Author: CC

It is simple, surely. All you have to do is add a few soft furnishings to a room and voilà – it is beautiful!

Furnishing a room has often been compared to painting on a blank canvas, and for good reason. An empty room, with its four walls, ceiling and floor, offers as much potential as a blank canvas does to an artist. Some of the more intuitive interior designers go even further, collaborating with architects from the very beginning, when floor plans and elevations are first being drawn. The placement of windows, fireplaces, ceiling heights and decorative coving can elevate a room to an extraordinary level long before a single piece of furniture enters the space.

But what about soft furnishings, you might ask? How difficult can they be?

Soft furnishings and textiles are among the most complex elements of interior design because they require careful consideration of multiple factors and, more importantly, the harmony between them. Colour is perhaps the most obvious consideration, followed closely by texture, pattern and form.

Since Covid, we have largely bid farewell to the grey minimalist era. In its place, we are witnessing a resurgence of colour, character and abundance. It is a celebration of colour in much the same way that we celebrate life’s many joys. Life is too short to confine ourselves to neat little boxes of perfectly coordinated yet uninspiring greys. Instead, we have rediscovered our deep-rooted appreciation for colour, craftsmanship and the textiles that have been woven into our cultures for thousands of years.

This renewed appreciation has led many to recognise the enduring beauty of handmade rugs. Their colour combinations have stood the test of time. We often find ourselves drawn to arrangements that initially seem unusual or unexpected, only to realise that there is a deeper beauty and wisdom within them, waiting to be discovered.

The marketing power behind mass-produced soft furnishings such as sofas, curtains and machine-made rugs is perhaps a hundred times greater than that of handmade rugs. This is understandable. A machine-made rug can be woven in minutes and replicated endlessly. The photography, marketing campaign and product development need only be completed once before the same design can be sold thousands, if not millions, of times.

Handmade rugs operate in a quieter world. Each rug is unique. Each requires its own story, its own photography and its own appreciation. There is no other rug quite like it anywhere in the world. By their very nature, handmade rugs are individual, eccentric and deeply rewarding to live with. They invite us to slow down, to observe, and to find beauty in the subtle imperfections that make them truly one of a kind.

When designing a room, it is easy to be seduced by the highly polished marketing power of machine-made sofas and curtains. We are often captivated by the lifestyle they promise and make the purchase, only to discover that the room feels somewhat disconnected and cold. The rug then becomes an afterthought, an accessory chosen merely to complement the newly acquired sofa or curtains.

Naturally, we visit a rug shop armed with colour swatches, hoping to find the perfect match. Needless to say, colour-matching a natural, handmade product to a machine-made one is often challenging. There are only so many colours that a master dyer can achieve using traditional methods, whereas modern colour technology can produce virtually any shade imaginable.

The solution, however, has been staring us in the face all along: start from the ground up.

A rug can offer countless artistic directions for a room. One might begin with its design. Is it a diva that boldly declares, “All eyes on me,” or is it a quiet traditionalist, content to anchor the room with understated confidence? Does it evoke a bohemian spirit that invites curiosity and conversation, or does it possess a gentle innocence that brings a smile to your face each time you enter the room?

Colour offers another path. Select a supporting character from within the rug—a soft light blue, olive green, daisy yellow or creamy custard tone—and amplify it elsewhere in the room. I particularly enjoy painting rooms in varying shades of blue and pairing them with a dramatic rug that contains just a whisper of the same pale blue accent. Something magical happens when two seemingly contrasting elements discover an unexpected harmony.

I reserve greater calm and predictability for bedrooms, where colours tend to be more restrained. I often repeat a soft pink found within a rug and then colour-drench the entire room in a muted shade such as Setting Plaster. Bedrooms should be quiet sanctuaries, spaces that shut out the noise of the outside world and invite rest, reflection and comfort.

Persian rugs, in my view, ought to form the foundation of a room’s personality. A house filled with personality is infinitely more enjoyable, more lived-in and more loved than the calculated repetition found in many chain hotels. To me, that repetition has far more to do with efficiency and budgeting than with art.

A home should tell a story—a story about you, your family, the journeys you have undertaken and the experiences that have shaped you. Persian rugs, carrying thousands of years of history within their fibres, can become the storytellers of that home. Proudly positioned at the centre of the stage, they are supported by a cast of modern objects, treasured antiques and well-loved books. Thoughtful lighting then illuminates the protagonists of your story, revealing the sides of yourself that deserve to be known and remembered.

