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Our History Woven Accents is the culmination of Abraham Moradzadeh’s lifetime of work and passion. Moradzadeh learned early about the artistry and craftsmanship that created the finest rugs in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He began selling antique and decorative rugs near the British Embassy in Tehran, teaching his clients the important elements to look for when purchasing rugs. His successes in Iran led to a move to California, bringing with him an invaluable amount of experience from his years of teaching about and selling the highest quality pieces. Abraham is a long familiar staple of the La Cienega Design District as owner of Woven Accent’s predecessor, Abraham Rug Gallery, since 1980. The top designers in the industry have recognized his immense expertise for decades, consistently returning for his advice and knowledge. His desire to educate his clientele has developed long-lasting relationships with customers who have caught his contagious enthusiasm and appreciation for rugs that “give life to a room.” In 2005, Abraham’s son, Sam Moradzadeh, saw an opportunity to breathe new life into his father’s life’s work. Implementing a full service approach, they renamed the company Woven Accents and began exclusive representation agreements with leading contemporary rug designers and manufacturers. A recent move to a brand new space across the Pacific Design Center enlivened the gallery and offers more artistic displays of Woven Accent’s pieces. Amidst these changes, Abraham maintains his original vision of offering one-of-a-kind rugs his clients are unable to locate elsewhere. Jeannene Sands was added to the team, as showroom manager, and has become as familiar to customers as Abraham. With her warm and generous nature, and over 20 years of design experience, she has become an invaluable asset to Woven Accents’ success. With the finest antique rugs in the world and unique contemporary selections, Woven Accents is a must- see stop for designers and their clients. As Woven Accents moves into the future, Abraham is living his dream traveling the world in search of new pieces to bring his clients. His passion for buying outweighs his desire to sell as he finds it difficult to part with the works of art he discovers on his constant trips abroad. From a collection of thousands, Abraham is able to identify each rug with an emotional connection and story to go with it. The business model may have modernized, but the intent of his company has not. Woven Accents still holds Abraham’s old-world charm and appreciation for true quality ... all with a very genuine, personal touch.

The Antique and Vintage Rug Book

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The ultimate guide to Antique and Vintage Rugs

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Page 1: The Antique and Vintage Rug Book

Our History Woven Accents is the culmination of Abraham Moradzadeh’s lifetime of work and passion. Moradzadeh learned early about the artistry and craftsmanship that created the finest rugs in Europe, the Middle East and Asia. He began selling antique and decorative rugs near the British Embassy in Tehran, teaching his clients the important elements to look for when purchasing rugs. His successes in Iran led to a move to California, bringing with him an invaluable amount of experience from his years of teaching about and selling the highest quality pieces.

Abraham is a long familiar staple of the La Cienega Design District as owner of Woven Accent’s predecessor, Abraham Rug Gallery, since 1980. The top designers in the industry have recognized his immense expertise for decades, consistently returning for his advice and knowledge. His desire to educate his clientele has developed long-lasting relationships with customers who have caught his contagious enthusiasm and appreciation for rugs that “give life to a room.”

In 2005, Abraham’s son, Sam Moradzadeh, saw an opportunity to breathe new life into his father’s life’s work. Implementing a full service approach, they renamed the company Woven Accents and began exclusive representation agreements with leading contemporary rug designers and manufacturers. A recent move to a brand new space across the Pacific Design Center enlivened the gallery and offers more artistic displays of Woven Accent’s pieces. Amidst these changes, Abraham maintains his original vision of offering one-of-a-kind rugs his clients are unable to locate elsewhere. Jeannene Sands was added to the team, as showroom manager, and has become as familiar to customers as Abraham. With her warm and generous nature, and over 20 years of design experience, she has become an invaluable asset to Woven Accents’ success. With the finest antique rugs in the world and unique contemporary selections, Woven Accents is a must-see stop for designers and their clients.

As Woven Accents moves into the future, Abraham is living his dream traveling the world in search of new pieces to bring his clients. His passion for buying outweighs his desire to sell as he finds it difficult to part with the works of art he discovers on his constant trips abroad. From a collection of thousands, Abraham is able to identify each rug with an emotional connection and story to go with it. The business model may have modernized, but the intent of his company has not. Woven Accents still holds Abraham’s old-world charm and appreciation for true quality ... all with a very genuine, personal touch.

Page 2: The Antique and Vintage Rug Book

ANTIQUE RUGS

Woven Accents is proud to offer our fine array of Antique rugs lovingly collected from all over the world. From the finest palace rugs to the humblest tribal weavings, our collection reflects the vast variety of antique textiles that are available in the market.

ANTIQUE TURKISH RUGS

The oldest known rug in Turkey dates from the Fifth Century BC and hand weaving techniques were introduced in the Twelfth Century. Antique Turkish rugs embody tradition as old as those of Persia. However, since most Turks are Sunni Muslims, they observe the Koranic prohibition against the depiction of people and animals more strictly than the Shiite Persians. Therefore, Antique Turkish carpets have designs based on geometric motifs. Calligraphy is also used as a motif. Repeating patterns are rare and prayer rugs with mihrabs in solid colors are common. The colors must frequently used were bright reds and blues and have faded over the years to the softer palettes seen in Turkish rugs today. Hand knotted rugs are always woven with the Ghiordes knot. Each of the weaving centers in Anatolia created a distinct signature style native to its region. Styles of Turkish handmade rugs include Tulu, Karapinar, Ladik, Konya, Ushak (Oushak), Kayseri (Kysari), Burdur, Soumak and Kilim.

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Antique Oushak Rugs

Oushak in western Turkey has been a major center of rug production almost from the very beginning 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. Less, however, is known about what happened to production there in the eighteenth and earlier nineteenth centuries. When things become clearer toward 1900, Oushak re-emerges as a major center, this time for room-size decorative carpets. Oushak rugs such as these are desirable today as highly decorative pieces. They come in central medallion designs as well as patterns of smaller allover medallions or scattered sprays of vinescroll and palmettes. They are notable for the grand, monumental scale of the designs. Oushak carpets often have a subdued palette in soft apricot and golden saffron tones whose pleasing qualities are enhanced by their particularly soft and lustrous wool.

