The three main types of knots used in contemporary oriental rug weaving are the Turkish or (Ghiordes knots), Persian or ( Senneh Knots) and the jufti knot. These are described below.
The Turkish (Ghiordes knots) is formed by looping the pile yarn across two warp strands and then drawing it back through the inside of both warps. This type of knot produces a very secure pile constructions and is used in both antique and modern rugs from the Caucasus and Anatolia (Turkey) and Turkestan. It is also used by several Kurdish and Turkish tribes in Iran.
The Persian (Senneh knots) is used in classical Persian, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese and Balkan rugs and in many Turkoman tribal, Iranian village and Afghan rugs. The asymmetrical knot is capable of producing rugs with very fine detail. This type of knot wraps around two warps, but only one of those warps in encircled entirely. They can be wrapped in either direction and are said to be open to the left or open to the right.
The Jufti Knot. Both asymmetrical and symmetrical knots can be tied around more than two warps. This knot is quicker to work but does not create a rug with the same structural integrity and is often considered inferior. |
The Finest quality lambs wool is sheared, washed and bleached .Then the fibers are straightened and spun, after this process is over dyed by one of the master dyers. the dyes are provided by vegetables, routs, flowers and the fruit can be used to make these colorful dyes, such as root of madder plant, indigo, oak bark and larkspout or isparuk. After the dyeing processing is done wool is hung posed under the sun to dray.
Warps threads of yarn that extend over the entire length of the rug, on which the weaver ties the knots.
Wefts threads of yarn that run across the width of the rug between the warp threads to hold the knots in place.
Knots are tied by looping yarn around pairs of warps, become the pile of the rug.
Edge binding rapping at the edge of the rug with yarn to reinforce this part of the rug.
End finishes hold knots and wefts from working off the rugs warp strings.
Fingers are formed by gathering and knotting together finishes tight at the rugs ends.
Carpet looms are sturdy frames, usually made of wooden timbers, designed to hold taut the warp strings upon which the weaver ties rows of knots.
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Turkish rugs, with their variety of colors, weaves, designs and materialism, have for centuries captured imaginations worldwide. A hand-woven rug is almost always a work of art, created from an ancient tradition that has developed over many millennia.
Catal Huyuk in Anatolia is one of the oldest known urban settlements in the world. The evidence from this important archaeological site indicates that the city came into existence sometime around 7000B.C., and that its residents were not only successful farmers, hunters and herdsmen, they were also skilled weavers. Traces of wall paintings contain designs that are still found on Turkish kilims, traditional flat-weave rugs. It is said that kilims of the time inspired the paintings, because of the suggestion of knots and woven material included in the artwork. There is also evidence that the kilims themselves were hung on walls the excavation has revealed unexpected blank spaces on the painted walls, with tiny holes where the rugs may have been secured
The international popularity of Turkish rugs began in the 13th century, when Marco Polo recorded the beauty and quality of the Seljuk rugs he saw in Anatolia. It is believed that certain weaving techniques were brought to Anatolia via the Seljuk Empire in the 12th century. By the times of Marco Polo's visit, the Seljuk capital of Konya was a major rug producer. Several Seljuk rugs were discovered in mosques under layers of more recent rugs, and are now housed in museums in Konya and Istanbul.
Turkish rugs began appearing in Western paintings in the 15th and 16th centuries, and were often depicted either beneath the feet of the Virgin Mary or as table coverings. Europeans valuated the rugs too highly to place them on floors other than those of a royal palace. In A.D. 552, silkworms were smuggled into Turkey by two Byzantine priests who went to China specifically to learn the entire silk process, from breeding the silkworms to weaving the fabric. In the 19th century, the town of Hereke began producing durable silk rugs, richly designed with "Palace Art," which are patterns that reflect the art of the late Ottoman period. The designs include stylized flowers such as tulips and carnations, as well as an assortment of intricately veined leaves and twined branches.
In Turkey, rugs were very practical purposes. Both nomads and city dwellers have used the carpets as floor, wall and doorway hangings, to keep out the cold. Kilims are often used as curtains, blankets and sofa coverings, for warmth and decoration. Mosques in Turkey often have several layers of carpets blanketing the floor where people can kneel and pray.