I’ve heard this statement too many times “This rug has too many colours and patterns for me” or “This rug is too busy for me. I don’t know what to do with it.” In the past decade or so, most of us have strived for a clinical look with blocks of colours in uniformity. So much so we had forgotten how to work with complex patterns and colours to achieve a sense of wondrous cohesion that cannot be replicated using blocks of the same colours.

We had the pleasure to deliver several rugs to a client’s house to try out. Textiles are best seen in situ because studio and warehouse lighting are intrinsically different from the lighting at home, which may obscure the colour somewhat. Like colourful farrow and ball paint, the colours of the rugs evolve throughout the day from the crisp morning light to the glorious evening sunset. It is always recommended to try out a few contestants at home before deciding which rug is the winner.

This was a beautiful house, most sympathetically restored with Victorian architecture, colour scheme and furniture. This was the perfect opportunity for a “busy” rug to rise up and pull in all the elements together. Like the final stroke in the painting, the rug managed to take all our breaths away.

This beautifully decorated room with the most fantastic collection of furniture, artwork and soft furnishings had been truly elevated into something spectacular through the clever use of a “busy” rug. All the colours are subtly echoed by the rug in the softest whispers. The rug sinks into the room like it had always been there and turns into a super communicator and gets all the element to talk and connect to each other. The eye can now easily glide from one element to the next without having to stumble through the separate spaces.

A well placed rug is the lubricator, the connector, the conductor of the orchestra. No rug is too busy or too colourful. The expertly weaved colours and patterns have been cherished for thousands of years for good reason!

One of the most frequent question we come across is how to remedial accidental red wine spills. Speed is of essence when it comes to accidental spills. One must react fast before the colour sets and stains the rug permanently.

It should be done by carefully dabbing or spongeing with a wool or silk compatible cleaning solution for removing each specific substance (wine, grease, coffee, etc.) until as much as possible of the discolouring substance has been removed. The area should then be carefully dried. If the stain proves difficult to remove, consult our specialist cleaner here at Oriental Rug Gallery Nottingham. Never under any circumstances scrub or violently sponge the rug, as this may damage the pile and cause the colours to run.

Persian rugs are known to be extremely durable, but they are not indestructible. Proper care and maintenance will greatly enhance the beauty and life of your rug. In additional to normal wear and tear, other elements such as central heating, air conditioning and household chemical can have detrimental effect on the fabric of a rug. Still, wool is a marvellous rug-making material, provided simple precautions are taken, your Persian rug will last for many years.

Correct underlay

Having an underlay is extremely important. Never place an oriental rug, particularly an expensive one, directly on an uncarpeted floor. The purpose of an underlay is to protect the rug from being squeezed between two hard surfaces, as well as provide anti-slipping qualities. Oriental rugs without underlay would suffer greater damage due to pressure on the fibres.

There are numerous types o underlays on the market, but the two best general types are made from solid sponge rubber, which should not be confused with foam rubber or ripple rubber as neither of which is suitable, and those made from a combination of animal hair and jute with a coating of rubber on both sides. We prefer the bio-degradable sponge rubber underlay here at Oriental Rug Gallery in Nottingham, as it is most environmentally friendly and highly durable. It will be the best companion for your oriental rug for years to come.

Cleaning

Cleaning should be undertaken regularly and slowly. Unless your rug is very old or in a poor state of repair, in which case you ought to consult a specialist cleaner or book a cleaning appointment with us, the best way to remove grit and dirt is to use a carpet sweeper or vacuum cleaner with beater bars. First vacuum the back of the rug. The beaters will dislodge the grit to fall out of the pile, then turn it over and going lightly across the face. Vacuum cleaners with extremely violent beaters should be avoided because they may damage the foundation. If in any doubt, it is safer to use a carpet sweeper or a brush.

Shampooing

Shampooing is extremely important part of routine maintenance of oriental rugs. Not only will this remove more entrenched areas of dirt and grit, but it will also put a degree of essential moisture back into the fabric. If the rug becomes too dry and brittle, which can happen in centrally heated or air conditioned rooms, the fibres of the pile material becomes brittle and consequently more prone to damage and wear. On the opposite extreme, if the rug is allowed to remain damp over a protracted period, the colours may run and, more seriously still, mildew may form and cause permanent damage to the foundation of the pile.

