RUG GUIDE

Rug Introduction

The Illustrated Rug 1

From Sheep To Rug

Rug & Knot Types

Rug Loom Types

Basic Rug Care

Stain Removal Guide

Decorating Ideas

Purchasing Guide

Rug Names & Places

Rug History Chart

Glossary of Terms

A GLOSSARY OF RUG TERMS

Abrash - A graduated or transitional change in the color of a rug - seen as darker or lighter striations of hue/value - due to differences in either the wool or dye batch. All-over design - A term used to describe a rug without a central medallion but with a design repeated throughout the field. Antique Finish/Wash - a chemical soaking process designed to to simulate aging by modifying color saturation and intensity   Arabesque - Ornate curving design featuring intertwined floral and vine figures - often seen in intricate workshop rugs such as those from Tabriz, Isfahan, Nain and Qum. Art Silk - Also called artificial silk - refers to the use of processed (mercerized) cotton as a substitute for silk. Aubusson (Aubuson) - These fine flat-woven carpets, featuring formidable sized rugs in pastel colors with floral medallions, were produced in France from the 15th - 19th centuries. Axminster Rug (Loom) - First produced in the 1880's, machine-made rugs were mechanically woven to a flexible cotton frame and having up to 70 colors of wool.   Baktiari (Bakhtiari) - Named for the Iranian tribal peoples who produced them - rugs noted for durable construction, typically featuring a repeated square-grid motif with a floral detailing in each grid. Border Rug - A rug featuring a design on the outer rim, or border, of the rug, surrounding the field. Boteh - A pear-shaped figure often used in oriental rug designs characteristic of the paisley pattern The boteh may represent a leaf, bush or a pinecone. Broadloom - Carpet(s) produced in widths of at least 6'. Brocade - Weft float weave used to add design and embellishment. Often seen on the kilim bands at the ends of oriental rugs Cartouche - Oval-shaped ornament incorporated into the rug design containing a signature, date, or inscription Carved Pile/(Map) - Design or pattern cut or "embossed" into the pile of a rug - common in Chinese and Tibetan carpets. Chain Stitch - A crochet stitch used in rug construction that consists ol successive loops to lock the final weft in place at the end of a rug. Dhurrie - A flatwoven rug from India, usually made of cotton or wool. Endless Knot - A Buddhist emblem symbolizing long duration often used with other symbols. Flat-Weave - term describing any rug without (wool) pile: including Soumaks, Kilim, Verneh, Sozani, and Dhurie. (Aubuson carpets, though flat, are excluded from this category due to factors such as their complexity) Field - The part of a rug's design surrounded by the border. The field may be blank or contain medallions or an over-all pattern.       Fringe - Warps extending from the ends of a rug which are treated in several ways to prevent the wefts and knots from unravelling. Gabeh - A long-piled rug style with a simple colorful design - originally used as mattresses - that have attained recent popularity. Gul - A medallion either octagonal or angular in shape used in Turkoman designs It is often repeated to form an all-over pattern in the field. Handmade Rug - A rug that is either entirely handknotted (or handtufted) and usually made of wool, and which may also include the addition of silk.   Herati - Design type found in Persian carpets featuring the repeated pattern of four pinecone or leaf-like figures woven around a diamond shape - an effect sometimes noted to resemble a fish-like motif. Heriz - City on Iran-Azerbaijan border and name for the geometric medallion rugs popularized in the early 20th century. This design remains extremely popular in Europe and the U.S.A.   Hooked rug - A hooking device pushes and loops yarn through a canvas producing either a loop hook or latch hook rug (also the loops can be sheared to create an open pile). Jufti Knot - A 'False' knot, either Turkish or Persian, which is tied onto four warp threads instead of the normal two. This time-saving knot lessens the quality and the amount of material in a rug. Kashmir - Upscale carpets made of either silk or mercerized cotton from the Islamic region of India - woven with a Persian knot.   