cartouche

Cartouche

Cartouche: A rectangular niche with ovate ends that can be used in a repeat pattern or as a singular design. Inscriptions, verses, signatures and dates are often included inside a cartouche. They are often used as head and end pieces, or as a border motif.

Central Asia

Central Asian RugCentral Asia While the dominant nomadic rug and textile production in Central Asia was maintained by the various Turkoman peoples, other tribal groupings were active as well such as the Khirghiz, Uzbeks, and Karakalpaks etc. These, however, are generally referred to under the heading of Central Asian Nomadic. Such production includes, woven carpets, embroidery, and carded felt.

Chinese

Chinese RugChinese rugs: Chinese Carpets made in China are enormously varied in design. Often related more to the tradition of silk textiles, Chinese carpets were produced in medallion as well as allover formats, but are usually more open and spacious than Oriental carpets from further west, often containing prominent pictorial elements – trees, clouds, and various animals.

Chinese Dragon

Chinese Dragon DesignChinese dragon: Represents the union of earth and heaven, balancing opposites and extremes. The Chinese do not consider the dragon to be monstrous, but benign, associated with water and the bringing of rain. Dragons were often depicted in full form with scales, talons, tail, horns and head with a large hump. A dragon with five claws symbolized the emperor. Certain colors, particularly gold or yellow, were also considered imperial. Four claws were for nobility and three claws were for the common people. The dragon is often paired with the phoenix, the female aspect, or the empress.

Chintamani

Chintamani Rug MotifChintamani is the Sanskrit word that refers to a wish-fulfilling gem, which is a commonly depicted motif in Hindu and Buddhist designs. The design itself features three circles positioned above wavy lines and was often use to symbolize power and royalty. This design would later be adapted by the Ottomans for use in sixteenth and seventeenth century rugs.

Chodor

Chodor: A rug-producing tribe of the Central Asian Turkomans. Less common than Tekke, Yomud, or Ersari weavings, Chodor pieces are recognized by their distinctive designs and coloration.

Coat of Arms

Coat of Arms Design MotifLearn about the Coat of arms and their meanings here: Coat of arms

Chrome Dyes

Chrome Rug Dyes by nazmiyal

Chrome dyes: A later generation of synthetic dyes using potassium bichromate as a mordant or fixer that became common after 1920. Chrome dyes do not run or fade, but they can be harsh and never soften or mellow with time. The ability to make large quantities in uniform tones ended the technique of color variation or abrash in hand-woven rugs.

City Rugs

City Rugs: A rug woven in a town or urban setting, generally as a commercially venture under highly organized circumstances, with set pictorial cartoons or verbal knot- counting commands.

Cochineal

Cochineal Insect Red Wool Dyes by nazmiyal

Cochineal: An insect-derived dye made from the bodies of beetles, dactylopius coccus, yielding tones from bluish red to pinkish magenta. Initially discovered in the New World by the Spanish Conquistadors, its cultivation spread rapidly to the Canary Islands and Spain. Its use is attested in Ottoman Turkish documents of the eighteenth century. The active agent in cochineal is carminic acid.

Cotton

Cotton: A vegetable fiber derived from the cultivated cotton plant. Widely used for the foundation of rugs and textiles, but sometimes as the main material as well.

Cupid

Cupid MofitCupid: Depictions of Cupid originate within Greek mythology, in which he is the son of Aphrodite. This depiction of Cupid is often used as representation of romantic love, furthered by his connection to the love goddess. Cupid’s depiction as a cherub is used as a representation of peace, innocence, and leisure. This is epitomized by the fact that Cupid as a cherub was often used in reference to angels and other heavenly beings.

Cypress Tree

Cypress Tree DesignCypress tree: In Asia Minor, cypress trees are a common depiction within art. This tree is often shown as a version of the tree of life, due to its symbolism of eternal life as well as use in rituals involving the dead. Garden carpets often depict this tree as they were a favorite within gardens in Persia, and Persian carpets tend to depict them in a more natural way whereas Anatolian and Caucasian carpets are often represented in a more geometric style.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: D

Dagestan

Dagestan RugDagestan These rugs generally have smaller designs that cover the entirety of the rug and utilize repetitive patterns and delicate details. They are produced in the East Caucasus and are similar to rugs of the same geographic area, including Shirvan and Kuba rugs. They can be easily transformed into prayer rugs via the addition of a niche or mihrab.

Dead Wool

Dead wool A type of wool obtained from the hides of slaughtered animals by soaking them chemically to remove the fibers. This process destroys the natural luster and durability of the wool, and rugs made from it are always cheap, inferior products.

Density Of Knots

Density The ratio of knots, wefts and warps within a given area of rug surface. The more of these elements, the denser or “tighter” the weave. Smaller knots and finer yarns increase density, but it is also achieved by packing all the elements more tightly, and/or by utilizing depressed warps.

Depressed Warps

These give a rug the appearance of a corrugated or ribbed surface due to wefts that is pulled from either side, creating the appearance of two separate levels. These are often referred to as the upper warp and the lower warp—the lower warp being the “depressed” warp. In some cases, the depressed warps may not show over time due to high traffic in certain areas of the rug.

Design

Design The particular patterning of a rug or textile involving a host of factors or elements the motifs and their arrangement, symmetry and coloration. The term design may also refer to a specific type of pattern.