Shampooing oriental rugs in the UK should be undertaken by specialists, which is a service we offer, but avoid more general carpet cleaning companies, as the techniques and chemicals used in synthetic wall-to-wall fitted carpets are most definitely not suitable. Shampooing at home is technically possible with a good quality wool detergent that is applied gently with a sponge or cloth. The rug should then be carefully and systematically fired in its entirety, making sure that there are no pockets of dampness in either the foundation or pile. However in the UK we rarely have sufficiently hot and consistent sunny days to dry the rugs out. Going back and forth with a hand held hair dyer is arduous and ineffective and not recommended.

Speaking of mildew, one of the main causes of mildew, which is a fungus that thrives on cotton, is the dampness caused by ordinary household plants placed directly on the floor adjacent to the rugs.

The Oriental rug is made to last. A good rug could be used for several generations, depending on the use and maintenance: if the rug covers the floor of a drawing-room, it will naturally stand up against the years better than if it is laid in an entrance hall. With regard to rugs hung on walls, these can last for centuries, as is borne out by the wonderful examples in museums of Florence, Milan, London, Berlin, Vienna, Paris and those in American museums and in private collections throughout the world. Some of these, almost in perfect condition, date from the end of the fifteenth century and the beginning of the sixteenth century. Consequently, it is traditional to remove shoes before treading on a rug to prevent unnecessary wear and damage, especially Persia.

The correct conservation of a rug poses hardly any special problem. It is sufficient to take some very simple precautions against dust and moths, the most insidious enemies. A carpet should be beaten only very rarely. Vacuum cleaners ensure sufficient cleaning and dispense with this laborious and often inadvisable task of beating a rug. In fact, the warp and weft threads suffer from beating a carpet that has been slung over a rail. Simply vacuum the front and back of the rug regularly is sufficient maintenance. Take care to always hoover parts of the rug hidden underneath furniture or armchairs to prevent moths accumulation and damage. 

It is inadvisable to wash handmade rugs the same as a machine made rug. Temperature control, moisture control, colour conservation are a few of the issues one encounters when washing a handmade rug. Oriental Rug Gallery, Nottingham offers professional handmade rug wash service.

Antique rugs and silk rugs require special consideration. They must never be beaten but simply run over lightly with a vacuum cleaner. During the summer months, if a person leaves his home for any length of time, he runs the risk of having his rugs attacked by moths. To prevent this, commercial insecticide should be used. As soon as the carpet shows the slightest tear, or when the pile has been eaten and the warp and weft become uncovered, one must call in the services of a specialist restorer who will fill the empty spaces by remaking the missing knots. 

Frequently, particularly with carpets of recent mass production by rug centres, some of the weft threads adjacent to the fringe become loose, so that they leave the row of knots unbound; these latter gradually become undone and risk destroying the carpet little by little. When this happens it should be seen by a specialist promptly. 

Here at Oriental Rug Gallery, Nottingham, NG1 3FN we are fortunate to have one of the handful of oriental rug specialists in the UK, he has more than 30 years experience in weaving and mending handmade oriental rugs. Please email us (majid@ruguk.net) or ring us at 07768616666 for a free quotation on mending your handmade oriental rug. 

Please note, some machine made rugs are made with wool and cotton and may appear similar to a handmade rug to a lay person. In some instances these high-end machine rugs weaved in minutes, if purchased from prestigious venues, cost even more than authentic handmade rugs that has taken years to produce. We can mend these machine made rugs at Oriental Rug Gallery in theory, however, as machine made rug does not carry any financial value, it is inadvisable to mend these rugs unless it carries significant emotional value. 

In the last decade or so, the rise and prevalence of online rug shops have streamlined the rug buying process. Many tremendous looking rugs are simply one click away. On the flip side of the coin, customers sometimes pay more than the true value of the rug, or become disappointed with the quality and colour once the rugs arrive in the post. It is indeed tricky to identify the true quality of the rugs only through marketing photos even for specialists like us. Photographs can be misleading at best and deceiving at worst. To avoid disappointment, we recommend all our customers to see the rugs in person, especially for high value rugs. We also offer try at home service, where we deliver several rugs to your house in person. Our specialist will help you to choose the best rug for you. In our experience this is the best method that guarantees absolute satisfaction. Ring us on 07768616666 for further details.

