Glossary
Abrash: Turkish in origin, it literally means dappled, speckled or mottled. In the rug world, it refers to a change in the color of the rug due to the differences in the saturation of dye in the wool or dye batch. The variation runs across the rug and will most likely occur at the top.
Balouch: A nomadic tribe in Eastern Persia with numerous villages producing a variety of weavings.
Boteh: A symbol found in carpets that is characteristic of paisley. The boteh may represent a leaf, bush or pinecone.
Combing: A process in the preparation of wool for spinning, in which the fibers are drawn repeatedly through the metal teeth of a large comb, usually held between the knees, to try and make fibers more parallel. The process produces a smoother, more lustrous surface that cannot be achieved mechanically.
Dhurrie: A flat woven rug from India, usually made of cotton or wool.
Fast Synthetic Dye: A dye that does not fade.
Field: The part of the rug’s design that may be surrounded by a border. The field may be plain, have medallions or an all-over pattern.
Fringe: Warps that extend from the end of the rug and are woven in several ways to prevent the rug from unraveling.
Fugitive Synthetic Dye: A cheap, synthetic dye created in the 1850s that is in not color-fast.
Gabbeh: A tribal rug woven by nomads from the central Zagros Mountains in Persia, with traditionally coarse, long pile knots displaying bold abstract patterns or naïve designs.
Gul: An octagonal or angular medallion often used in Turkoman designs, repeated in a pattern.
Kashkuli: A rug named after the sub-tribe of the Q’ashqai, with a finer weave of the Gabbeh.
Kilim: A tapestry-like woven flat-weave rug with a pattern formed by the wefts that completely conceals the warps.
Medallion: The large enclosed portion of a design, usually in the center. Typical shapes are diamonds, octagons and hexagons.
Natural Dyes: Dyes that utilize plant, animal or mineral matter. Unquestionably the best dyes for handmade rugs.
Pile: The nap of the rug created by tufts of wool wrapped around one or more warps.
Plain Weave: The simplest weaving of warp and weft, with equal tension and spacing between.
Prayer Rug: A rug with a representation of a mosque or arched prayer area. Columns may be shown supporting the arch with a lamp hanging from the apex.
Q’ashqai: A nomadic tribe in southern Persia known for their quality weaving. With six main sub-tribes, these weavers produce a wide range of rugs.
Selvedge: The sides of the carpet that are formed by the turning of the weft threads at the end of each row.
Soumak: A flat weave rug made using a technique that produces a herringbone effect.
Warp: Parallel yarn threads that run the length of the rug fixed to the loom, forming the basic structure.
Weft: Yarn threads woven at a right angle through the warp. In rugs with pile, the weft is not visible, and in flat weave rugs, the weft is the only thread visible.