Donegal

Donegal RugDonegal Carpets, were produced during the later part of the 19th century in Donegal, which is located in Northwest Ireland. Most of the earlier carpets were woven in the Arts and Crafts style while later productions shifted more towards the Art Nouveau aesthetic.

Drawing

Drawing The particular rendering of form and line in the weaving of the actual design. Drawing can be precise and mechanical or loose and spontaneous.

Dyes

Natural vegetable Rug Dyes by Nazmiyal

Dyes A material of vegetable or synthetic chemical derivation used to impart color to the vegetable or animal fibers that are woven. Most dyes require an additional mordant or fixing agent to make them fast in water and light.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: E

Early Period

Early Period – A term used to distinguish exceptionally old / antique rugs from the general label “antique,” denoting rugs and textiles that are at least eighty years old. The term “early” signifies that early from the early nineteenth century or before, what is regarded by collectors as a “pre-commercial” period.

Eight Pointed Stars

The eight pointed starEight Pointed Star These stars first began to appear in Islamic art during the middle ages, and has appeared in spiritual and artistic traditions within many different cultures. It is likely that the eight pointed star within Islamic art is related to the six pointed start hat is common within Judaic art designs. Within Islamic art, the eight pointed star is referred to as khatim or khatim-sulayman, which means “seal of the prophets.”

Evil Eye

Evil Eye The Eye or the “evil eye” – This symbol is common in both Africa and West Asia, and is common in rug designs as a form of protection. The term “evil eye” refers to the belief that a curse could be placed upon a person if they are looked at in a malevolent fashion. Therefore, the eye is placed within designs as a way of protecting from these potential curses.

Ersari

Ersari – A Turkoman rug producing tribe known for its bold and colorful carpets and trappings. Ersari rugs are coarse by comparison to other Turkoman rugs, but they have a bold power that makes them stand apart. In the course of the twentieth century their weaving tradition provided the foundation for Afghan tribal rug production.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: F

Farahan

Farahan RugFarahan rugs: These rugs are produced in the Arak region of Iran, and share similarities with Heriz and Serapi rugs due to the angular nature of some designs. Farahan rugs, however, possess designs on a more delicate scale. When medallion designs are featured, the rugs are referred to as Sarouk-Farahans.

Field

The Field of An Antique Rug by nazmiyal

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

Folk Art Rugs

Folk Art Design RugFolk art: Art created in response to utilitarian need rather than aesthetic value alone. Often made by the self-taught or common man, folk art embodies cultural and utilitarian qualities, in contrast to fine art. Folk art is also termed primitive, tribal or traditional art. Genres span the gamut of artistic mediums in all cultures, from music to metalwork. In textile arts, folk art includes carpets, quilts, wall hangings, needlepoint and other handwork on cloth.

Fostat

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

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

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.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: G

Garden Design

Garden Rug DesignGarden design: Both flora and fauna are depicted in these designs, and they often feature a central fountain as well. In Persian life, gardens were symbolic of paradise. Depictions of these gardens in weaving often utilize flowers, trees and more as well as animals such as birds, deer, and even tigers. These carpets were woven as a way of bringing the beauty of an exterior garden into the interior space.

Geometric People

Geometric representations of a person: People represented in a geometric fashion had the potential to mean several different things. In some cases, it was simply a stylistic choice as a way of representing that particular portion of their life. On occasion, however, these geometric inspirations were symbolic of the weaver of a rug being pregnant at the time of weaving.

Gol or Gul

Gol or Gul Rug DesignGol or Gul: This refers to a rosette or floral medallion, as the word gol (or gul) is the Farsi word for flower. These can appear in many different styles, with each having a specific meaning. Round ones symbolize celestial bodies, such as stars or something larger such as the sun or moon. There are geometric shapes as well, which also feature delicately woven designs in the middle of them. In Persian rugs, gul designs tend to be woven in a more naturalistic style.

Golfarnag or Gulfarang

Golfarnag or Gulfarang Rug DesignGolfarang, or gul farang: These designs are inspired by the flowers depicted in French Savonnerie and Aubusson carpets that began to appear in the nineteenth century. The name golfarnag translates to “foreign flower,” which epitomizes this design. These designs were often used in Persian rugs as well as Kurdish Senneh and Bidjar weaving, though these were more heavily stylized and tended to be more geometric in appearance.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: H

Haji Jalili

Haji jalili – A term used to denote a very high grade of Persian carpet produced in Tabriz in the late nineteenth century. Hajji Jalili was presumably the master responsible for these rugs, but no piece with his name can be identified.

Hamadan

Hamadan RugHamadan rugs: These rugs were influenced by the traditions of tribes in Iran as well as Kurdish village weaving. These were generally smaller sized Persian rugs, and became one of the most desired and exported types due to their beauty and variation in design. There were many different designs and effects present in these rugs, making them desirable to many.

Heddle

Heddle: The heddle is the portion of the loom that is used as an armature for loops for alternate warps. The heddle can be used to reverse over-under orientation, which allows the weave to be alternated much more easily due to separation of the warps.