The principal production centres of oriental rugs are mainly situated in Middle East, India and China. The carpet trade centre, where international traders meet, are in Tehran, Istanbul, London, Leningrad, Hamburg and Zürich. 

In recent years, the production of Oriental carpets and rugs have been systematically industrialised. In some regions of Iran, the production is under the control of the Iranian Carpet Company, whose headquarters are in Tehran. In these workshops, the ancient methods of dyeing with a base of natural colours of vegetable die have bene resumed. There are also large private factories in Kirman, Nain, Isfahan and Tabriz, smaller ones are found in Arak. However, the majority of the output still comes from families who work from home following traditional methods. 

Since the 1970s, Greece, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania and Albania have produced rugs with fine and glossy wool, with fairly deep pile (height of rug) generally known under the name of ‘Spartan’ or ‘Macedonian’. Iranina and Turkish weavers supervised the installation of the looms. 

At Hereke, in Asia Minor, there exists an old industry created in 1845 by Sultan Abdul Mecid, who wished to emulate the early rugs produced under the reign of the Shahs of Persia. They were copied with remarkable fidelity. Among these high quality pieces (with up to 650 knots per square inch) are some splendid examples in silk. 

The popularity of Oriental rugs in Russia was unparalleled to other countries around the beginning of 20^thcentury. The imperial and princely palaces and governors’ residences were decked out with magnificent and rare collections. At Leningrad and Moscow, the collections of Caucasian and Persian carpets had been built up from the spoils of war collected by the Tsars during their struggle against Mohammedan states. The old cathedral and convents also possessed beautiful rugs received as gifts from soldiers and diplomats taking part in the movement of Russian expansion in the East. Before the WWI, Russian exported Caucasian and Turkoman carpets in great quantity. For example, in 1913 approximately three hundred tons of rugs were exported. In 1928, according to the information of the Bureau Sakgostorg (USSR), Caucasian rug export was to the value of ten million roubles, while the export of rugs from Russian Turkestan had increased by 30% in one year. 

Formerly, the European carpet trade took place almost exclusively on the Italian markets, notably at Palermo, Pisa, Genoa, Florence and especially Venice, where the merchandise of the Orient abounded. In the 15^thcentury, the Queen of the Adriatic controlled the monopoly of carpet imports, which she redistributed in Europe. Already in the 4^thcentury, the Venetians had established this trade at Pavia. It is certain that the rugs that so much delighted Holbein came to Germany from Turkish to Venetian shops. 

Quick note on purchase of Oriental rugs

In buying an oriental rug one should take the same care as one does when buying a jewel: the purchaser should go to a reliable specialist house, where prices will correspond with the quality of the goods. The expert is also a man of taste, capable of guiding the choice of the client according to the use to which the carpet is going to be put. 

In general, the Oriental carpet blends easily with the interior of modern homes; its colours are restful to the eyes and are so harmonious that they are incapable of detracting from the beauty of either tapestries or furniture. It is preferable to choose a compact rug of good quality wool. Some rugs have a slacker texture (less knots per square inch), the dealer will indicate to the collector for what use the rug is intended. A carpet must always be examined on the reverse, where one will find again the pattern but more or less distinctly. It goes without saying that the more compact, fine and careful the knotting, the better the rug. 

Each rug weaving region has its own distinct design, after all, that is the principle method of identifying a rug. However, to systematically approach the topic of rug design, we can grossly categorise the field designs into the following seven categories: prayer, medallion, repeat motif, all-over pattern, open field, panel and portrait. Rugs from some particularly artistic weaving region may be designed in more than one of the above mentioned themes. While other regions prefer to remain with one specific design for all its rugs.

The field is the name for the area of the rug within the border.

Prayer Rug

As the name suggest, prayer rug was originally designed as mats to be used during prayer. The Islamic faith requires praying several times a day, which means prayer rugs are part of everyday life in Islamic countries. Prayer rugs tend to be small in size as it is intended for one person’s specific religious ritual. Most popular size is 5×3 feet, 152 x 91 cm. They are meant to be portable and comfortable for kneeling on. Prayer rugs have a prayer niche (mihrub) or arch that forms the focal point of the field. Depending on the breed, the arch can be rectilinear or curlinear, or supported by columns. The area under the arch is called the spandrel and is designed with classic motifs of the breed of rug (region of the rug). 

