Traditional Rugs

What is a Traditional Hand-made Rug

When we talk of ‘’Traditional’’ in this context, we refer not only to the process of hand-spun woollen or silk yarns, which are traditionally dip dyed before the weavers hand-knot and hand-weave the rugs, but of the types of patterns and colour combinations. Even in the twenty-first century, this age old craft continues.

Traditional rugs tend to have borders or multiple bands of borders with the central area displaying the motifs (Gul), floral patterns and geometric patterns. As expected, they are often darker and with perhaps more conservative colour combinations. While rugs can sometimes appear similar there is never two rugs which are exactly the same, each being unique. This is simply because each rug is handmade by different weavers.

Where can a traditional hand-made rug be best placed in your home

A traditional rug can enhance your lounge, study, bedroom, corridors and hallways, even a bathroom. We have taken many rugs into our customer’s homes to help them choose, and have seen traditional rugs enrich their homes be it a modern space or a classic setting.

A Short History of Traditional Handmade rugs

Rug making historically goes back multiple centuries and spans many, many countries of the world but more famously, Oriental rugs are thought of as coming from Aisa and North Africa. (Afghanistan, Iran/Persia, Turkey, China, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and Russia)

The oldest rug, ‘The Pazyryk’, still in existence, remains on display in the Hermitage museum in St. Peterburg, Russia. Excavated by archeologists in 1949 from a burial mound in Siberia and almost fully preserved in ice. It was found to be a Persian pattern made by the Pazyryk nomads in the 5th Century BC.

Whilst there are many influences in designs which crossed countries, cultures, religeons and politics, it is clear to say that different regions (and within that different cities, towns and sometimes villages and tribes) each had quite identifiable patterns, motifs and use of colour. Within this again is a further division of varied regional techniques used in the tying of knots and weaving. Other influences which can be found in some Oriental rugs originate in Europe, particularly Aubusson and Savonnerie carpets of France, Ottoman rugs from Transylvania in Hungary and Romania, Scandinavian and English as well as traditional rugs and blankets of the great weavers of the Navajo tribe in the United States of Northern America.

The Origins of rug naming

In Persian rugs, naming is very much restricted to the City, Town or Village in which they originate, such as Qum (Qom), Tabriz, Shiraz, Kashan, Isfahan, Nasrabad, Hamadan, Saruk, Malayer, Bijar and Senneh, with Qashqai rugs named after a particular tribe and Gabbah rugs meaning unclipped pile yarns. To the trained eye each rug is easily identifiable in its origin.

With Afghan rugs this is less so, with some rugs named by the city or town, some by the pattern, some by the tribe, some by the technique used, and even some by the person who created a specific dye colour recipe:

‘’Tekke’’ rugs by Turkoman Tribes people; ‘’Zeigler’’, the pattern named after Mr Zeigler a Swiss man who saw an opportunity to create these rugs initially in Iran, now only made in Afghanistan; ‘’Khan’’ after Mr Khan Muhammadi, a famous yarn dyer; ‘’Aqcha’’, a Northern Afghanistan town; ‘’Baluch or Baluchi’’ a type of soft blanket type rug originating from West Afghanistan; ‘’Herat’’ a town creating a particular weave kilim called Adraskan Herat; ‘’Soumak’’ from a city making a flat woven surface kilim; ‘’Bokhara’’ a city in Uzbekistan; ‘’Maimana’’, making Chobi vegetable dyed Kilims, a town on North Western Border of Afghanistan and Iran; ‘’Kazak’’ originating from old Caucasian patterns.

Choosing the right rug

A Traditional hand-made rug is often considered equal to the painting on a wall, it can be a central focus or an integral part of the look and ambiance you are creating. Each rug is unique.

Size of the rug as well as colours, tones and pattern are greatly important.

Is a Traditional Rug for your home

From our experience whilst taking rugs into our customer’s homes, we have seen traditional rugs improve, harmonise and enhance the settings equally where our customers have more classic furnishings as well as those whose homes are quite modern.

A few of our customers have purchased a beautiful rug purely to hang on a feature wall instead of an oil painting. Some of our customers have asked us to make a bespoke rug to their own measurements, colour palette and design.