Herati, also called ‘fish’ or ‘mahi’

Herati, also called fish or mahi: This design is commonly referred to as Mahi, which is the Farsi word for fish, due to the fact that the arrangements of these floral designs can often resemble fish. These designs feature flowers and leaves arranged within a diamond shape, and they can be seen as both allover patterns as well as border designs.

Heriz

Heriz RugHeriz Rugs – A type of mostly room-size carpet from Northwest Iran distinguished by its monumental floral designs and the expressive power of its angular drawing. They tend to have strong medallion designs accented through the use of rich color, but allover Herizes are not uncommon. Where other Persian carpets would utilize a curved form, Heriz rugs will apply series of angular twists and turns, imparting an emphatic geometry to the design.

Holbein

Holbein Rugs: A group of early Turkish carpets named for the Northern Renaissance painter Hans Holbein the Younger, in whose paintings such carpets appear. Highly abstract of geometric in design, there are two main variants a so-called ‘small pattern Holbein, and a ‘large pattern’ variant as well.

Hooked Rugs

Hooked RugHooked Rugs A type of folk art floor covering indigenous to the Northeast of the United States and Maritime Canada. Their production began in the 1840’s, gradually spreading all across North America as a cottage industry by 1900.

Horizontal loom

Horizontal loom: A type of loom used in rug weaving which is arranged parallel to the ground and relatively close to it, requiring the weaver to kneel when working. The use of horizontal looms is customary for nomadic weavers, since it can be set up, dismantled, and transported easily.

Hunters and Archers

Hunters and Archers

Hunters and archers: Human forms depicted on horseback or in a warrior stance with weapons. Hunters have been depicted in art throughout the world since prehistoric times, rendered on cave paintings dated to at least 12,000 years ago. The Persians used hunting iconography in several art mediums, illustrating the hunting prowess of the king, princes and nobility. This was a popular subject portrayed on Sassanian textiles. On carpets, this representation appears in the 1500s depicting royal figures on horseback pursuing animals. Other representations include winged figures of angels, genii and demons. Several hunting carpets include a written narrative or poetry.

Hunting Scene

Hunting Scene
Hunting scene: Lively depiction of Persian nobility hunting in the forests. These all-over designs show humans on horseback, trees, gardens, flowers and the animals that are being hunted. Animals include tigers, leopards, elephants, deer and birds, as well as fantastic or legendary animals such as dragons and demons. Several hunting scene carpets still exist today from the Safavid period (1401-1736); two are renowned and housed in museums in Milan and Vienna. The Milan hunting carpet is dated to 1542, the time of Shah Tahmasp. These carpets were produced in several city workshops including Kashan, Tabriz and Kerman. None earlier than the Safavid period are known. The Persian influence on Mughal court life and arts is illustrated by the popularity of detailed hunting carpets from Mughal India.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: I

Ilkahaid

Ilkahaid The Mongol dynasty that came to power in Iraq and Persia in the later thirteenth century. No actual rugs of this period are known, but they are represented in various Islamic and Chinese paintings.

Ingrain

Ingrain RugIngrain are textiles and coverlets that that date to the 19th century. They were machine made or loomed and many were used as actual flat woven decorative carpets.

Irish

Irish RugIrish rugs – In both Ireland as well as Scotland the Arts and Crafts Movement became a central narrative of the Celtic traditions. Some of the most desirable and sought after rugs are those arts and crafts that were produced by the Donegal company in Ireland. As time passed, the Donegal Irish rugs evolved from arts and crafts into Art Nouveau.

Isfahan

Isfahan The production of Isfahan may go back to Safavid times in the seventeenth century when Isfahan was the capital of Persia, since many of the court quality carpets of this period that survive today have been attributed to Isfahan. Nineteenth and early twentieth century antique Isfahan rugs continued the style and consummate technical virtuosity of their classical forerunners, although often with a softer, more decorative palette.

Islimi

Islimi: Often known by the name Arabesque, these designs use floral elements as well as Shah Abassi motifs. They utilize spiral vines which gracefully and delicately connect larger design elements. These vines are used as connecting elements in both the field and borders, making it a useful design.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: J

Joshagan

Joshagan – Persia boasts one of the oldest, proudest, and most prolific rug making traditions of any place in the world. Because rugs have been made all across for Persia for so long, many distinct styles of rugs have developed over the centuries. Often, antique Persian rugs are identified by the region from which they emerge. Joshagan is one such example of this system of classification. Joshagan, situated in Central Iran, is one of the oldest centers for continuous weaving in Iran. It is known for their stylized geometric and floral ornament with a lattice design. Traditionally a vase technique on a single plane lattice vase rug is associated with antique Joshegan Persian rugs. These antique carpets were woven from the 18th to 20th century in Joshagan. Joshagan rugs are prized for their unique characteristics and splendid craftsmanship, as much today as they have ever been.

Judaic Motifs

Judaica motifsJudaic Motifs These motifs refer to symbolic religious motifs within Judaism. They may refer to the Star of David, imagery from the Old Testament, as well as texts in Hebrew. Due to the nomadic nature of the Jewish people, these motifs can be found in many places throughout Europe, Africa, and even Asia.