Medallions

Central medallion design rugs have a central figure as the focal point, which is called the central medallion. This could be a single medallion, or multiple medallions. In some rugs, the design of the medallion is repeated in corners (spandrels) to harmonise the whole design. Medallions appear in many styles, sizes, shapes, such as round, oval, geometric, elongated and more. The background behind the medallion, which is called the field, has as many variations as the medallion. It could be open, filled with repetitive pattern, or radiates the medallion design outwards or repeated in the corners. 

Repeated Pattern

The most famous example of a repeated pattern rug is the Bukhara rug with the small ‘guls’ design. The motif is repeated throughout the field. Repeated design could be used with stripes and medallions. 

All-over Pattern

All-over pattern refer to the rugs that have the field filled with motifs, but not repetitive or regimented, rather a field depicting a hunting scene, a garden design of the classic tree of life design. 

Open Field

As the name suggest, the field is open/empty without motifs or design elements. Chinese rugs are often designed with open field. Open field rugs have the advantage of fully displaying the magnificence of abrash (the accelerated ageing stripes of the rug due to various ages of the wool used for weaving. It is one of the hallmark identifications of an authentic handmade rug and is highly sought after as a result). Borders of open field design rugs tend to be rather elaborate. 

Panel Designs

Bakhtiare is the most famous example of panel-designed rugs. The rug has a series of compartments or panels, shaped in square, diamonds or rectangles. The elements are often simple designs demonstrated by geometric figures, such as flowers, trees and stars (Dahlias and daisies being the most popular flowers). Some experts argue the irrigation channels that constructed throughout the rug belt, which enabled gardening and farming in an otherwise inhospitable environment, inspire panel design. 

Pictorial

Most pictorial rugs are exquisite fine silk rugs. They were initially inspired by European oil paintings. Considerable weaving skill as well as artistic intuition is needed for an oil painting like pictorial rug; as a result such rugs tend to display majestic landscapes, portraits of kings and leaders, or even exact replica of famous works of art. Interestingly, in Afghanistan after the war in 1980, pictorial rugs began to bear pictures of fighting machines such as tanks and helicopters.

Dyeing the wool is the first step in making an Oriental rug. It is a beautifully simple process. Create a dye bath, boil the bath while whirling the wool in it, drain and dry in the glorious sunshine. Thousands of years of experience and techniques are applied to each batch of dyed wool. It is the first step in how to make a rug beautiful.

Dyed wool gives Oriental rugs the astonishing colours that grows and matures with age. Dyeing wool requires a great deal of skill and precision, this process is an art form. The master dyer, inevitably a man, is a revered and powerful figure in the community. His advice is sought on a range of subjects, particularly those concerning herbs. His secrets of dyeing are well guarded and carefully passed down from generation to generation, father to son.  

To start the dyeing process, wool must be carefully and properly washed. After the wool had been spun into yarn, it must be cleaned again to allow dye to fully and evenly penetrate the fibres. The wool is then treated with a chemical mordant to fix the dye. Common mordant are alum, iron, chrome and tin. Depending on the mordant, the colour of dye is altered. 

Then begins the actual dyeing process. The skeins of wool are submerged into a dye bath, which is a secret combination created by the master dyer. The dye bath is brought to a boil, while the wool is carefully stirred to ensure uniform absorption. Wool is hung to dry naturally in the sun after the dye bathing. Silk and cotton are dyed in much the same way, using the same kind of dyes. 

Natural Dyes

Natural dyestuff is derived from plants and insects. The former is the more prevalent source. The most common plant dye is the madder plant, which creates a brownish red colour. Indigo is creates clear blue hue; it comes from the indigo plant. Weld, from the weld plant, makes a yellow or gold colour. The skin of pomegranate creates an orange hue. Onion skin creates a yellow or copper colour. Walnut, oak and other nuts create various shape of brown. The most popular insect dye are cochineal for a red hue and Dactylopius coccu cacti for a yellow hue. 

