I. City Rugs
Specifications;
Rugs originating from weaving centers located in cities. We emphasize “Originating” because the city weaving centers mass produce various varieties of village and nomadic rugs also. A true City rug is designed and named after the city where they were originally crafted i.e.: Kashan, Agra, Ispahan, Nain etc… They are finer in detail, and more curvilinear in design. They contain multiple borders, and come with or without center medallions with extended lozenges at each end. When they do have center medallions, usually all four corners/spandrels (Corner Brackets) of the field contain quartered corner medallions.
City Rug Characteristics: Can come with or without a medallion, and will have high knot counts 160+ knots per square inch (KPSI). Highly detailed, and intricate. Mostly curvilinear designs.
Typical Fiber Content;
Fine: Wool on Cotton foundation. 160 – 290 KPSI
Finer: Wool and Silk on a Cotton foundation. 290 – 400 KPSI
Extremely Fine: Wool and Silk on a Silk foundation, &. Silk on a Silk foundation 420+ KPSI
Highest known knot count: Pure silk on silk foundation, 4,224 KPSI made in India, multiple weavers, working 24 hours per day, every single day for two years.
Design Aspects
· Wide range of colors available
· Wide range of designs
· Excellent in formal settings
· Much more refined
· Programmed: In some varieties available in multiple sizes of the same color and design.
· Crisp clear designs finer than village or nomadic rugs
· Natural and *Potassium carbonate dyes (*Chrome dyes)
· Extremely durable, even the silk varieties
II. Village Rugs
Specifications;
These types of rugs are mostly woven in smaller less organized cottage industry weaving areas, or even in homes on wooden looms. They are generally less fine in detail, and more geometric in design. They can contain multiple borders, and come with or without center medallions with extended lozenges. When they do have medallions, usually all four corners of the field contain quartered corner medallions. These styles utilize larger knots, making the detail in them less precise. They are more conguitive to Interior Design Projects that are more quaint and rustic.
Village Rug Characteristics: Can come with or without a medallion, and will have significantly lower knot counts typically in the range of 50 to 140 knots per square inch (KPSI). Geometrized designs, similar in style to city rugs in some, but not all cases.
Typical Fiber Content;
Fine: Wool on Cotton foundation. 50 – 80 KPSI
Finer: Wool and Silk on Cotton foundation 80 – 100 KPSI
Extremely Fine: Wool and Silk on Cotton foundation 100 – 140 KPSI
Very Rare: Silk on Silk foundation 140 – 180 KPSI. Persian Heriz silk rugs are rarely made.
Design Aspects
· Wide range of earth tones
· Rustic
· Leans to a more casual setting but can be dressed up or down to suit the Décor
· Extremely durable
· Natural and potassium *carbonate dyes (*Chrome Dyes)
The weave of a village rug does not denote “Low Quality”, the less precise appearance of the design is preferred by people that do not like intricate designs, and/or have a more rustic or casual taste preference in their rugs.
III. Nomadic Rugs
Specifications;
The weave of a nomadic rug, much like village rugs, also does not denote “Low Quality”, the less precise appearance of the primitive design is preferred by people that do not like intricate curvilinear designs. Larger knots are used, the materials are unprocessed and the fibers very coarse. Some Nomadic rugs are also mass produced in city weaving centers. The most notable mass produced nomadic rug is the Boukara, and the Gabbeh. These rugs have gathered mass appeal around the world.
Nomadic Rug Characteristics: These rugs are very primitive in nature, and are mostly one of a kinds in the original varieties made by actual nomads, not the ones mass produced in cities. They typically contain stylized animal, floral, and human figures.
Many variations of nomadic rugs exist according to the country of origin, and their weaving style. Their designs can come with or without multiple medallions, and will have significantly lower knot counts than village or city rugs. A Nomadic rug typically has knot counts in the range of 30 to 80 knots per square inch (KPSI), however; there are exceptions. The nomads have the skill to make finer rugs, they just choose not to do so, and their designs are almost always geometric, because that’s what they prefer. True nomadic rugs utilize raw unprocessed wool, natural dyes, and sometimes the wool is combined with mohair from Angora goats.
Typical Fiber Content;
Fine: Wool on Wool foundation. 30 – 40 KPSI (Most Nomadic rugs use this construction)
Finer: Wool and Silk on wool foundation 50 – 60 KPSI
Extremely Fine: Wool, Silk and/or Mohair on a cotton foundation 80 - 120 KPSI
Rare: Silk on a silk foundation, Saryk Nomads make Boukaras in silk at 120+ KPSI