Jufti Knot

Jufti KnotsJufti knot – The Jufti knot is a technique that utilizes symmetrical or asymmetrical knots around pairs of warps. This creates a less dense pile as well as a rug that is quicker to produce as opposed to knots around single warps. These knots are used in carpets, rugs, tapestries, and kilims.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: K

Karabagh

Karabagh RugKarabagh: Karabagh rugs from the area of Armenia have one of the oldest and most varied design traditions of any antique Caucasian rugs. Many are descended from the classical Caucasian carpets of the eighteenth century. Others are more closely related to Kazaks, with large medallion patterns and a more tribal geometric sensibility.

Karapinar

Tribal Antique Turkish Karapinar Rugs by nazmiyal

Karapinar: A type of rug produced in Eastern Turkey distinguished by a design with large, geometricized medallions and angular corner pieces, a pattern traceable to Turkish village weaving of the seventeenth century and earlier.

Kashan

Kashan RugKashan Rugs: The city of Kashan, in Persia, has been producing silk weaving since the Safavid period. From the end of the nineteenth century, the weavers in Kashan started weaving very fine quality woolen carpets as well.

Kazak

Kazak RugKazak rugs: The antique Kazak rugs were woven in the South Caucasus region. They are one of the most collectible type of rug. Since they are tribal and were woven by nomadic or semi nomadic tribes people, their designs are primitive and unique.

Kerman

Kerman RugKerman: A major center for the production of high-quality Persian carpets since the seventeenth century. When Persian rug production moved into high gear in the later nineteenth century, Kerman once again emerged as a producer of the finest carpets in the best Persian tradition. Kerman carpets are known for the fineness of their weave and for their elegantly drawn designs of classical derivation, both in allover and central medallion formats.

Khorassan

Khorassan RugKhorassan Rugs: Khorassan is a prominent rug weaving district that is located in the Northeastern part Persia.

Khotan

Khotan RugKhotan Rugs: Khotans are the most outstanding among rugs and carpets of East Turkestan. While the main design elements, details, and drawing appear generally Chinese, the composition with central medallions or allover small medallions in rows relates more to Persian, Turkish, and Turkoman rugs from further west, as does their rich coloration.

Kilim

Kilim RugKilim: Turkish word for any form of simple weft-faced tapestry. A kilim is basically a flat woven area rug as opposed to a knotted pile area carpet.

Kirshehir

Kirshehir RugKirshehir rugs: These Central Turkish rugs are known for their vibrant color as well as the high quality of wool used in their creation. They are also known for the interesting geometric designs, which are commonly used in prayer rugs as well as a longer runner-style rug.

Kizilayak

Kizilayak: One of the rug-producing tribes of the Central; Asian Turkomans. Often mistaken as Ersari weavings, they tend to be finer and more precise in their drawing.

Knots

Knots Loops or various configuration wrapped around adjacent warps to produce the surface pile of a rug. Spanish rugs are the only pile pieces that have real tied knots.

Knotted Pile Carpets

Knotted Pile Carpets – See Pile carpets.

Konya

Konya RugKonya rugs: These Central Turkish rugs are known for their vibrant color, geometric-inspired designs as well as bold patterns. Though they are often desired by collected, these rugs tend to be older and more rare than Kazak rugs, which are largely considered to be their Caucasian counterparts.

Kuba

Kuba RugKuba rugs: These rugs are largely considered the finest rugs from the Caucasus area, due to the tightness of the weaving and high knot count. They are known for their ribbed structure and delicate allover patterns. The elements are carefully woven into allover patterns. These have become a hallmark of these rugs, which are closely related to Shirvan and Dagestan rugs.

Kufic

Kufic: A form of angular calligraphic Islamic script named for the city of Kufa in Mesopotamia. Such script became a prominent form of border decoration in Islamic decorative arts of all sorts, including textiles and carpets. Kufic borders were especially widespread in early Turkish carpets and those of Ilkhanid and Timurid Iran, surviving into later Turkish and Caucasian carpets as well.

Kula

Kula: A rug-producing town in Western Turkey known for finely woven pieces with medallion designs of classical Turkish derivation. Kula products are sometimes difficult to distinguish from the rugs of nearby Demirci.

Kurdish

Kurdish RugKurdish rugs: Kurdish Rugs are closely related Northwest Persian and Caucasian village weavings, but they may be distinguished by their exceptional sense of design and fine color. The Kurdish rugs are known for their use of bold tribal designs and “happy” upbeat coloration.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: L

Lac

Lac: An insect derived dye made from the beetle coccus laccae, yielding a bluish red tone. It was widely used in classic early carpets from India, Persia, and Turkey up through the seventeenth century, but was eventually displaced by the insect dye cochineal. Its active ingredient kermesic acid is less potent than the carminic acid of the insect dye cochineal.

Ladik

Ladik: A town in Central Turkey known especially for its antique prayer rugs with a distinctive arch or mihrab and a panel of vertical stylized tulips.

Loom

Loom:Rug loom A rigid framework used for weaving a rug or textile. Rug looms may be either vertical or horizontal.

Looped Pile

Looped pile: A technique for making pile carpets in which the adjacent knots are left continuous as a series of loops instead of being clipped to a uniform brush-like surface. Lopped pile as used in late Roman rugs in Egypt and in Alpujarra rugs from Spain.

Lotto

Lotto: A group of early Turkish carpets named for the Italian Renaissance painter Lorenzo Lotto in whose paintings they appear. Lotto carpets generally feature a highly abstract arabesque allover pattern set against a red ground.