The mordant used to fix the dye can dramatically change the colour. For example, an onion skin dye combined with alum yields a golden deep yellow but the same onion skin dye fixed with chrome produce a copper colour. The fluidity of colour dye in the rug making process makes each rug an unique artwork. Any rug made before 1870s are most definitely natural dyed and are extremely valuable for that reason alone. 

Synthetic Dyes

The truth is synthetic dyed rugs does not mean poor quality rug. It is the quality of the dye that determines the quality of the rug.  

1856 William Henry Perkin first invented the aniline dye, which was directly applied to wool with an alkaline solution. Sadly, the colours run easily and bled when washed and faded dramatically when exposed to sunlight. 

In the 1870s, the direct acid dye was created. Wool were coloured in an acidic dye bath. It had solved the sun exposure issue but it still bled during the wash. Azo dyes, created in the same period, offered better colours but certain colours still bled. 

1940s was a period that applied chrome dyes, which was applied with chromium mordant to fix the colour. Potassium um dichromate was applied to wool to achieve an even application. 

Since then, fibre-reacting dyes are the go to synthetic dye method. The colour-giving part of the dye molecule binds with a wool molecule, permitting the dye to become a part of the wool’s chemical structure. It creates a highly colourfast result, but expensive. 

There are two ways to determine the quality of dye: the shade and intensity of the colour and colourfastness. The first one is easy to judge. Top quality rug will be attractive, not harsh or faded. Colourfastness, on the other hand, is difficult to determine while buying. You could test colour by lightly rubbing the rug with a moistened handkerchief. 

Painted Rugs

Painting rugs is a fascinating process as a consequence of Persian rug dealers’ attempt to appeal to the Western demand. It started in 1920s and 1930s, when many Persian rugs were considered too bright and garish for the Western market. These rugs were given a chemical wash to soften the colours, then a lustre wash to create a lustrous sheen. Finally a hand-applied painting that darkened the colour.  This painting process was followed by yet another lustre wash. Most Sarouks were ‘painted’ in this manner, as were some Mahals, Hamadans, and even some valuable Isfahans. Many valuable antique rugs such as Sarouks were painted. Unless the painting process was poorly applied and blotchy, it does not affect the value of the rug. 

However, sometimes the term ‘painted rug’ refer to rugs that have been coloured by ink or acrylic paints to hide the worn areas, also known as a colour wash. It is highly popular today to grey, white or red colour wash rugs, and this creates a mono-coloured rug with traditional design and hand weaved knots underneath. Originally, this colour wash method was considered unethical as it was meant to hide worn areas or rugs that have bled during the wash. However, in today’s market, the coloured wash continue to gain popularity.

Warp threads 

Warp is attached to the upper and lower beams of the loom. The warp threads must be strong as it forms a large par to of the rug’s structure. They type, thickness, colour of warp threads varies with each breed of rug. 

Warp threads materials include wool, cotton and silk. Wool is first hand or machine spun then piled, the thickness of the ply depends on the breed of the rug. Cotton is more commonly used in finer rugs. Machine spun cotton warps were introduced in the rug-weaving industry as result of industrialisation. Machine-spun warps are much more uniform with generally five plies or more. Hand-spun warps have much more character and much more coarsely spun with only three or four plies. Silk is reserved for the finest of the fine rugs. I tis the most expensive but is also the strongest warp in relation to its diameter and allow for much more detailed design. 

Weft Threads

Weft is also forms part the structure of the rug. A pass of a single weft between two rows of knots is a ‘shoot’. The number of shoots used between rows of knots depends on the breed. As with warp threads, weft threads are made of wool, cotton and silk. Weft is usually un-died, but could be dyed in red, pink or blue depending on rug breed. 

The Knots

The knots are responsible for the colours and patterns of the rug. Two basic types of knots are the Turkish/symmetrical knot and the Persian/asymmetrical knot. Turkish knot is formed by encircling two warp threads with a strand of yarn, then looping the ends tightly between the two warps. The Persian knot is formed by first encircling one warp thread with a strand of yarn, then winding the strand around another warp, and finally pulling one loose end between the two warps. The other loose end emerges outside the pair of warps either to the left or to the right. 