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Ghiordes Antique Rug

From the limitless field of design and the countless possibilities of color combination, the weavers of Ghiordes, in other centuries, wrought out a type of carpet which had universal recognition. In the famous collections of Europe the old Ghiordes bits are placed side by side with the most prized antiques from the Persian looms.

     

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Kysari Antique Rug

For over two centuries, Turkish carpets especially Kysari Silk Carpets, with their vivid colors, intricate designs, and delicate weaving -- have won worldwide acclaim.In contrast to the frequently used chemical dyes in cities, Turkish carpet makers use natural ingredients to dye the silk. For example, brown comes from walnuts, and yellow comes from saffron.Aside from wool, silk is another important material used in making carpets. And by putting cocoons into boiling water -- silk is gradually extracted and rolled..Floral and curvy designs makes these carpets to have over 300 knots per square inch. Kysari silk carpets have over 200 different flower patterns.

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Sivas Antique Rug

Sivas is a city of north central Turkey, which is a production site of Turkish rugs based on Persian designs. Older rugs have wool foundation while recent ones use cotton. Rugs can have either the asymmetrical or the symmetrical knot.Sivas carpets are appreciated as some of the most well-made and decorative of room-sized Turkish rugs. Often finely woven, Sivas carpets tend to be made within a classically-derived Persian idiom of medallion and allover designs utilizing palmettes and vinescrolls. Some Sivas rugs recreate the grandeur of early classical carpets. But their palette is generally soft, with emphasis on ivory ground tones and pastel coloration in the details. Consequently, they are superior decorative rugs for interiors that require a formal and elegant touch.

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Antique Persian Rugs

Persia has a reputation for producing the highest quality and most beautiful rugs in the entire world. And they have been doing this for hundreds of years. The traditional designs have the name of the tribal region where they were made. Antique Persian rugs can be divided into two main categories, city rugs which are known for their finely woven, intricate designs and village rugs which vary greatly in their blends of city and nomadic motifs. Most city rugs present a central motif or medallion. However, some adopt a design of repetitive floral icons. Antique Persian Rugs are easily identified by their geometric patterns and intricate floral patterns. The fields are lavishly covered with intricate designs of buds and blossoms supported by vines and tendril and frequently encircled by interlacing arabesques. Their most distinctive colors are reds, dark blues and greens arranged so that the colors of border and field generally contrast, yet remain in near perfect harmony.

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Bakhtiari Rugs

The Bakhtiari weavers produce rugs, kilims and bags for their own use as well as for commerce. The Bakhtiari make wonderful sumac bags. The best known BAKHTIARI rug design is the Garden carpet with flower- and tendril-filled compartmental designs (KHESHTI Design). Another important BAKHTIARI design consists of a decorated field with lattice designs and floral ornaments that are as distinctly executed as the well-drawn medallion carpets of Saman.There is great variety of color in the carpets produced in the several hundred villages of this area. The principal colors include many shades of white and ivory, as well as various reds, browns, greens, and yellows, but relatively little blue. Natural dyes generally produce a harmonious range of color, especially on older pieces and in Bibibaff.

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Bibikabad Persian Carpets

Bibi Kabad is a name of a village in the Hamadan region of Iran. Many nice rugs and carpet were woven there for export purposes. Because of the unique weaving style these items are easily recognizable. Bibikabad-rugs are usually made with relatively thick thread with high quality durable wool. Mostly Herati- (Mahi-) Designs are used for them. Altogether the Bibikabad is a reliable and durable rug which can be used heavily for a long time.

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Bijar Antique Persian Carpets

Prized for their sturdy construction and durability Bijar rugs are one of the most sought after furnishings rugs particularly in the American market. Bijar rugs and carpets have long had a mystique that makes them a "man's rug". Called the Iron rug of Persia they have an odd feature that few other rugs can match. The densely packed pile is so tight that the pile cannot lay down. Now as the market matures the very nature of Bidjar are changing into two distinct rugs, the new Bidjar and the old Bidjar.The old Bijar tends to be coarser then the new. Bijar rugs have two wefts. Traditionally the wefts were wool, The first weft is substantially thicker then the second and it was inserted damp and pounded in compressing the rug and separating the warps. This would create a warp offset of about 85 to 90 degrees thus putting the warps on two separate plains. The second weft is thinner and holds the warps firmly in place. The first wool weft is rather unusual. It is thick sometimes almost pencil thick and has a high degree of twist. This makes it a very strong rigid weft. Sometimes the sinuous weft will have two singles causing some people to say that old Bijar rugs have three wefts. Just remember that two singles in one shed are still one weft.

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Dorokhsh Antique Rug

Colors tend to be subtle and Dorokhsh carpets can often be of substantial size. They are produced in the Dorokhsh hills in the Qanat region northeast of Birjand in Khorasan Province Iran.A Dorokhsh Carpet is a decorator's carpet. Dorokhsh Carpets are made with a Persian or asymmetric knot. The knot may be open either right or left. The foundation on the antiques is mostly wool but on 20th century rugs cotton warps and wefts are most common. Knot counts are fine, ranging from 120 to 275 kpsi.

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Farahan Sarouk Rug

Persian carpets known as Farahan come from an area north of the city of Arak in western Iran, whose Persian rugs were arguably the finest and most renowned items made during the 19th Century. Elegance, reserved refinement and subtlety characterize work of this area. The effect is derived above all from the many variations of the Herati pattern.Sarouk is a name of a village situated about 25 miles north of Arak (Sultanabad). This region became one of the most active regions of carpet weaving in the late 19th Century through the early 20th Century. The city's most famous designer was named Farahan. To be able to compete with Kashan in rug commerce, Farahan designed rugs with center medallion motives. Today, these carpets are referred to as Antique 19th century Farahan Sarouks.In the 1920s and 1930s a well-known rug dealer in New York thought that Americans would buy rose-field carpets with blue borders and detached floral motives. During that period, a vast number of Sarouks with rose-fields and all over

Page 13: The Antique and Vintage Rug Book

floral patterns were woven and exported to the American market. However, the natural dyed rose color did not stand up to the alkaline bath to which new rugs in Arak were subjected in the finishing process. The rose color faded radically. But instead of changing the finishing process or changing the composition of the dyes to stand up to alkali, New York merchants "solved" the problem by arming their staffs with synthetic dyes and little paint brushes with which they painted back in the rose-color in the entire fields of thousands and thousands of rugs and carpets over a period of 20 years. Today, Antique Sarouk rugs and carpets are among the most luxurious classically derived, room-sized Persian carpets.