Luri

Luri RugLuri rugs produced by the Lurs of the Zagros Mountains in western Iran, are among the most impressive tribal Persian weavings. Utilizing a primarily geometric repertory along with highly stylized animal forms arranged as allover patterns, Luri rugs rely extensively on the effects of rich color to heighten the dynamic vitality of the designs.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: M

Mahal Rugs

Mahal RugMahal The production of Mahal carpets only began in the Arak region in the later nineteenth century. They are characterized by a large-scale curvilinear vinescroll based upon classical Persian forerunners, but rendered in a somewhat more stylized, geometric and robust drawing, somewhat like Herizes. The finest grade Mahals have come to be known in the rug trade as Sultanabads.

Makri

Makri The antique rugs of Makri in Southwestern Turkey are distinguished by their elongated hexagonal niche-like field, often rendered in pairs or double columns, and by their brilliant palette of reds blues, yellows, and ivory.

Malayer

Malayer RugMalayer Rugs – The city of Malayer is located in the northern western part of modern day Iran. There, the weavers created carpets that ranged from all-over designs to medallion motifs. The rugs from Malayer tend to have a unique approach that is not really traditional more are they generally very tribal (though some are). This middle of the way approach to the design of their rugs is what makes them so sought after today.

Mamluk

Mamluk: This refers to a dynasty who were originally “slave-soldiers,” who eventually became powerful in Egypt in the thirteenth century. Two hundred years later, the carpet industry in Cairo was thriving due to their complex and beautiful designs. These designs featured large medallions as well as intersecting forms that were inspired by geometric Islamic designs.

Medallion

Medallion RugMedallion A type of design that focuses on a central motif or medallion or a series of these arranged concentrically. Often the medallion will be complemented by four quarter medallions or corner pieces at the four corners of the field.

Melas

Melas RugMelas These rugs were produced in Southwestern Turkey and are known for prayer rug designs, which feature a hallmark red ground and simple niches. These weavers generally produced floral designs, though many of these designs were transformed into more abstract floral elements. They also produced longer rugs that featured geometric designs.

Memling Gul

Memling Gul A stepped medallion with hooked embellishments usually arranged as an allover repeat design. Memling guls are well known in Turkish carpets from an early period, but they became establish in Moghan carpets of the Caucasus as well. They are named for the Northern Renaissance painter Hans Memling, in whose paintings such carpets appear.

Millefleurs

Millefleurs RugMillefleurs Millefleurs tapestries of Kashmir in Northern India are among the finest virtuoso textiles produced in the Orient. Modeled on designs from the Millefleurs or “thousand flower” Pashmina wool rugs of the Mogul period, these textiles utilize a dazzling array of small floral forms delicately detailed in almost microscopic form.

Mohtashem

Mohtashem: A term used to distinguish the earliest and finest of the late nineteenth century Persian carpets produced in Kashan. It is named for the firm or family who initiated this production. The only two carpets inscribed with the name are silk.

Mongolian

Mongolian RugMongolian Mongolian rugs are heavily influenced by Chinese motifs. That said, they offer their own unique design aesthetic which tend to be more minimalist and neutral in colors. The also tend to be more zen like in overall look and feel.

Mordant

Mordant A technical term for the chemical additives that fix dyes or render them fast when exposed to water or light. Mordants tend to be made of metallic oxides of varying type. Different mordants may be applied to the same vegetable or insect dues to achieve different shade of color.

Moroccan

Moroccan RugMoroccan rugs are notable for their dynamic colorful designs and strong geometric structure. None are datable to before the mid nineteenth century, when their production began as an adaptation of central and western Turkish rugs, whose repertoire Moroccan rugs followed closely.

Mughal

Mughal RugMughal A dynasty of Central Asian Turkic origin that came to power in India in 1526. Carpet weaving flourished under the Mughals from the late sixteenth to early eighteenth centuries.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: N

Navajo rugs

Navajo rugs These rugs are heavily prized amongst Native American textiles due to the authenticity of the traditional-inspired designs. There are also certain Navajo rugs that utilize vegetable dyes, and these are the ones that are desired most of all, due to the fact that the use of vegetable dyes indicates that they were made before industrial synthetics were introduced.

Needlepoint

Needlepoint RugNeedlepoint Carpets – The Needlepoint embroidery weaving technique was a used in Renaissance Europe. The Europeans used this technique to copy rare and coveted had knotted carpets that were produced in the Middle East. Beginning in the late 19th century (and on) English needlepoint productions focused more on designs drawn form the Arts and Crafts movement but were competing with the newer French petite-point embroideries that were manufacturing carpets based off of the designs of French Aubusson tapestries and rugs.

New (Rug)

New: A term used to distinguish a rug less than thirty years old.

Ninghsia

Ninghsia / Ningxia / Ningshia rugs are those rugs that were woven in the central northern province of Ningxia in China. Ningxia produced rugs are some of the most collectible of all the rugs that were made in China.

Nomadic Rug

Nomadic rug A rug woven by nomadic peoples on a portable horizontal loom. Such weaving comprises not only floor rugs, but also various types of tent equipment – door or entrance decorations, and a variety of storage bags. While primarily or initially produced for practical local consumption, nomadic weaving were also made for commercial export. Also see tribal rug.