The Pile

The pile of a rug is to describe the knots collectively. The pile height, achieved by the type of knots and raw material, is one of many ways to identify the breed of a rug. The quality of the pile depends on the quality of the yarn. Wool yarn varies greatly from region to region, as well as the source. Kurk/Kork wool is the best wool; only the first ever shaving of a lamb on the belly and nape of the neck are considered kurk status. The poorest quality wool is often called ‘dead’ wool. As the name suggests, such wool is removed from butchered sheep, which is often dry and brittle. Camel hair, goat hair are sometimes combined with wool to give the pile a bristly texture. Finally, silk threads make the finest pile in the finest rugs. Silk is sometimes combined with wool to achieve a certain effect or to accentual parts of the designs (highlights). 

The Fringes

To remove the rug from the loom, the warps, which are connected to the top and lower beam of the loom, must be cut. This portion of warp that remains is known as the fringes. The fringe must be knotted to prevent the knots from coming loose. The fringes are the first clue that give away the game of how fine the rug is; coarse fringes normally belongs to a rug with lower knot count/knot density. 

Side finishes

To protect the rug, the side edges are secured in a number of ways. Weaving several of the warp threads with the weft threads forms a simple selvage. Or the selvage can be reinforced by adding an overcasting stitch with one or two colour yarn, long the entire rug. In some regions, the side cord is sewn onto the edges of the rug. 

Shaving the rug

When a rug is completed and taken off the loom, the final step is to shave off all the tufts left hanging. Sometimes the weaver will shave the rug to 2 inch (5cm) in length, which will reveal a blurry design. It is the master shears that shaves the rug to the correct pile height. The best master shearers are most celebrated for their delicate skills at shaving the rugs. The entire rug must be even, if the shearer slips, months of dedicated labour will be ruined.  

Basic Weaving technique of any Oriental rug

The weaving of any oriental rug shares the fundamental methods. The warp threads are attached to the upper and lower beams of a loom. 

A strand of coloured wool or silk is knotted around a pair of warp threads repeatedly across the width of the loom. The loose ends of the knots make up the pile depth of the rug and form the colour of the body. After the rows of knots have been completed, a weft thread is run horizontally through the carpet to secure the knots in place. For flat weaves, such as kilim, there colourful weft threads through warp thread in order to create a design. 

Looms

Looms are the foundation tools for weaving any rug. There are two basic types of looms, horizontal and vertical looms. The nomads often use a horizontal loom sits close to the ground. Horizontal loom is held in place by large stakes driven into the ground, which makes it difficult to maintain an even warp tension and results irregularities in rugs. Which is a trait that many, including myself, adore in nomadic pieces. 

Vertical looms, which can stand upright, are used by city weavers (professional or master workshop weavers). The simplest vertical loom creates rugs the same size as the distance between the upper and lower beams. This is found in some weaving villages. A detachable plank is raised as the weaver progresses, so the weaver is always in front of the area that she is working. Tabors looms are much more complicated as it allow warp threads to form a continuous loop around the upper and lower beams. As the rug is woven, it is lowered around the lower beam and up the back of the loom. There is the even more sophisticated ‘roller beam’ loom. As the name suggest, this loom allows the rug to roll forever and can create any length rugs. The complicated looms allow two or more weavers to work simultaneously. 

Wool preparation 

Preparing the wool is no easy task. Weavers often stop half way through the weaving process to sheer, prepare and spin more wool, which results in the most amazing ‘abashes’ on these handmade rugs. Abash is caused by different year’s wool’s ability to absorb and hold onto colour. Abash is more common in nomadic pieces, where the weaver had to stop to gather more wool, which may well be from the following year’s sheering. It may take the weaver more than three years to finish a small pieces as her other mother tasks interfere with the weaving. Master workshop pieces, ones with access to unlimited wool, tend to be abashed free. 

After a sheep is shorn, the wool must be washed, dried and sorted. The wool is then combed. Combing is to align the fibres to create a strong yarn when spun. Finally, carding is accomplished by brushing the wool with two wooden paddles (called cards) with slanted metal teeth to brush the biers till they are soft, untangled and fuzzy. 

Wool spinning draws out the fibres and twist them together, by hand or by machine, to form a strand of yarn; two or more strands twisted together to form a ‘plied yarn’.  Hand spinning is performed using a spindle. Machine spinning requires a spinning wheel. Yarn must be twisted in one direction, either clockwise or anticlockwise. For the best yarn, the strands should be plied in the opposite direction from which they are spun.