Traditionally, hand mate rugs reflect both ancient patterns and the weaver's personal style or wishes. Once the traditional motifs are memorized, the weaver can combine them in a way that tells a story to one who understands the symbols used. A young woman might include an earring motif to express her desire to marry, since earrings are an important wedding gift in the culture. Today, very few rugs are made this way because of large international demand. Many are woven into redesigned patterns, and are no longer a direct expression of the weaver's creativity.
Turkish rugs are still rich in symbolism, with many recurring motifs. One much used symbol is the ram's horn, which resembles a crescent when incorporated into a rug. The horn represents masculinity as well as concepts culturally associated with it, such as heroism and power. When this motif is combined with its feminine counterpart - a stylized human figure with arms akimbo - it stands for fertility, and is often further combined with designs of plants and fruits.
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While most people associate oriental rugs with traditional pile rugs, there are actually many styles of rugs that are produced and sold as oriental rugs. The style of rug generally refers to the type of construction that is employed to make the rug. One broad distinction is flat-weave rugs versus pile rugs. Within these two categories, there are several further divisions. (In fact, there are many, many small variations, but we will focus only on some of the major categories.) When selecting a rug, keep in mind that flat-weave rugs tend to be thinner, while pile rugs are usually thicker and lusher.
Aubussons first produced during the 17th century in France, Aubussons are flat-weave rugs, similar to kilims. The colors are usually soft and delicate with detailed floral and architectural designs. While antique Aubussons are quite rare and expensive, manufacturers today create beautiful Aubussons using the same techniques developed by their predecessors.
Hooked rug is a cross between a needlepoint and a pile rug. The weaver starts with a piece of burlap fabric and sews the design through the material, leaving a short loop on the finished side. By varying the height of the loops, a sculptured effect can be produced.
Kilims are flat-weave rugs originally produced in a village or tribal environment. The designs tend to be geometric, often incorporating various symbolic motifs. A prominent characteristic of kilim rugs is the slits along the warp of the rug wherever there is a change of color. Since older kilims were usually woven on smaller, portable looms, it is difficult to find them in large sizes. Today, new kilims are produced in a full range of sizes at very affordable prices.
Needlepoint rug is a flat-weave rug produced by sewing the design into a large piece of fabric. Various stitches can be used to produce different patterns and appearances. When the artisan changes thread color, the excess is left hanging long on the back side.
Sumak rugs are produced using a flat-weave technique where the weft (horizontal) threads are wrapped on the warp (vertical) threads, creating a chain stitch brocade look. This process creates a rug which is reversible and which has no dark or light side. The Sumak name is taken from the Caucasian rugs that were made using this technique. Today numerous designs have been copied from original Caucasian rugs and are produced with a worn or antique look.
Tapestry is a flat-weave rug or wall hanging that generally incorporates a very detailed design or picture. Many different colored threads are woven into the piece requiring an inordinate amount of time and skill. A light fabric backing is often sewn to the back of a tapestry to cover the loose ends of the threads.
Traditional pile rugs are produced by tying the pile to the warp threads and then trimming the final rug to produce an even surface. As each knot must be hand tied, these rugs take a lot of time and effort to produce. Some rug designs, such as a Hereke, utilize very fine wool or silk pile, and contain hundreds of knots per square inch. Tribal or village pile rugs may employ thicker yarn and fewer knots, but still have a charm all their own.
Tufted rug is a pile rug where the pile yarn is wrapped around the warp threads, but is not tied. Rather, the pile is secured in place by coating the back of the rug with a latex type adhesive. This greatly reduces the time and expense of creating a rug that often looks very similar to a traditional knotted rug.
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The common materials used in the making of the oriental rugs are wool, cotton, silk and rayon. At times, camelhair, goat-hair and horsehair are used to a very limited extent.
Wool is the most common material used in the oriental rug industry.It is used most often in the pile. However, it may also be occasionally found in warp and/or weft yarns used in the foundation of the rug. Wool's resilience makes it the best choice of material for the making of oriental rugs.