 

Page 14: The Antique and Vintage Rug Book

Hamadan Persian Carpets Dating back to the Bronze Age (3500-2000 BC), rug making is the most ancient traditions of the Persian culture. Hamadan (also called Hamedan) is thought to be one of the oldest cities in Iran, and today is a major city west of Tehran. The finely crafted rugs from this region incorporate the culture of the 1,500 villages in the area. Two distinct designs have been produced from each village, giving about 3,000 different types of Hamadan rugs.The rugs are coarsely woven with high-quality wool. A distinctive feature is the single wefted edges -- a weft is a piece of yarn that is horizontally integrated over and under vertical “warp” yarns to create rows. A single weft utilizes one piece of yarn woven throughout the rug.Another feature of the Hamadan rug is that they all have a geometric medallion pattern, with the diamond and hexagon being the most common shapes. Common background colors are red, blue, dark brown and camel tan. For motifs and outlines, you will see a lot of black, green and gold colors.  

 

Page 15: The Antique and Vintage Rug Book

Kashan Persian Rug

The Antique Persian rugs called Kashan are from Kashan, an oasis town on the old north/south caravan route along the west edge of the Dasht-e Kavir desert. It is currently in the North of Esfahan Province Iran but at various times it has been the seat of its own province. The mountains to the west make life possible by the water they provide. The Dasht-e Kavir desert to the east limits areas open to human habitation.The early Kashan carpets were made with imported merino wool which was called Manchester wool in the trade. The wool is softer and finer than the native Iranian rug wool.

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Kashan dabir antique persian rugs From the mid-19th to the early 20th century the finest quality rugs from Kashan were called Dabir and said to be from the workshop of Dabir. Today it is generally assumed that Dabir is an indication of fine Kerman workshop production rather than a firm attribution. However with the existence of some signed Dabir rugs it is certain that the workshop existed. The early Kashan rugs were made with Manchester wool and are softer. The change occurred in the 1930s. Kashan is a city in North Central Iran. We know that there was production of Persian Carpet at Royal workshops in the 17th and early 18th century. Many authors attribute Persian Rugs and Carpet to Kashan in the 16th century particularly of the so-called small silk Kashan Persian Carpet group.

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Kashan mohtasham antique rugs At the end of the 19th century the local hand-weaving industry of textiles of Kashan has collapsed due to very cheap imports of textiles. The excessive imported Australian Merino wool has then been used for the first time for rug weaving. The results were stunning: velvet-like soft pile, a successful workmanship of finest and complex designs and new elegant color combinations. As a result of the great success of these rugs, new manufacturers have been built as e.g. Mohtashem. Mohtashem- and Dabir-Sanayeh-Kashans are particularly desired today and achieve collectors' prices if preserved in the right condition. Kashan rugs are almost entirely woven by women - in home as well as in studios. The Persian knot is used as opposed to the more common Turkish knot. Due to their unusually high quality, Kashan rugs are very durable and as a result there is a relatively high number of antique Kashan rugs in very good condition.

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Khorasan Antique Carpets

The Khorasan rugs are among the finest of the antiques, and reflect something of the Old Persian culture. They have a wonderful sheen, due to the fine wool of which they are made; and an unusual artistic effect is produced by the uneven trimming of the pile, which makes the figures of the design stand out from the background. They have the warmth and softness for which the ancient Iranian fabrics were famous. Designs on a background of rich blue or red, floral designs in elaborate patterns are worked out, some showy and others with small, intricate patterns. Often the medallion effect is made use of, with the field and corners well covered with flowers and traceries; or with a bold central figure on a rich, plain field.

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Kurd Antique Tribal Rugs

Kurdish tribes are scattered throughout Central Anatolia and used to wander freely over the borders between Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. The Yuruk are nomadic and semi-nomadic people who roam across the less-inhabited regions of Anatolia. Apart from the Yuncu Yuruk whose work is now being recognized, much of the Yuruk weaving comes from Eastern Anatolia, and can be identified mainly by the long shaggy pile, thick wefts and the excellent quality wool. Yuruk patterns contain many variations on the hexagonal, diamond, and hooked, stepped lozenge, as well as a zigzag pattern in both the border and in the field.

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Mallayer Persian Rug

Antique rugs from the Malayer region constitute an important and distinctive group of Persian weavings. Technically they stand between those made in nearby Senneh and Hamadan. They were produced in a range of medallion and allover designs which, although they come from classical Persian sources, tend to be somewhat abstract or geometric in their rendering. Sometimes Malayer carpet designs can utilize small-scale and fine forms like the Herati pattern, but they can also combine such features with larger compositional schemes and the use of open, empty space. Their coloration is generally soft but varied. Malayer rugs have a quiet formality and reserve that makes them excellent decorative pieces for elegant settings.

Page 21: The Antique and Vintage Rug Book

North West Persian Antique Rug

In its basic form Northwest Persia is Azarbayjan-e-Gharbi (West Azarbayjan) for that is geographically the most northwestern province of Iran. That is certainly not to say that all Northwest Persian rugs are from Azarbayjan-e-Gharbi but sorting out as much as we can about this province is a start.

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Ravar Kerman Antique Rugs

Ravar has long been the origin of some of the finest of Kerman products. The historical explanation appears to be that during the wars of the late 19th century much of Kerman was destroyed and a large part of the population, among them many carpet weavers, fled to Ravar. Although the weavings are characteristic of Kerman, the high quality rugs produced in Ravar soon gained recognition and the workshops founded their own tradition. Raver or Lavar as it is called in the West has had the reputation for the finest Kerman carpets. These so called Lavar Kerman may actually be made in a number of places in Kerman but the market calls them Lavar Kerman. Evidence shows that Laver Kerman rugs were also made in Rafsanjan and that the production of certain producers such as Atiyeh are sold as Lavar Kerman.

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Yazd

The Yazd rugs have asymmetrical ( Persian ) knots with three wefts. The number of knots in square inch is much lower than Isfahan rugs and Nain rugs, but the pile is softer and longer. The quality of the wool which is from the local is fine and the natural dye makes the rug look lustrous. In the desert surrounding the city of Yazd,madder is cultivated and its root is used for different shades of deep and light red.