Northwest Persian

Northwest Persian RugNorthwest Persian The term Northwest was coined to denote highly interesting and possibly early antique pieces that were clearly made in Northwest Persia, but whose production cannot be located more closely. Iran t is used especially for smaller rugs of a tribal or village nature exhibiting ties to Caucasian and Kurdish weaving traditions, as well as to North Iranian weaving like those from Bakshaish, Serab, Heriz, Karadja etc., but which nevertheless are distinctive and stand apart.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: O

Old

Old A term used to distinguish a rug between thirty and fifty years old.

Oriental Rug

Any rug that is made in Asia

Ottoman

Ottoman RugOttoman A dynasty of Oguz Turks or Turkomans from western Turkey who came to power first in the Balkans and then across all Turkey and much of the Middle East between the later fourteenth and the nineteenth centuries. Most of the earliest surviving Islamic carpets were made under Ottoman patronage. With the exception of the Seljuk group, virtually all Turkish carpets may readily be described as ‘Ottoman.’

Ottoman Embroidery

Ottoman EmbroideryOttoman Embroidery Needlework embroideries produced in the Ottoman Empire between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries are attributed largely to the west coast of Anatolia, to the Aegean Islands, and the Greek mainland. These embroideries exemplify the many traditions – both Turkish and European – that went into the making of Ottoman art.

Oushak (Ushak)

Oushak RugOushak (Ushak) Oushak in western Turkey has been a major center of rug production almost from the very begining of the Ottoman period. Many of the great masterpieces of early Turkish carpet weaving from the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries have been attributed to Oushak. In the later nineteenth century Oushak re-emerged as a major center, this time for room-size decorative carpets with central medallion designs as well as patterns of smaller allover medallions or scattered sprays of vine scroll and palmettes.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: P

Paramamluk

Paramamluk – This term was coined by Charles Ellis, a notable rug scholar, and refers to a version of Mamluk rugs that used smaller and more delicate patterns. These patterns feature squares, hexagons, and octagons. These rugs are likely from the city of Damascus, which was a vibrant city in the Mamluk region, and is located in the Syrian region of this realm.

Pashmina Wool

Pashmina wool A type of fine silky wool that comes from the soft downy layer closest to the skin of the animal. Classical Mughal carpets are famed for the use of such wool.

Pazyryk

Pazyryk A findspot in the Altai mountains of Siberia where a frozen tomb was discovered containing the worlds oldest complete carpet, dating from 400 to 300 B.C.

Peking

Peking carpetsPeking Rugs represent a newer antique production that began in China immediately following World War I, when carpet manufacturing moved from Ningshia and other interior centers to the capital. Peking carpets were now made in larger sizes intended to be more usable as decorative room-size rugs in the Europe and the United States.

Persian Knot

Persian knot See asymmetrical knot.

Pile

Pile NazmiyalPile: The thick body or surface of a knotted pile carpet usually trimmed to a uniform length, but sometimes left long and shaggy.

Pile or Knotted Carpets

Pile or Knotted Carpets: These rugs are made using loops of yarn, which then are left to hang to produce a shaggy effect. These can later be trimmed to create a uniform surface.

Plying

Plying Fibers used in carpets and textiles may be plied by taking two or more spun yarns and spinning them yet again into a still thicker yarn. Plying must be spun in the opposite direction in which the component yarns are spun, e.g. S-spun yarns may be plied with a Z-spin and vice versa. See yarn.

Polonaise

Polonaise Rug

Polonaise rugs: These carpets were known for being extremely lavish and elegant, and they were made under the Safavid dynasty in seventeenth century Iran. Their name refers to the large number of these rugs that were exported to Poland, and some were even custom made for certain Polish noble families. They are known for their soft colors as well as fine detail added in both gold and silver thread, making these carpets all the more lavish and beautiful.

Prayer Rugs

Prayer RugPrayer Rugs Technically any small carpet or rug can be used for prayer, so all such rugs are potentially prayer rugs. That said, carpets that were woven with the “mihrab” or “niche” design were made with the specific intent to be used for prayer purposes.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: Q

Qajar

Qajar A dynasty of Turkic origin that came to power in Persia in the early nineteenth century. Although their art reflected the tide of western influence in costume and elite décor, much the same a s contemporary late Ottoman art in Turkey, the Qajars also fostered a program of cultural revival that encouraged traditional crafts like rug production. They were largely responsible for the great revival of Persian rug production in the later nineteenth century, in conjunction with a renewed western demand for carpets.

Qashqai

Glossary Of Antique Rug TermsQashqai Rugs and bags or trappings woven by the Qashqai nomads of the Zagros Mountain region in southwest Iran. Like the rugs of the nearby Afshar and Bakhtiari tribes, Qasghai”i pieces tend to have geometric designs with stylized animals and human figures. They are prized for their fine weave and rich colors.

Quatrefoil

Quatrefoil NazmiyalQuatrefoil A four-armed or literally “four-leaved” medallion common in Islamic ornament and rug or textile design.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: R

Re-piling

Re-piling A type of repair in which damaged, lost, or worn portions of the pile are replaced into the foundation by sewing or hooking in new yarns and trimming them to the original surface and texture.

Rollakan

Rollakan See Scandinavian

Rya

Carpet GlossaryRya See Scandinavian

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: S

S-spun

S-Spun See yarn.

