Rug Glossary – Rugs & More

Antique and Rare Signed Haji Jalili Tabriz Carpet

Michael January 26, 2016 No Comments

The city of Tarbiz, in the North West of Iran, experienced an artistic reclamation for rug making after three Persian rug weaver/designers Kurban Dai, Sheik Safi, and most notably, the…

Persian Afshar Circa 1880

Michael October 28, 2015 No Comments

Persian Afshar Circa 1880 Very Fine and Beautiful Quality Persian Afshar Circa 1880 weave by the nomadic Afshar tribe of Southwest Iran. Natural saturated red from madder is the paint…

Moghan Runner Circa 1825

Michael October 23, 2015 No Comments

Moghan Runner Circa 1825 Unusual motifs of bird heads stepped diamond medallions in blue, yellow, red, brown, green, and ivory fill the centerpiece of this Early Moghan from Northwestern Iran.…

This Rare Soumakh Antique Bag is a woven masterpiece. This construction technique produces a flat-weave rug that is thick, strong and exceptionally durable. Unlike Kilims, Soumak rugs are not reversible because…

Caucasian Soumakh Circa 1880

Michael October 16, 2015 No Comments

Caucasian Soumakh Circa 1880 This Caucasian Soumakh Circa 1880 flat weave ( woven by an older weaver, because of the unusual and classic elements )with three crisp medallion centerpiece with…

Tobreh

Michael April 7, 2014 No Comments

(TO-bray). Small hammock-shaped bags.

Mamluk

Michael April 7, 2014 No Comments

Egyptian rugs of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, named after the ruling dynasty.

Abrisham

Michael April 7, 2014 No Comments

(AB-ree-sham). Persian silk.

Keley

Michael April 7, 2014 No Comments

(KEL-ly). Literally, “head”; a rug about eight feet, six inches by five feet. Also kelie, kelei, ghali.

Sinkiang

Michael April 6, 2014 No Comments

(sin-kai-ang; shin-jiang). Province of China. The new varieties of Sinkiang rugs are brightly colored with geometric designs, and are also known as Samarkands alter the town used as trading post.…

Veremin

Michael April 4, 2014 No Comments

(VER-ah-min). Persian rug made from lustrous wool in rich colors, decorated with small flower and leaf designs in an allover pattern.

Kasak

Michael April 4, 2014 No Comments

(kah-ZACK). Region of the Caucasus. Also Kazak, Kazakh .

Kenareh

Michael April 4, 2014 No Comments

(ken-ah-RAY). Literally, “side”; wide runner. Also kenare.

Milas

Michael April 3, 2014 No Comments

(MEE-las). Town in Turkey. Turkish prayer rug, usually wool, ground color typically terra-cotta mihrab often decorated with flowering tree of life, yellow frequently used as background for main border. Also…

Soumak

Michael April 2, 2014 No Comments

(soo-mack). Plant used to obtain mauve-blue color; also, a type of flat-woven rug, differing from kelim weaving in that the back is left unfinished so that loose ends of threads…

Suf

Michael April 2, 2014 No Comments

(soof). Persian word for embossed.

Kayseri

Michael April 1, 2014 No Comments

Nain

Michael April 1, 2014 No Comments

(nai-EEN). Persian village known for the fine-quality rugs.

Mihrab

Michael April 1, 2014 No Comments

(MEHR-ab). Arch design of prayer rugs; specifically, the top of the arch. Also mirab.

lnely

Michael April 1, 2014 No Comments

(IN-lee). Prefix meaning “good.”

Saruk

Michael March 31, 2014 No Comments

(sah-ROUK). Established Persian weaving center. A richly colored, densely woven woolen rug, motifs usually floral, occasionally rectilinear. Also Sarouk.

Policheh

Michael March 31, 2014 No Comments

Fu

Michael March 31, 2014 No Comments

(foo). Chinese bat symbol meaning luck and happiness.

Serapi

Michael March 30, 2014 No Comments

Another name for Heriz rugs.

Yin-Yang

Michael March 30, 2014 No Comments

(yin-yahng). Chinese symbol representing opposites.

Mianeh

Michael March 30, 2014 No Comments

(mee-AN-ay). Literally, “the half”; a term usually used to denote size.

Arbrush

Michael March 30, 2014 No Comments

(AR-brush). Striped variation in tone of a color, appearing as a band across the face of a rug. Also abrasch, “hairbrush.”

Kar-haneh

Michael March 30, 2014 No Comments

(kar-HAH-nay). Workshop or factory.

Abrisham

Michael March 30, 2014 No Comments

(AB-ree-sham). Persian silk.

Kashmir

Michael March 29, 2014 No Comments

The Vale of Kashmir in India; it produces silk as well as wool rugs.

Herati

Michael March 28, 2014 No Comments

(heh-RAH-tee). Design thought to have originated in Herat, once capital of Afghanistan; it is often used in allover patterns.

Dozar

Michael March 27, 2014 No Comments

(DO-zar). Two zars

Gul-henna

Michael March 27, 2014 No Comments

(goohl-hen-AY). “Henna blossom”; a motif often used in allover designs on Persian Veremin rugs.

Pambe

Michael March 27, 2014 No Comments

(PAM-beh). Persian word for cotton.

Mira

Michael March 27, 2014 No Comments

(MIR-ah). Palm-leaf motif. Also miri.

Anatolia

Michael March 26, 2014 No Comments

Region of Turkey, best known for prayer rugs.

Candy

Michael March 26, 2014 No Comments

Side cord of a rug.

Salor

Michael March 26, 2014 No Comments

(say-LOR). A major seminomadic tribe of the Turkoman region.

Daftun

Michael March 25, 2014 No Comments

(DAF-toon). Comblike tool used to hammer down weft threads.

Hatchlu

Michael March 25, 2014 No Comments

(HATCH-loo). Large cross design

Fu-ts’ang-lung

Michael March 23, 2014 No Comments

(foo-t’song-loong). Chinese dragon symbol, guardian of treasure.

Mori

Michael March 20, 2014 No Comments

(MwAn-ree). A town in Afghanistan producing some of that country’s finest rugs.

Nim

Michael March 20, 2014 No Comments

Tikh

Michael March 19, 2014 No Comments

(TEE-kay). Knife with hooked end used to aid knotting.

Bokhara

Michael March 19, 2014 No Comments

(bo-KHAR-ah). Chief city of Turkoman region; also, the name given to the gul designs typical of Turkoman rugs.