Cotton is the most common material for making weft and warp. It is found, though not as often, in the pile also. It is used in it's natural, undyed form in warp and weft, unless dyed for identification purposes.
Pure silk is the most expensive material used in oriental rugs. Therefore, it is more commonly found in pile than in warp and weft. As well as being the most resilient naturally occurring material, silk provides a luxurious, lustrous look and texture to the rug. It is used to make the most intricately knotted rugs.
Floss silk is a man-made cellulose material often used as imitation-silk. In many parts of the world, it is also called art-silk, not because of it's artistic merit, but because it is artificial silk. Since it's resilience is nowhere close to silk, rayon rugs wear much faster. Thus it bides a collector of oriental rugs to beware of rayon rugs passed by manufacturers or dealers as silk rugs.
Materials are drawn out and twisted together to form yarn and this process is called spinning. The yarn can be twisted in clock-wise direction, also called S-spun, or counter-clock-wise, called Z-spun. For manufacture of rugs, two or three yarns are plied together to make plied yarn. Traditionally done by hand, the process of spinning and plying yarn is mainly done, in today's age of automation, by machines.
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There are two primary types of looms utilized in contemporary rug weaving. These are the ground or horizontal loom and the vertical loom. There are three types of vertical looms: the village type, the City type, and the roller beam type.
The ground or horizontal loom is the simplest of the looms. The warp threads are fastened to an upper and lower beam, which are held in place by stakes driven into the ground. It is used by nomadic tribes and village peasants because it is easily collapsed and may be moved from place to place. When the nomads are ready to move, the stakes are removed and the unfinished carpet is rolled around one of the beams. Once resettled, the weaver may unroll the carpet, reset the stakes, and again begin the weaving process.
The simplest of the vertical looms is the village type. The weaver may sit either on the ground or on a plank; the plank is raised or lowered so that the weaver is always seated directly in front of the area of the carpet on which he or she is working. The warp threads are attached to the upper and lower beams of a simple wooden frame. Although the length of the carpet is usually only as long as the distance between the upper and lower beams, it is possible to make the carpet longer by a complicated process. In this procedure the warp threads are loosened and the completed part of the rug is reattached to the lower beam. The warp threads are then retightened on the upper beam, and the weaving process is continued.
The City type loom, so named because it originated in the Iranian town of City, is a little more complicated than the village type. The warp threads pass in a continuous loop around the upper and lower beams. The weavers do not have to be raised with this type of loom because, as the weaving process progresses, the rug may be lowered down around the lower beam and up the back of the loom. The completed part of the carpet can then easily be inspected. With this type of loom, the length of the carpet can be made twice the distance between the upper and lower beams.
The roller beam type is the most advanced of the loom types. Warp threads are wound around the upper beam with their ends attached to the lower beam. As the weaving process progresses, the warp threads are un-wound from the upper beam and the finished part of the carpet is rolled around the lower beam. Carpets of any length can easily be woven.
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The three main types of knots used in contemporary oriental rug weaving are the Turkish or (Ghiordes knots), Persian or ( Senneh Knots) and the jufti knot. These are described below.
The Turkish (Ghiordes knots) is formed by looping the pile yarn across two warp strands and then drawing it back through the inside of both warps. This type of knot produces a very secure pile constructions and is used in both antique and modern rugs from the Caucasus and Anatolia (Turkey) and Turkestan. It is also used by several Kurdish and Turkish tribes in Iran.
The Persian (Senneh knots) is used in classical Persian, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese and Balkan rugs and in many Turkoman tribal, Iranian village and Afghan rugs. The asymmetrical knot is capable of producing rugs with very fine detail. This type of knot wraps around two warps, but only one of those warps in encircled entirely. They can be wrapped in either direction and are said to be open to the left or open to the right.
The Jufti Knot. Both asymmetrical and symmetrical knots can be tied around more than two warps. This knot is quicker to work but does not create a rug with the same structural integrity and is often considered inferior.