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Sarab Antique Rug

Sarab is located in the province of Azerbaijan in northwestern Iran. Sarab is famous for good quality runners of 10 to 20 feet long and 3 feet wide and also doormat size rugs. Sarab weavers also weave small rugs of about zar-o-nim (3x5 ft) and do-zar (about 4.5x7 ft).

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Sarouk Antique Persian Rug

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. 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 center became very popular. Sometimes these rugs have an open field similar to modern Kermans. Saoruk weavers also weave beautiful prayer/vase combination rugs, which tend to be as curvilinear as the American Sarouks.The main colors used in the traditional designs consisted of red, blue, burnt orange, ocher and champagne. The main colors used in American Sarouks 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 Sarouks; this color is obtained by adding yogurt or curdled milk to the dye mixture. A mixture of yogurt and water is called Dugh in Persian. This color was one of the reasons American Saruoks became so popular in the United States . Today, American Sarouk designs are also copied in India , Romania and China.

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Seneh

Seneh rugs are made in Sanandaj, formerly known as Seneh, the capital city of the province of Kurdistan in northwest of Iran. Ironically, the asymmetrical knot also known as Persian or Seneh knot was named after this city even though the symmetrical (Turkish) knot is the type of knot frequently used in Seneh rugs. Seneh weavers tend to weave mostly smaller rugs as well as runners, high quality kilims, and saddlebags. It is unfortunate that only a limited number of these fine rugs are now made and reach the market. These rugs are made in villages as well as workshops. The foundation is almost always cotton and the pile wool, with the exception of some antique rugs which have silk foundations.

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Serapi Antique Rugs

The Serapi rug is manufactured in what was known as the Sarab region of Persia, now located in Azerbaijan and northern Iran. Original Serapi rugs were created in the villages of Serapi, Sarab, Ahar, Heriz and Gorevan. The Serapi rug can be traced back to the beginning of Persian handmade rug production in 5,500 B.C., but it was not until the mid-19th century that Persian rugs began to be exported around the world. Before these rugs became an export item, they were used only in the villages in which they were produced.The Serapi rug was known as a Sarab until export of the textile began. A number of reasons are given for the name change, including an incorrect translation by American merchants. Another reason commonly given is related to a visit by the Prince of Wales to India in 1876 on the ship the Serapis. Some believe the ship gave its name to both the rug and the region. Often carrying a central medallion motif, the Serapi rug is hand woven and knotted using symmetrical knots pulled right. The wool of the Sarab region, where the Serapi rug is produced, is claimed to be stronger than other wools because sheep in the region drink water containing traces of copper. The Serapi rug is known for its strength and durability.

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Bakhshaish Antique Rug

Bakshaish rugs adapt the style and sensibility of the most valued smaller tribal carpets from Northern Iran. Bakshaish rugs are considered among the finest examples of larger rugs from the region. Taking their inspiration from Persian classical carpets, the abstract patterns of Bakshaish rugs and carpets feature bold, geometric designs. Most popularly Bakshaish rugs utilize curvilinear medallion designs, transforming classical cartoons into more abstract and energetic drawings similar to Caucasian tribal rugs. In the late 19th century the designs produced in Bakshaish carpets were akin to those of the Arak weavers. Often, following form of village pieces, Bakshaish carpets apply scattered graphics filling the woven field. Alternatively they use empty space to allow graphics to stand out.

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Heriz Persian Rugs

Heriz carpets are notorious for their durability, heavier gauge knot count, geometric patterns and bold colors. Heriz rugs have a heavier handle, and are almost always wool pile on cotton foundation. Heriz carpets often have a large medallion placed on top of a rust or brick red field wrapped with a blue border. Corner spandrels are usually white, and common design elements include a samovars in the border. Heriz carpets are among the most recognizable rugs of Iran because of their distinctive monumental designs and the expressive power of their angular drawing. They tend to have strong medallion designs accented through the use of color, but allover Herizes are not uncommon. Herizes rely on floral patterns with strap-work vines and grand palmettes with zigzag contouring. Where other Persian carpets would utilize a curved form, Herizes will apply series of angular twists and turns, imparting an emphatic geometry to the design. Herizes have glorious color, with rich reds, blues, greens, and yellows resonating against ivory. Much of the formal vocabulary, drawing, and color sensibility of Herizes is traceable to the classical Caucasian carpets of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Since the Heriz region of northern Iran is not far from the Caucasus, it is not surprising that Heriz carpets have preserved so much of the Classical Caucasian tradition. Some Herizes, however, especially those produced in silk, display a different drawing and design vocabulary linked to other types of Persian carpet. They are identified as Heriz rugs primarily by their weave.

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Sultanabad Antique Rug

Sultanabad rugs were exclusively made for the European market from the mid 19th-century onward. They often favored the bold floral designs with spacious patterned Rugs. Dark red, blue, soft green, gold, and ivory are the typical colors. Besides using wide and bold borders, Sultanabad rugs had designs based on small repeating floral patterns as well as all-over large scale lattice vine patterns. Sultanabad rug designers simplified the designs by creating a special work of art with unique character. Foreign companies as well as local merchants adopted a similar system, causing Sultanabad carpets to become carpets of the highest decorative value, even today by both interior designers and the discriminating collector. Therefore, Sultanabads have great value in any condition.

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Mahal Antique Persian Rug

The town of Mahallat is located southwest of Arak. Mahallat is not only famous for its rugs and carpets, but also for its mineral springs. Every year, people from all around Iran visit these springs for their healthful qualities.Interestingly, Antique Mahal (Mahallat ) rugs and carpets are found with both tribal and curvilinear motifs. This attribute derives from the unique position of the city of Mahallat , which is between the cities of Arak and Delijan, on the path of the tribal people of southern Iran. Mahal (Mahallat ) rugs and carpets come in different sizes, but the majority of them are mid-size (4 x 6 to 8 x 10 feet). You can also find large rugs up to 10 x 18 feet.Dark red and khaki are the main colors and the majority of the borders are blue.

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Tabriz Perisan Antique Rug

Persian Traditional Tabriz Antique Rugs 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 the designs to create their own interpretations. The palette of Tabriz rugs is as diverse as the designs. Colors used can be very vivid or pastel depending on the market demand.

