Usak Rugs

The enduring beauty of traditional Turkish carpets is prominently displayed in the Usak Rug Collection. The renowned designs and dappled color shadings (abrash) of authentic Usak rugs courses through this entire collection. Traditional styling with an eye for the modern home or office, Usak rugs are an ideal decorative accent for the living room, family room or formal dining room. Antique Turkish Usak rugs have been woven in Western Turkey since the beginning of the Ottoman period. It is generally believed that rug making in Anatolia began with the advent of the Seljuks in the 11th century. By the 15th century, rugs were being produced by factories and independent weavers in the environs of Usak. The origins of of the rugs from Oushak must therefore be looked for between these two dates. Historians attributed to them many of the great masterpieces of early Turkish carpet weaving from the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries. However, less is known about what happened to production there in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. When things become clearer toward 1900, the Usak region re-emerges as a major center, this time for room-size decorative rugs. An intriguing part of an Usak’s history would be that well known European artists had heighten its popularity in the global front. Famous and well respected artists such as Hans Holbein and Lorenzo Lotto who were both known for their life-life portraiture. Their depiction of the early Turkish Usak carpets in their paintings brought popularity In the European markets. Hence the terms “Lotto carpets” and “Holbein carpets”. These terms refer to the realistic representation of the rugs within the paintings which symbolized the status of the sitter depicted in the painting.

Cosmopolitan and sophisticated are two words that aptly describe Usak rugs. Although the Ghiordes knot and the quirky angular designs have a certain primitive air, the rugs from Turkey are exceptionally unique and attractive. They come in central medallion designs as well as patterns of smaller allover medallions or scattered sprays of vine scroll and palmettes. They are notable for the grand, monumental scale of the designs, often a subdued palette in soft apricot and golden saffron tones whose pleasing qualities are enhanced by their particularly soft and lustrous wool. Their larger scale patterns, along with their soft and decorative coloration, make these rugs extremely sought after by the trend-setters and taste-makers in the interior design trade. Without compromising to appeal to Western consumers, weavers here managed to create one of the country’s most desirable rug styles. The angular arabesques and ornamental medallions are not dissimilar from Persian motifs but are executed in a more rectilinear manner and woven in a unique palette that includes bold Mediterranean-influenced colors and chic pastels. For the most part they are not high quality rugs but that is what makes them so special. Since the knot count is considerably lower than the antique rugs made in Persia, antique Turkish Rugs were woven with larger scale patterns. These carpets are also extremely desirable because of their colors – which are usually much lighter and “happier” in feel than rugs from other regions. The Usak rugs have become the rugs of choice for many of the top interior decorators in the world today. Just open any copy of architectural digest and you will see these magnificent carpets adorn the floors of many bedrooms, family rooms and living room floors. Come and stop by our gallery to find Fine Usak carpets at 410 Olive Street Santa Barbara CA 93101.