Safavid

Safavid Rugs NazmiyalSafavid A dynasty founded by Shah Ismail in 1501 which lasted until the early eighteenth century. Under the Safavids the Oriental carpet reached its apogee of technical; and artistic sophistication.

Salor

Salor The oldest and most distinguished of the rug-producing Turkoman tribes of central Asia. Distinguished by their exceptional color and design, Salor pieces are generally the finest, oldest, and most prized of all Turkoman weavings.

Saph

Saph Rugs NazmiyalSaph – The most interesting and complex elaboration of the prayer rug format is the multiple-niche payer rug or “Saph.” Prayer rugs that were woven for multiple people to use simultaneously are refereed to as Saph.

Sarouk

Sarouk RugSarouk rugs – there rugs were woven in the area / region of Arak. The best and finest examples of these rugs are refereed to as “Sarouk Farahan Rugs”. From around 1900, Sarouk rugs were one of the first mass produced rug productions ever made. Most of the rugs from this period are referred to as “painted Sarouks” because their background color was hand painted and converted from rust colors to deep red (as people wanted richer colored rugs).

Saryk

Saryk A rug-producing Turkoman tribe. Saryk weavings are rarer than those of other Turkoman groups like the Tekke, Yomud, or Ersari, but they still constitute an important and distinctive component of the wider body of antique Turkoman rugs and trappings.

Savonnerie

Savonnerie RugSavonnerie A French carpet that was produced mainly for the aristocrats and nobility of France. Unlike the mostly flat woven rugs of Aubusson, the Savonnerie rugs were mostly woven with thick and plush pile.

Scandinavian

Scandinavian RugScandinavian The Scandinavian region became an area of rug production in Europe at a relatively early period when the knotted pile carpet was introduced from Ottoman Turkey. Scandinavians began to produce rugs for themselves, inspired initially by the imported products, and developing gradually into a distinctive northern idiom. Flatwoven tapestry rugs or coverlets became an established type, especially in Sweden, where they came to be known as “Rollakan.” Pile rugs or Ryiji (Rya), often with a long shaggy nap were produced in Norway and and Sweden, and above all Finland.

Seljuk

Seljuk WarriorSeljuk: A dynasty of Oguz Turkish warriors from Central Asia whose rose to power across the middle East in the eleventh century, first conquering Persia and Mesopotamia, and then Byzantine Anatolia, which was then called Turkey after them. The earliest extant Anatolian Turkish rugs, presumably woven under their patronage in the thirteenth century are designated as “Seljuk.”

Selvedge

Selvedge The spiral wool wrapping that protects the sides of the rug

Semi-antique

Semi-antique rugs – The term semi antique is used to distinguish a rug between fifty and eighty-years old.

Senneh

Senneh RugSenneh carpets, are those rugs that were woven in the Northwest Iranian city of Senneh. Rugs from Senneh are some of the finest carpets ever woven and many are considered to be great works of art. Certain of the more robust, tribal-looking antique Senneh rugs were more than likely woven by Kurdish people.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: T

Tabriz

Tabriz Rug

Tabriz – The city of Tabriz, in the north western part of modern day Iran has been knowen to produce some of the finest and most desirable rugs during the late 19th century. In addition, they are also one of the most active weaving centers today.

Talish

Antique Caucasian Talish Rugs by nazmiyal

Talish – Talish rugs come from the Caucasian region that is located on the coast of the Caspian Sea, east of Moghul. The Talish rugs are typically long and narrow, and are known for their soft wool and medium pile. They feature a mostly monochromatic design, with the majority of the decoration being relegated to the borders. They are often blue or teal, with details woven out of contrasting colors.

Tapestry

TapestryTapestry A flat-woven textile comprised of vertical warp fibers completely covered by closely packed weft facing.

Tehran

Tehran RugTehran The weaving of rugs in the Iranian city of Tehran is pretty recent and only began after the late 19th century Persian rug revivals. In no time at all, Tehran rug weaving took and they began producing some of the finer and more artistic rugs to have come out of modern day Iran.

Tekke

Tekke One of the most powerful and leading rug-producing Turkoman tribes of Central Asia. Antique Tekke carpets and trappings are prized for the quality and variety of their design and weave. After the Russian conquest, they became the leaders of the Turkoman export production.

Tibetan

Tibetan RugTibetan Like the antique rugs of East Turkestan, those made in Tibet are largely based upon a weaving tradition and design repertoire from China. Many motifs are of Chinese origin – dragons, cloud-bands, floral and lattice patterns etc. But there are distinctive Tibetan designs like the tiger pelt or tiger masks, or pictorial elements of Buddhist origin, and their color is much richer than that of Chinese carpets.

Timuri

Timuri: A sub-group of the antique weavings produced by nomadic Baluch tribes in the region of Western Afghanistan. The best and earliest Timuri rugs, especially their main carpets, are distinguished by the precision and complexity of their designs, often derived from classical Persian prototypes, and by the depth and range of their color.

Timurid

Timurid A dynasty of Chagagatai Turks from Central Asia who came to power across much of the Middle East under their founder Timur in the late fourteenth century. Great patrons of the arts, they extensively fostered the production of the earliest Persian carpets known. Although only one fragment of such a rug survives, there are many depictions of such rugs in Timurid illuminated manuscripts.

