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Glossary of terms
Abrash: variation or striation of color in a rug
Antique Finish: a modern washing procedure designed to give a rug a faded, antique look
Art Silk: a weaving yarn made from mercerized cotton which attempts to take on the appearance of silk
Aubusson: French rug design featuring a central medallion, usually executed in pastel colors
Bakhtiyari: rugs made by specific nomadic groups of southern Iran, often extremely durable. Typical design features a square grid with a floral vase in each.
Baluch:rugs produced by nomadic Baluch groups of Afghanistan, often in brown, black and gold.
Bidjar: rug design stemming from the Bidjar region of Iranian Azerbaijan, frequently featuring a diamond-shaped central medallion.
Bukhara: one of the most popular Turkmen rugs, now frequently copied by commercial workshops in Indian and Pakistan. True Bukhara rugs now usually described by their tribal names to avoid confusion with reproductions.
Burn Test:practice of burning a small tuft of fibers from a rug to determine their composition. Cotton fibers give a vegetable smell when burned, while wool smells faintly of hair. Silk fiber smells distinctly like human hair when burned.
Boteh: Paisley-like design
Cartoon: map of design and colors used to weave a rug
Carved nap/pile: cuts into the pile of a rug designed to accentuate the design. Common in Chinese and Tibetan carpets. Also referred to as "embossed" rugs.
Cartouche: a design that surrounds a signature, date, or inscription incorporated into the rug design
Caucasian:rugs woven in Caucasus region of central Asia, usually modern Azerbaijan
Cochineal: deep red dye, obtained from the dried, pulverized bodies of cactus-eating insects native to tropical and subtropical America
Daghestan:rugs from the Daghestan region of the northeastern Caucusus, typically blue in color
Dry rot: condition of brittleness caused by fungus which forms after extended exposure to heat and moisture
Dhurrie: a low grade kilim-style rug from India, frequently the product of workshops in the Indian prison system.
Flat-weave: rugs woven with a flat pile, such as Kilim, Dhurrie and Soumak rugs.
Gul: Persian word for flower, refers to a design element often referred to as "elephant's feet" found in many Turkmen carpets
Handle: the suppleness and flexibity of a rug
Herati: a repeating fish pattern found in many Oriental rugs
Herez: geometric, medallion rugs woven in the city of Heriz on the Iran-Azerbaijan border. Gained popularity in Europe and the United States in the early 20th Century, and remains the most popular Persian design in the West.
Indigo: blue shaded dyes obtained from the leaves of the indigo plant
Kilim flat-woven, pileless floor covering, hand-woven by tapesty techniques in Anatolia, the Balkans, and parts of Iran. Usually characterized by a slit where two colors meet.
Knap: the brush-like surface of the rug, created when the knots 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, assymetrical 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.
Kork Wool: fine quality wool obtained from the shoulder and flanks of shearling lambs
Madder: a powder extracted from Rubia plant, used to make red dye
Medallion: the center design of a rug
Ottoman: powerful Turkish dynasty which ruled over much of central Asia from 1290 to 1924.
Overcasting: the technique of rounding the wool edges of the vertical sides of a rug to prevent fraying
Patina: the surface appearance of a rug, often mellowed due to age or use
Pazyryk rug: excavated in Scythian burial site in Kazakstan, the former Soviet Union, in the 1940s. Believed to be the oldest extant example of a hand-knotted rug.
Safavid: Persian dynasty which ruled 1502-1736 and established unified state. Renowned as patrons of Oriental rug design.
Selvage: the area between the edge of a rug and the fringe
Spandrel: a decorative element placed in the corner of a rug design
Warp: wool, cotton or silk strands run vertically down a loom to form the length of a rug
Weft: wool, cotton or silk strands inserted horizontally over the warp, forming the foundation of a rug
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