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Tabriz Haji Jalili

Persian Traditional Tabriz Haji Jalili Antique Rugs: The name Haji Jalili is occasionally heard in connection with some of the finest Tabriz carpets of the late 19th Century. Coming from the town of Marand, some 40 miles northwest of Tabriz, Haji Jalili owned workshops that produced small quantities of outstanding carpets. His carpets inspired other weavers at the beginning of the 20th Century, but most of these carpets were of a lesser quality.

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Esfahan Oriental Rugs

Esfahani rugs and carpets usually have ivory backgrounds with blue, rose, and indigo motifs. Esfahani rugs and carpets often have very symmetrical and balanced designs. They usually have a single medallion that is surrounded with vines and palmettos. These rugs and carpets usually have excellent quality.The city of E?fahan is now a world heritage site and produces what are arguably the most consistently fine wool pile rugs made anywhere in the world today.Early on the wefts in Esfahan rugs were hand spun from cotton.This fitted because hand spun cotton was a major industry during the garment period. The hand spun cotton wefts had slubs. A slub is an irregularity in the width where the thread is thicker in some spots and then thinner. However quite the opposite is the case the slight irregularity draws the eye through the piece and makes it more attractive rather than less. Silk was occasionally used in the best pieces but wool warps and wefts are unheard of.

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Ghom Persian Rugs

Ghom (also spelled Qum, Ghum, Qom, etc.) silk rugs, other than being silk on silk, are some of the most elusive rugs to pin to any specific type of design. Some of the most distinguishing elements to these rugs are their high investment value, very thin pile height, and high knot count which is often between 400-860 kpsi, sometimes exceeding the latter for some very exceptional qualities.

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Josheghan Oriental Carpets

The town of Josheghan is located a hundred and forty kilometers north of Esfahan. This small city is important in the history of carpet weaving in Iran and has gained fame for its old style weaving, for the interesting designs and the fast and limpid colors.A wide range of rugs in geometrical designs is made in Josheghan. The size vary from Sajjfideh to larger pieces.

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Nain Persian Carpets

Nain is a small town about 150 km east of Isfahan, in the great desert in central Iran. Carpet production is new in Nain in comparison with cities such as Yazd, Isfahan, Kashan and Shiraz. Nain was a center of fine textiles before WWII, but shifted to manufacturing carpets and rugs after the war. Nain rugs and carpets have curvilinear patterns. They are among the best in the world. The unique characteristic of Nain rugs and carpets is their single medallion set in a blue or ivory background.

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Persian Tribal Rugs

Afshar Persian Rugs

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 feet, and occasionally larger sizes. Afshar rugs are similar to Caucasian rugs in style and color. 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. Another common design is a floral medallion and corner and a vase at each end of the rug. The common colors include dark red, reddish brown, brown, dark reddish-blue, dark blue, burnt orange, ocher, 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.

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Balouch Rugs

Balouch rugs are woven near the South-Eastern border of Iran and in Western regions of Afghanistan. Being of tribal and often nomadic origin the Balouch rugs are generally small in size, typically limited to a length of 8ftOften using wool pile and foundation the rugs are resilient, however due to the materials used and the circumstances of the weavers the knot count is generally low with a knots per square inch (KPSI) in the region of 60-180.The people of Baluchistan are descendants of Turkamen weavers and they are amongst the poorest in the in Iran. Low wages and tribal lifestyles mean that Balouch rugs are some of the best value for money carpets from Iran (and Afghanistan).Each piece utilizes the design skills and showcases the individuality of each weaver. Each rug is hand-woven using beautiful vegetable dyed Baluchi wools. Because of the small size of these pieces different weaving techniques and design elements are used which are rarely found in the larger rugs of this region. These pieces were woven with utility in mind. We see saddlebags, animal trappings, tent trappings, grain bags and small rugs, all woven to be used and embellish the daily lives of these nomads. In our homes of today these small pieces also have many uses. They make beautiful floor or bench pillows, sofa pillows, wall hangings and table runners.

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Ferdous Antique Rugs Ferdous rug is an Antique Persian rug from the Ferdous region of Iran. It is known internationally as the "Mood Carpet". Mood is the name of a region in Birjand and the carpet weaving style is unique in that region, the style is also practiced in other cities such as Nehbandan, Ghaen and part of Ferdous. In addition, most of the rugs, in the region, are woven in the villages around Birejand.Based on some studies that were performed regarding the early days of the rug production in the area, one can assume that the history of carpet weaving goes back to at least to 200 years ago, and according to the same study in some villages around Birjand, the existence of carpet even goes further back. The two most prominent villages "Mood" and "Derakhsh" are very famous villages, in terms of quality carpet productions near Birjand city, which is situated in Eastern part of Iran and in Southern part of Khorasan Province the largest Province in country. Between the years 1931 to 1941 the carpet industry in Birjand really picked up its fame and in spite of their monotonous design they possessed good quality and were the preferred choice over other carpets woven in Khorasan Province.Birjand has always played an important rule in hand loomed rug industry in Iran and because of that almost all the carpet historians and researchers' referred to carpet weaving in Birjand in one way or another in the past time and among them Cecil Edwards in his book "Iran's Carpet" has written extensively about it.

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Ghashgai Oriental Rugs

Ghashghai or Qashqa'i are mainly a Turkic people. As nomadic sheperds and weavers, Ghashghai tribes have lived for centuries in southwest Iran. This region, north and south of Shiraz, was once the center of the Persian Empire.Ghashghai rugs are woven by many sub-tribes living in the region. Each sub-tribe has its own distinctive designs. Their reputation as weavers is among the finest. Distinguishing features include an asymmetric knot with deeply depressed alternating ivory warps, dark or red dyed wefts and a fine weave. Ghashghai rugs are woven on horizontal looms with wool from local sheep and goats. The patterns often consist of medallions, birds, humans, four legged animals, flowers, and trees placed in the center and in the corners. The rugs have a typical red-brown ground color. Ghashghai rugs are very durable, making them great rugs to place in high-traffic areas, such as corridors, foyers, and kitchens.

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Shiraz

Shiraz is the capital city of the Fars province in southwestern Iran. Few rugs are woven in this city; however, Shiraz is a major trading center for rugs of the nearby towns and villages as well as the rugs woven by nomadic tribes of the province such as the Qashghais. Since these rugs are traded in Shiraz, sometimes they are labeled and sold as Shiraz rugs.