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The history of the hand made rug making started from the fourth century B.C. This carpet, known as the Pazyrk Carpet, discovered in 1949 frozen inside a burial mound in Siberia. According the many carpet experts the Pazyrk carpet was woven in the Caucasus. History shows that rugs making have been woven and traded since ancient times.
Throughout the Middle East carpets are viewed not only as objects of daily life but as a form of savings. The carpets are often collected by families and kept in a special bank vault. These carpets can be sold if money is needed. The world famous traveler Marco Polo traveled Through the Caucasus and Anatolia in 1271 and described the beauty of the Turkish and Caucasian rugs
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Three types of dyes have been used in the dyeing of Oriental rugs: natural (vegetable or animal), aniline, and chrome. Aniline and chrome dyes are synthetic dyes.
Natural Dyes Vegetable and Animal
Making and using natural dyes is tedious and time-consuming and can be quite expensive. The colors are derived from a number of different sources depending on what is available to the dyers. When local abundance of a natural source makes it economically feasible, vegetable or animal dyes are still used. These sources vary from country to country. The most common of the natural sources:
- madder redroot of the madder plant; safflower
- cochineal redcochineal incect, Indian lac
- yellowweld, vine leaves, or pomegranate peel
- brownwalnut shells or oak bark
- orangehenna leaves
- blueindigo plant
- greencombination of weld and indigo
- purplehollyhocks
- blackwallnuts
- larkspur plant
- henna leaves and flowers
- saffron, isparuk
In older rugs there often appears a slight change of color which will run horizontally through the field of the carpet. This is called an abrash. This occurs when the weaver begins using yarn from a different dye lot than that previously used. With natural dyes, it is quite difficult to obtain an exact color match. This is not objectionable in itself and does not affect the value of the rug.
Aniline Dyes
The use of aniline dyes was introduced to the carpet industry in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Being easier and cheaper to use, these dyes were all too readily adopted. They were strongly acidic, which destroyed the natural oil in the wool, thus weakening the pile and causing it to wear rapidly. The colors not only faded when exposed to sunlight, but ran when washed. The use of these dyes was not limited to one area but spread throughout the rug-weaving world. Aniline dyes are not as widely used as they once were; their use is generally limited to inferior-quality rugs. In older rugs aniline dye can easily be recognized by the faded color of the pile; the back of the carpet will be much brighter than the sunlight-faded front. To check for aniline dye in new rugs, rub a damp cloth over the pile. A good-quality vegetable or chemical dye will not rub off onto the cloth. If a color does appear on the cloth, an aniline (or other inferior) dye has been used and the rug should not be purchased.
Chrome Dyes
The majority of rugs are now dyed with what are commonly referred to as "chrome dyes." These are synthetic dyes which have been treated with potassium bichromate. In contrast to the natural dyes, chrome dyes are much cheaper to use, simpler to prepare, and their dye lots easier to match. These dyes provide a wider range of shades and colors and are colorfast; they will not fade when exposed to sunlight, or washed with water or an alkaline solution. The natural oils of the wool are not removed by the dyes, so the wearing qualities of the rug are not impaired.
The major complaint about the early chrome dyes was that their colors were harsher than the hues of the natural dyes. This problem was corrected by the use of a light chemical wash.
Chemical Wash
Most rugs are given a light chemical wash before being exported. This wash simply enhances the richness of the rug and does not affect its durability. A luster, or sheen, may be given a carpet by the chemical wash. Several factors affect the amount of luster imparted: the type of wool used for the pile and the chemical concentration of the wash. Wools vary from region to region; certain wools are more receptive to the chemical wash, gaining a more lustrous appearance than others.
An "antique" wash has been developed to give new rugs an old look. This is a rather heavy chemical wash which tones down the colors and gives the impression of being an antique rug. Rugs with an "antique" wash can be detected by splitting the pile and examining its base. The top of the pile will have a drabber, muter color than the base. The wash also gives the fringes a brownish cast.