Kazak - Referring to the Turkish-style rugs produced by the peoples of Kazakhstan and of that region. Kilim - A flat-woven (pileless) carpet, often reversible, in which a design pattern is formed by colored weft strings being wrapped around the warp. Knap - the brush-like surface of the rug, created when the knot loops are cut. Knot - the basic technique used to create an Oriental carpet: Two types of knots are used: The Persian Senneh knot is a fine, asymmetrical knot used in relatively complex carpets, giving them a "light" and a "dark" side. The Turkish Ghiordes knot is symmetrical and gives a rug a deeper, longer-wearing pile. Knot count - In the process of making a hand knotted rug, each strand of yarn is knotted to the foundation: The higher the number of knots per square inch - the higher the quality of the rug. Knotted - Process by which a rug is hand woven with wool (or silk) and secured to a cotton foundation by knotting - thus producing a rug of superior quality. Such a rug could be classified as "knotted", "hand-knotted", "hand-woven" or "hand-made"(handmade). Factors that may affect or increase value/cost are the density of the pile (knots per square inch) as well as the intricacy of the design motif. Line Count - The number of horizontal knots per linear foot. (As with knot count, the higher the number, usually the higher the quality of the rug). Medallion - Large design element located in the very center of the rug's field - the hallmark of the traditional, symmetrical Oriental area rug. In rugs with an All-over design or a random or contemporary design format a medallion will not be displayed. Mori - The weaving technique of certain Pakistani and Indian rugs. Natural rug - Often refers to an earth-toned rug whose texture - sisal, jute or wool - is the identifying feature. Oriental - referring to an Oriental rug or carpet: ". . . handmade of natural fibers (most commonly wool or silk), with a pile woven on a warp and weft, with individual character and design made in the Near East, Middle East, Far East, or the Balkans." ... as defined by the Oriental Rug Importers Association Overcasting - the technique of rounding the wool edges of the vertical sides of a rug to prevent fraying Patina - Term referring to the "mellowed" surface appearance of a rug - due to age or use Persian Knot - Looped around one thread with only a halt-turn around the other thread. Pile - The nap of the rug or the tufts remaining after the knotted yarns are dipped. Pile weave - The structure of knotted carpets and rugs forming a pile or nap: Wool, silk, (sometimes cotton) is knotted around the warp in a variety of techniques. Plain Weave - The simplest interfacing of warp and weft.     Prayer Rug - Typically small, this rug features an arch motif at the top of the field - either geometric or curvilinear - depending on where it was woven. Runner - A long, narrow rug, usually under 3 feet wide, primarily used in hallways and on staircases. Sarouk - Woven carpets produced in Sarouk region of Iran renowned for their beauty. Frequently seen in lobbies of fine American hotels and estates in post-WW2 era.   Savonerie - The class of beautiful impressionist-quality pile carpets, made until 1890 in France, that have a similar appearance to Persian Kermans. Selvage - the area between the edge of a rug and the fringe Soumak - A flatwoven rug made from a technique that produces a herringbone effect. Tapestry - Generic term referring to a flat-woven wall hanging characterized by rich pastoral design settings. Tapestry Weave - Any variety of weaves where the pattern is created by ground wefts that do not run from end to end. Tea Wash - A procedure used to soften the colors in order to give a rug the appearance of age. Tribal rug - A term used interchangeably with gabbeh to describe a primitive-looking or Southwestern rug. Tufted - A process in which tufts of wool are punched through a base fabric. The underside of the base is then painted with Latex glue and covered with a backing material. Turkish Knot - Tied around two adjacent warp threads. Warp - Comprising the structure parallel wrap yarns run the length of the rug and are interlaced with wefts. Weft - The yarns woven horizontally through the warps. Weft-Faced - A rug where the weft yarns are more closely spaced than the warps. Yarn Ply - Number of single strands of yarn that are twisted together to form a plied yarn.