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Ghorachan Ghorachan rugs can look very much like Caucasian Rugs and others can be mistaken for Baluch Rugs. Ghorachan or Quchan is an important collection point for Kurdish and Afshar tribal and village rugs. The rugs share designs with Northwest and Caucasian Kurdish Rugs and Afshar. Ghoochan is a small town in north-west Iran's vast province of Khorassan. The town itself is located just south-west of Mashad. The main colors in most Goochans include a rich burgundy and a deep indigo, with accents of beige, taupe, olive green, and occasionally turquoise or baby blue. Patterns are mostly geometric.The province of Khorassan is the biggest in Iran, stretching across the north-east of the country. The capital city is Mashad, where most rugs of the area come to market. Some other rug-producing centers in this region are Kashmar (Turshis), Moud, Sabzevar, Ghain, and Birjand, most of which are situated very close to Mashad. The king, Shah Abbas, would regularly seize and destroy badly woven carpets, and those with inferior coloring techniques, to guarantee the highest standards of this ancient art. In 1722 there was an Afghani invasion into Iran which left the country in a state of political confusion, and the rug industry in a state of disrepair, especially in well-established areas such as Mashad. Fortunately Khorassan was able to restart the rug industry, as the Royal court of Iran did much to help. Many Baluch-style rugs are also woven by Baluchi nomads who inhabit areas in the south. There are many grades of hand-made rugs produced in this vast province, but those woven inside the cities are usually of a finer quality than those woven by nomads. Although the nomads were the first to weave rugs for their own use, cities adopted and refined their talents. Almost every color can be seen, and all have a pile of wool on a foundation of cotton. In extremely rare, older cases, silk may be seen. The wool however is unusually lustrous and soft, and patterns include the historic pictorials (Persepolis, etc.) unique to Khorassan.

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Kalat

Turkoman rugs are produced by nomadic weavers of Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Kalat, and the province of Khorassan in northeast Iran. Turkoman rugs are easily distinguished by their three characteristics of a dominant red to red-brown background color, geometric pattern, and a unique octagonal motif known as gul, which has several versions. The layout is generally all-over and guls are repeated in rows with usually smaller guls of similar, but not exact, geometric design (minor guls) in between the rows of major guls. White, beige, black and blue are used to create color contrast in the motifs and the border of the rug.

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Louri Nomadic Rugs

Carpets made in Louri have nomadic and geometric patterns. They are very durable and long-lasting carpets of excellent quality.Dark red, blue and orange are the major colors of Louri rugs and carpets.

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Afghan rugs

Afghan rugs are genuine and often extremely charming. One of the most exotic and distinctive of all oriental rugs is the Shindand or Adraskan (named after local Afghan villages), woven in the Herat area, in western Afghanistan. Strangely elongated human and animal figures are their signature look.Another staple of Afghanistan is Baluchi rugs, most notably Baluchi prayer rugs. They are made by Afghanistan's Baloch people, also in the western part of the country. Most of the weavers in Afghanistan are the Ersari Turkmen, but other smaller groups such as Chub Bash and Kizil Ayaks are also in the line of weaving rugs. In addition, Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, and Arabs label their rugs according to their ethnic group.Various vegetable and other natural dyes are used to produce the rich colors. The rugs are mostly of medium sizes. Many patterns and colors are used, but the traditional and most typical is that of the octagonal elephant's foot (Bukhara) print, often with a red background. The weavers also produce other trappings of the nomadic lifestyle, including tent bags and ceremonial pieces.Tribal carpets are almost always done on the horizontal or ground loom. This is due to the fact that the nomads rarely remain in one location for more than two months. The horizontal loom can be easily dismantled and packed on an animal to the new location and then staked out on the ground again. A Turkoman woman will usually take at least six months to finish a carpet 6ft.6in. by 4ft. The loom therefore can be set up and taken down four to six times before a carpet or Kelim is finished. This often results in different tensions in the warp threads and is the reason why tribal rugs often have an irregular shape.

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Esari antique rugs and carpets

"Esari' is a name given to a recent revival of rugs from Afghanistan using the traditional Fil-Pai or elephant's foot design in a fine wool using natural dyes. The style has a characteristic vibrancy missing from much modern Afghan production.Esari Rugs have a different aesthetics than their Turkamen neighbors who remained to the west in Khiva's sphere of influence. With the breakup of the Salor Confederation the Esari fled to the east.

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American indian rugs

Native American Rugs and Weavings have made the transition from utility to art form. Traditionally, Native Americans seem to have the innate ability of bringing order to extremely complex geometric designs, all of which are miraculously held in their heads and executed as they weave. Some represent classic designs, some represent avant-garde approaches. All can be appreciated.he best-known native textile art in North America is the weaving of Navajo Indian blankets and rugs. These impressive (and expensive) rugs are still made in a style that was traditional in Mexico and the southwest United States long before the arrival of Europeans: kneeling before a vertical wooden-frame loom and using a shuttle to weave colored threads together into large-scale geometric designs. Originally Navajo and other Southwest Indian blankets were made of hand-spun cotton thread, but after the Spanish brought domestic sheep to the region the people primarily switched to wool. Though Navajo rugs are the most famous weavings in North America, they are certainly not the only one. Finger-weaving has been important throughout the continent since ancient times, and finger-woven blankets, tapestries, and clothing are still made in many tribes. The chilkat blankets of Tlingit people are one of the finest examples of finger-woven Indian blankets. Seminole sashes and patchwork are another important Indian textile art. A more recent tradition is star quilts or blankets, which originated among the Sioux tribes (Lakota, Dakota, and Nakoda/Assiniboine) and spread throughout the Great Plains. Quilting was one of many crafting techniques that Native Americans borrowed from European traditions and adapted into something unique to their culture. Star quilts are made by piecing a mosaic of cloth diamonds into the shape of the traditional eight-pointed morning star design of the Sioux. Before the evolution of star quilts, traditional Plains Indian blankets were made from painted, quilled and beaded buffalo hide. When the buffalo herds were exterminated this craft largely died out, but some Plains tribe artists still make buffalo robes and blankets today from the hides of animals raised in captivity.