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Designs are taken from nature, mountains, animals, the sky, plants and imaginative design. Today the designs are done on graphic paper .The carpet weavers construct the rug by following the pattern. The person weaving a nomad rug may well raise the sheep, shear, spin and dye the wool, as well as design and weave the rug. Most nomadic rugs use geometrical motifs common to their particular ethnic heritage. In these communities, where women are the weavers, carpets are woven as treasures to be dowry pieces or to mark the birth of a child.
Country rugs are usually woven of locally available material.Many Rug Weavers,for instance , use cotton for the warp and weft of the rugs they make (cotton is less elastic than wool, and it is easier to weave a straight and flat rug on cotton foundation).Country rugs are often less tightly knotted than city rugs. Typically,their designs are more simply drawn,and are often hold and geometrical designs
Semi-nomadic pastoraalists like some Balouch and Afghan, however, use wool for their warp and weft because they do not produce cotton themselves.
Country rugs often use fewer colors (five or six) than city rugs, and some country rugs still use vegetable dyes like madder and indigo.
City rugs are often more self-conscious rugs: The weaver is making the rug to sell, and so chooses colors and design not so much on the basis of what is traditional, but on what is likely to sell in the market.
City rugs are often the product of very specialized labor. Where as the country weaver might build the loom, prepare and dye the wool, decide on the design, and weave and wash the rug, these functions are usually performed by different people in the city. Often there is an entrepreneur who hires designers, graphic makers, dyers, weavers, and washers to make especially high quality rugs, rugs which would take too long to weave and involve too much investment for a weaver working all alone.
The City rugs are often very tightly knotted with very intricate patterns of many colors (more than ten) There is a lincage between the number of knots per sq in in the rug and the thickness of the pile: if a rug is very tightly knotted with an intricate design, the weaver usually clips the nap short so that the pattern appears better.
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The Significance of The Colors |
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Green is the holy color of the Prophet - particularly for orthodox Mohammedans - and is used sparingly and only in places which are unlikely to be trodden on. In addition, as with us, green is regarded as the color of hope, renewal, life and Spring.
Red is a color of fire, enthusiasm, courage, luck, joy, virility and faith. However, red also carries the association of sorrow and calamity.
Blue stands for a sense of strength and power or force.
Orange has the meaning of humility and piety; it is the color of the Dervishes.
Yellow is a color of the sun, radiating the joy of life.
White is, as already stated, associated with innocence, cleanliness, purity of heart and selflessness.
Black is rarely found in carpets except for design outlines and is the color of mourning.
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Here are a few basic hints to increase the life of your oriental rug. With careful treatment, Oriental Rug can survive for centuries. Following these simple guidelines to preserve the quality of your Oriental Rug investment.
Rotating frequently your rugs to equalize the damaging effects af the sun. because continual direct exposure to sunlight will damage a rug over time, use window shades, shutters, or heavy curtains to safeguard your investment.
Protect your rugs from Fumes and Dampness from furnaces, stoves, chimneys and auto exhaust can mix with humidity in the atmosphere to form an acid that fades and deteriorates the appearance of wool. Over time, dampness will rot the threads and destroy the fibers of a rug. Keep them in a dry environment.
Wear and tear If a rug is cut or torn, have a competent person repair the damage as soon as possible. Holes can expand very quickly and ruin an otherwise repairable carpet. With ordinary use, the selvage edges tend to fray as they are not as compressed as the rug pile. Worn edges can easily be redarned. Fringes can be replaced. Worn or damaged areas in the middle of a rug can be re-knotted. Even large holes can be restored. (Although this kind of work work is rather expensive. ) To repair a less-valuable rug, a patch from a similar rug can be woven into the damaged area. Sometimes a serviceable small rug can be made from the undamaged portions of a large carpet.
Moths can cause extensive damage to Oriental rugs, however, a carpet in normal use is rarely in danger from moths. Frequent rotation and regular exposure to light and air usually keeps moths at bay. Not only do moths eat the pile, but they can also eat the knots on the back of a rug. Moths are especially attracted to areas under furniture that remain relatively undisturbed. Eliminate these pests and safeguard against their return by spraying the front and back of a carpet every six months with moth spray.