Tribal Rug

Tribal rugTribal Rugs Nazmiyal A rug produced as part of an established cultural tradition of design and technique, either by sedentary tribal groups (village rugs) or by wandering, tent-dwelling peoples (nomadic rug). While motivated by practical domestic needs, tribal rugs of either type were also produced for commercial export or sale.

Turkish Rug Knot

Turkish Knot See symmetrical knot.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: U

Ukrainian

Ukrainian RugUkrainian The pile carpets that were woven in the Ukraine are very similar to the French Savonnerie carpets of France. Their approach to design stems from the Rococco and / or Neo-classical design. That said, they always kept their own unique identity.

Uzbek

Uzbek RugUzbek Embroidery Antique Uzbek textiles and embroideries from Central Asia are considered to be some of the best examples found anywhere. Most of their productions took place around and in Tashkent. These textile works of art will generally feature vibrant coloration as well as bold design motifs. Many of the embroidered textiles were made with silk and and woven onto a linen back.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: V

Vertical Rug Loom

Vertical loom A type of loom used in rug weaving that stands erect, allowing the weaver to sit on a chair or bench while working. Vertical looms are typical of urban and village weaving production.

Village Rug

Village Rugs NazmiyalVillage rug A rug woven in a small town or village, generally as part of a domestic family operation, a so-called “cottage industry.” Such rugs are made for local consumption or for commercial export. Also see tribal rug.

Vintage

Vintage Rugs NazmiyalVintage refers to a designation of semi-antique rugs (and other objects) that are over 30 years old, and under 100 years old. Vintage rugs have experienced a surge in popularity and collectability over the past decade, especially vintage rugs from the mid-20th Century.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: W

Wagireh / Samplers

WagirehWagireh Rug Nazmiyal The Wagireh or sampler rug is a template or pattern for the design and production of larger carpets. The size of a scatter rug or mat , they do not show the entire design, but only the basic or fundamental portion of the various larger decorative elements of the field and borders, along with selected individual motifs, which could then be expanded according to established symmetrical repetitions to produce the complete composition.

Rug Warps

Warps The vertical yarns or fibers strung on the loom and comprising the foundation of a rug or textile.

Weft Faced Tapestry

Weft faced Tapestry See Kilim technique.

Carpet Wefts

Wefts The horizontal fibers or yarns of a rug or textile passing over and under alternate warps. Wefts may be the face of tapestry, or spacing foundation in pile rugs and soumaks.

Wilton Rugs

Wilton RugWilton carpets are machine-made rather than hand woven. Manufactured in England, Wilton rugs were known to produce rugs that were based off of Persian rugs as well as patterns from the arts and crafts movement.

Wool

woolWool A natural fiber derived from the coat of various animals, mostly sheep, goats, and camels, but also alpacas, llamas.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: X

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: Y

Yarkand

Yarkand RugYarkand Made in East Turkestan,. Yarkand carpets relate less to Chinese weaving and more to the Islamic world from further West. They often have tree-of-life and pomegranate designs derived from Iran and West Turkestan, or they may utilize mihrab niche patterns for making prayer rugs in the Muslim tradition, sometimes even as multiple niche prayer rugs or saphs.

Yarn

YarnYarn A spun or plied cluster of fibers that can be utilized as warps, wefts, or pile, etc. Yarns may be S-spun (clockwise) or Z-spun (counterclockwise).

Yastiks

Yastik RugYastik rugs: These are small Turkish rugs that are often used as pillow or bolster covers. They are desirable due to the fact that they are adapted versions of classic designs from Anatolia. These rugs appear throughout Turkey, and the Yastik name refers to the style rather than a specific region. Therefore, most types of Turkish rugs also include the Yastik as a format.

Yazd

YazdYazd Rugs Nazmiyal Halfway between Isfahan and Kerman, Yazd became heir to the great tradition of classical Persian rug production. Antique Yazd rugs are finely woven, often in allover symmetrical patterns of delicate floral sprays comparable to those on Kerman or Kashan rugs. Their coloration can be deep and rich, but soft reds, rusts, and saffron tones impart a luminous quality to the overall effect.

Yomud

Yomud One of the leading rug-producing Turkoman tribes of Central Asia, second only to the Tekke. Though less finely woven, Yomud Turkoman weavings are more robust and expressive in their design, with more pattern variation as well, especially in their main carpets.

Yuruk

Yuruk rugsYuruk Rugs Nazmiyal The Yuruk rugs are considered an exquisite example of the tradition of nomadic Turkish carpet weaving. These rugs are produced in Eastern Anatolia, though they are certainly influenced by Western rugs, such as Bergama and Oushak rugs. Yuruk rugs, however, tend to utilize darker color choices than their Western counterparts. They can also share similarities with from the Caucasus.

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Antique Rug Glossary Terms: Z

Z-Spun

Z-spun See yarn.

Zakatala

ZakatalaZakatala Rugs Nazmiyal A highly distinctive village weaving from the South. Zakatala seem to have connections with the rugs from a number of different areas of the Caucasus. As a result, their designs are quite varied; some have medallions, others have allover designs, and still others are somewhere in between. But whatever the design, their approach to form and color is always unmistakable.

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