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Ouzbeck

In the literature, rugs of the Uzbek are among the least known. In Uzbekistan, rugs were woven mainly for home use by non-settled, semi-nomadic tribal people. Uzbekistan is best known for their Suzani rugs. Suzanis have large silk embroidered panels featuring geometric and floral motifs. Typically they were made for a bride’s dowry; they closely resemble American patchwork quilts because of their simplified, abstract shapes. Uzbekistan rugs are woven as either pile of flat weaves.

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Antique Khotan Rugs

Rugs produced in Kashgar, Yarkand and Khotan in the Chinese occupiedAutonomous Region of Sikiang are collectively known as Samarkands.Typically, these are long and narrow with simple spacious designs wovenin a glossy wool. Samarkand rugs frequently use lacquer reds, Chineseyellows. They are heavily influenced by the neighboring countries ofChina and Turkey and have been produced in this region since at leastthe seventeenth century.

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Antique Indian Rugs

India has been making rugs since the Mughal Dynasty. While the antique rugs that were made during the late 19th century recall past Mughal designs, for the most part, they reflect classical Indian and Persian designs. Agra and Amritsar are the two main centers of 19th century Indian rug making. While Amritsa rugs often display informal motifs in soft, earthy tones, Agra rugs display deeper colors, decorative floral displays and fine knotting. Antique Agra rugs use an intense pallet of red, yellow, pink, light blue, ivory and green. The designs are distinguished by their asymmetry and strong sense of design. The decoration shows a preference for naturalistic floral motifs and scenes often arranged in full fields, using rows or lattices. The general character that informs these rugs is thus very rich, aristocratic, and refined.

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Amritsa Antique Indian Rug

W. S. Caine, in his book on "Picturesque India", says: "Some of the finest rugs in India are woven at Amritsar." Reference has already been made to the natural qualification which tends to make Amritsar a home of rug weaving. Most of its water is of good quality, and it is near to the course of wool-supply. In addition it has within easy reach the Kashmir district, where skillful dyers and weavers were plentiful.

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Larestan Antique Indian Rug

India has been a large producer of hand-knotted oriental area rugs. Similar to the Persian rug design, although with coloration generally more oriented to the Western taste with pastel's predominant. Antique area rugs from India include Agra, Amritsar and Larestan.

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Dhurrie Flatweave Kilims A dhurrie (also durrie or durry) is a flat-woven rug or carpet used traditionally in India as floor-coverings. They can be made of wool, cotton, jute or silk.Dhurries are made manually by skilled artisans on a traditional horizontal loom or vertical loom. They have a variety of uses depending on size, pattern and material. They are made in sizes that are ideal for doing meditation 24” by 24”, known as an Aasan.Dhurries used in large political or social gatherings may be as large as 20 feet by 20 feet. Dhurries are easily portable being light weight and foldable. They come in variety of color combinations and patterns catering to the needs of any taste or occasion.Dhurries have a low maintenance cost as they do not get infected by Silverfish or other insects responsible for destroying carpets.Dhurries can be used year 'round. The cotton dhurrie is warm in winters and cool in summers.

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Antique Chinese Rugs

Decorative rugs have been a significant art form in the Chinese culture for many centuries. Chinese Oriental Rugs employ a palette of blue, beige, apricot and yellow as their main colors. They display motifs that include the classical Buddhist or Taoist symbols of longevity, elaborate lotus blossoms, chrysanthemums, cloud band motifs, dogs and birds. They are usually framed with a simple, wide border. In contrast to these earlier Chinese antique rugs, twentieth century Chinese Art Deco rugs can be in spare in design and quite radical in color.

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Chinese Peking Rug

Traditional Chinese rugs and carpets are immediately recognizable by their simple, classic motifs and unusual colors. These rugs often feature a center, circular medallion; familiar objects seen in nature such as animals, flowers, and clouds; stylized Chinese ideographs; and even entire scenes. They're usually framed with a simple, wide border. Chinese rugs are woven with a 5-ply yarn, in contrast with the 2-ply yarns used in Persian rugs and carpets. Many Chinese rugs and carpets are sculpted where contrasting colors meet to provide interest and texture to the simple patterns. These rugs are usually of high quality and extremely durable.

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Antique Russian and Caucasian

As Russia expanded in the Eighteenth century, it incorporated carpet producing regions of Central Asia and the Caucasus Mountains. The Caucasus is bounded by the Black and Caspian Seas to the east and west, Russia to the north, and Turkey and Iran to the south. It has produced very distinctive rug types since at least the end of the 18th century. These antique rugs use bold geometrical patterns often in the shape of diamonds, hexagons, small crosses and hooks. The rugs often depict folk motifs that include curvilinear animal and pattern figures in clear, strong primary colors made from natural materials that are found in the respective tribal regions. Throughout the Caucasus the Turkish Knot is used.

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Bessarabian Rugs

Bessarabian rugs are from the region of Bessarabia on the Western shore of the Black Sea that has been a part of both Romania and the Ukraine-depending on the political situation. The designs are often floral with elegantly drawn motifs and colors in earth tones. The style shows both French and Oriental influences. Bessarabian rugs rugs are almost always flat woven; the rare Bessarabian rug with pile is very valuable. Bessarabian rugs are not as formal as, for example, Savonnerie or Aubusson rugs. Antique Bessarabian rugs in pile and tapestry technique occupy a unique place among European carpets. Produced during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries under late Ottoman Turkish rule in an area corresponding to modern Bulgaria and Romania, they stand right on the cusp of European and Oriental carpet weaving. Many of the designs are floral patterns made in a naturalistic western style utilizing brown or black ground, not unlike certain Karabaghs from the Caucasus. But others, particularly flatweaves, reflect the tradition of Turkish kilims from nearby Anatolia, although in a distinctive Bessarabian palette. In either case they are supremely decorative pieces.

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Caucasian Antique Rugs

The Caucasus region is located between the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea and lakes Van and Urmia. The northern tier of this mountainous place is Russia; the southwest is Turkey and Iran to the southeast. The inhabitants have produced rugs for centuries during a period of constant ebb and flow of invaders and combatants. The Armenians are the best-known inhabitants but the Georgians also live here, Christian, Muslim, and heathen are all of the area. There are the remnants of over a hundred tribes and three hundred recorded dialects. Perhaps the one great attraction of the Caucasian rug is color. Design can always be duplicated but color is the soul of the rug. All of the products of manufacture are local, rugged, angular, vivid, yet charming.These rugs are even more bold in design and color than the Turkish; possibly the mountain forms and the strong contrasts of snow and earth are reflected in them. Native designs have persisted unaffected by foreign influences.Practically all the patterns are geometric, with the latch hook appearing in nearly all rugs. The Ghiordes knot, wool warp and weft, and the prayer-rug size are characteristics of these rugs.There is almost no variation in the six colors that are used, but fortunately for the achievement of harmony, some one color always predominates in these rug and carpets.