Padding an Oriental rug the life can be doubled with the use of good-quality padding. Padding protects the rug, especially in heavily-trafficked areas. The best padding is made of hair or fiber with a rubberized surface to prevent moving and wrinkling. Avoid synthetic pad that takes on the appearance of rubber as it turns to an abrasive powder after several years.
Cleaning The beauty and life of Oriental rugs are vitally dependent on their cleanliness. Lack of maintenance will contribute to loss in the potential investment.
Sweeping the rug with a broom at least once a week removes loose soil and brings out it's natural sheen
Beating is one of the best methods for cleaning a rug. It should be beaten several times on each side, always in dry weather.
Vacuuming Try to use a low suction level and a new bag. Never vacuum against the nap, as this presses dirt back into the rug. (Run your hand across the pile from fringe to fringe to determine the direction of the nap.) Do not vacuum the fringes. The suction of a powerful vacuum cleaner can tear the fringe.
Washing Oriental rugs should be washed every three to five years, depending on their use and the amount of traffic they endure. Using steam-cleaning or chemicals on an Oriental rug removes the natural oils from the wool. The pile becomes brittle, and the carpet wears out sooner. Do not, unless absolutely necessary, submerge an Oriental rug in water. Surface cleaning is usually all that is required.
Crushed pile Revive carpet pile that has been crushed by heavy furniture by brushing the indented area with a soft brush. Moisten with a spray bottle, and brush again
Hanging Do not use nails or staples to hang a large and heavy rug for long periods of time. Before hanging a carpet on the wall, be certain that the warp threads can stand the strain. Use a strong poster holder to distribute the weight of the rug evenly across.
Storage If a rug must be stored, it must be inspected regularly. To store a rug, wrap it in fabric. An Oriental rug needs to breathe. It can rot or mildew in plastic. A rug can be rolled up and stored in a chest with some paradichlorobenzene crystals, which make the wool inedible to moths. Renew the mothproofing every few months. Large carpets should be rolled around poles with the protruding ends resting on blocks or trestles. DO NOT lay carpets flat on top of one another for any length of time. A rug stored in a damp or humid area will mildew, which discolors and weakens the fibers. A hot or poorly ventilated storage area will dry out the base of the rug, making it brittle, destroying strength and durability. If you act immediately, you can prevent virtually any spill from becoming a stain.
By following the about mentioned hints your carpet will give you many years of enjoyment.
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The Calculation of Knot Density |
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Knot density refers to the number of knots per square inch or per square decimeter. The higher the number of knots, the finer the weave. Increased knot density is not synonymous with increased quality. It is only one of the factors to be considered.
Knot density is determined by counting the number of knots per horizontal inch (along the weft) and the number of knots per vertical inch (along the warp) and then multiplying the numbers together. In practice, this is sometimes difficult because individual knots can be difficult to isolate from the back of the rug and it is generally not possible to isolate separate knots from the front of the rug.
Usually warps are level and in the same plane within the rug. If the warps of the rug lie on the same plane, each knot (whether Symmetrical or Asymmetrical) will show on the back of the rug as two nodes. This situation is illustrated in the diagrams shown above.
Sometimes the warps are depressed or offset so greatly that, from the back of the rug, alternate warps are hidden. If this occurs, each knot will show on the back of the rug as a single node. This is diagramed at the right with an example utilizing symmetrical knots, but this can also occur with asymmetrical knots and different degrees of warp depression or offset When the warp is offset 90 degrees, as in the second example, the alternate warps will lie on top of its predecessor.
Chinese rugs, the number of rugs running horizontally along a linear foot is determined and this is referred to as a 'line". For example, a "90-line" carpet has 90 knots per linear foot. Chinese rugs have severely depressed or offset warps, so you will only see one node of the knot on the back of the rug.
The knot count in Pakistani rugs is graded as "10/20" or "12/24" with the first figure being the number of knots per horizontal inch and the second number being the number on knots per vertical inch. These rugs ( with the exception of many Bokharas ) also have severely depressed or offset warps, so you will only see one node of the knot on the back of the rug.
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