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Gharabah Antique Carpets

Carpet-weaving was historically a major traditional profession for the majority of the feminine population of Gharabah, including many Armenian families. Prominent Gharabah carpet weavers there were men too. The oldest extant Armenian carpet from the region, referred to as Artsakh during the medieval era, is from the village of Banants (near Gandzak) and dates to the early 13th century.

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Kazak Tribal Rugs

The largest group of the Antique Caucasian rugs are Kazaks of various types. These are rugs made in south central Caucasus, stretching from Erivan in Armenia to Tiflis in Georgia. Kazaks were produced both as high-piled rugs from mountain areas and as low-piled rugs from the valleys, villages and settlements, many of which have their own easily recognizable characteristics and elements.Known for their bold designs and bright harmonious colors and good quality dyes, some of the most spectacular geometrically designed rugs found anywhere in the east originated here.

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Shirvan

Shirvan is a former Khanate in the Caucasus. It is populated by primarily Azeri Turks. But there was a significant population of Armenians in the area west of Shemakha. Shirvan along with Kuba and Derbent are the primary Azeri weaving area. Generally Shirvans are short pile rugs with a flat or near flat back.Shirvan rugs are often the most sought after antique weavings from the Caucasus. Shirvans were made not far from those of Kuba, which are closely related in terms of design and coloration. But Shirvans tend to be distinguished by a larger, more supple weave. They also leaned more to medallion designs, while Kubas relied more on allover patterns. Still, Shirvans and Kubas constitute something of a contrast to the bolder more graphic quality of South Caucasian rugs like Kazaks and Karabaghs. Instead they are more finely detailed, relying on precise articulations of form as well as the effects of rich color.  

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Antique European Rugs and Tapestries

Rug making was introduced to Europe by the Moors of Spain between the eighteenth and thirteenth centuries. Initially, Oriental rugs exerted a strong influence on European rug designers. However, these rug makes developed their own unique styles and techniques with time. By the early seventeenth century, Savonnerie was producing rugs for French palaces, state gifts and important commissions. Savonnerie became the royal manufacturer for Louis XIV to Louis XVI. Their designs included floral arrangements, military and heraldic references and architectural motifs. However, only the king was able to own or sell a Savonnerie carpet. This led to rug production by Aubusson. These rugs emulated the designs of the Savonnerie carpets. Aubusson and Savonnerie have since produced some of the most exceptional rugs of the last few centuries. High quality rug production in England in the late eighteenth century led to the Arts & Crafts rugs of the late nineteenth century.

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Donegal Antique Carpets

Pile rugs have been made in Donegal, Ireland since 1858. The contemporary designs of these famous Donegal rugs are either neoclassical or reflect 20th-century abstract art. These rugs are generally custom-made and the colors are commonly chosen according to the taste of the client, although pastel colors are frequently used.The influence of William Morris, Art Nouveau, and Art deco can also be seen in English rugs of these periods, and Donegal designs of Ireland echo geometric designs of the 20th-century abstract art. Some of the significant rug weaving centers of Europe have been Spain, France, England, and Ireland. It all began in 1898, when Alexander Morton & Company of London began producing hand-woven carpets in Donegal, Ireland. Gustav Stickley owned several Donegal carpets, and in the December 1906 issue of "The Craftsman", Stickley states: "For those wanting the very best in rugs and carpets, there is an end to the quest in the rich, artistic and everlasting Donegal Rugs...in depth and closeness of pile, richness of coloring, and grace of design, nothing can excel these Donegal products." Originally displayed at Grafton Gallery in London during a Liberty's exhibition in 1903, this carpet design artfully depicts the boughs of a giant hemlock. Woven by Tibetan weavers using hand spun wool from the Tibetan highland sheep, this carpet will last many lifetimes; to be enjoyed by generations to come.Donegal carpets, produced during the later nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries, represent the Irish contribution to the Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau Movements. Richly colored and beautifully drawn, they may have a contemporary Art Nouveau emphasis, or, alternatively they may look back to the great past of early medieval Irish art like the Book of Kells or the Tara Brooch. At times they combined both these sensibilities to produce one of the more distinctive European decorative idioms of this period.

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European Rugs

Unlike most oriental rugs that are woven for everyday use by the weavers themselves or for sale in local or foreign markets, European rugs have been mainly custom-made and designed by famous designers of the time. European rug styles are unique in that they have mirrored the arts of different European periods such as paintings and architecture. For example, French Aubusson and Savonnerie rugs of the 17th and 18th centuries copied the elegant floral designs and vivid colors of the Baroque and Rococo styles of that period. Many 18th-century European rugs even copied the ceiling designs of the rooms for which they were commissioned.

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European Tapestry

Antique Tapestry wall hangings depict history in the form of fine art. Tapestries have been dated back to the ancient Egyptians. For the ancient Greeks, tapestries were central in decorating important buildings and affluent homes. French tapestry weaving had its origins in the 11th century with Paris being the world's center for the production of fine tapestry wall hangings. The Hundred Years War (1337-1453) and the resulting pillaging and unrest pushed weavers to today's Holland and Belgium. In the early 1500's, the aristocracy had an affinity for hunting scenes, leading to the verdure tapestries with their lush landscapes. During the sixteenth century, wars between France and Spain pressured the Flemish Tapestry weavers to emigrate to Britain, France and Italy. Most tapestries started as woven copies of paintings by renowned artists of the time. Tapestries evolved into sophisticated works of art with intricate detail and tonal effects, rivaling paintings of the time. Antique Tapestries that survived are mostly from the 16th to the 19th century.

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Savonnerie

Unlike most oriental rugs that are woven for everyday use by the weavers themselves or for sale in local or foreign markets, European rugs have been mainly custom-made and designed by famous designers of the time. European styles are unique in that they have mirrored the arts of different European periods such as paintings and architecture. 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.