Pakistan is one of the main hand-made
carpet exporter countries. Since 1947, when Indian Muslims immigrated
to this country, weaving flourished and became common and immigrants
gave more flourish to it.
Wool is one of the most important factors of weaving, which is
produced from local animals. In addition to woolen carpets, they
weave silk carpets too, which imports its silk from other countries.
Bokhara rugs are high in quality and have incredibly soft and
lustrous wool. In the finer Bokharas, virgin lamb wool is used
giving the carpets have an extraordinarily soft feel to them.
In these designs, only about two to four colors are used, and
they are usually different shades of green, blue, or red. The
styles resembling Persian designs are also high in quality and
often higher in price.
The designs are imitations of Kashan, Isfahan and Turkmen carpet
images (Iranian designs). The most important images of hand-made
carpets in Pakistan are Aigrette Paisley and Cashmere Paisley.
Dyes are mostly chemical; cream, beige and camel colors are more
common
Today, Pakistan is the fourth largest carpet producer in the world.
Afshar Rugs
Afshar rugs take their name from the Afshar tribe that
spanned across a region south of Kashan, in Persia. The region
encompasses several major cities; Nain, Qum, and Teheran. Interestingly,
the Afshar tribe were originally a Turkoman people - settled first
in Azerbaijan before being forcibly moved east by Shah Ismael
(early 16th century). Afshar rugs are characterized as usually
having angular medallions, using dark colors (reds, deep blues,
greens) and displaying a similarity to certain Kurdish rugs.
Agra Rugs
Agra rugs take their name from the city of Agra in India (home
of the Taj Mahal). Not coincidentally, Agra is the city settled
by Mogul ruler Akbar The Great (1556-1606 AD) - credited with
bringing a great deal of art (including rug weaving) to the subcontinent.
The Agra rugs below are part of a range of designs revived several
years ago to meet growing interest in vegetable dye, handspun-wool
rugs with expansive, curvilinear patterns found only in the subcontinent.
Extremely popular in the west today, these sturdy rugs make a
beautiful addition to any home.
Amritsar Rugs
Amritsar is one of the oldest carpet-weaving centers
in the Indian Subcontinent. Located in Indian Punjab near the
border of Pakistan, many carpet-weaving families from Amritsar
migrated to the nearby Pakistani city of Lahore, also a very old
carpet-weaving center and ancient city, upon Partition of India
and Pakistan in 1947. Lahore is located in Pakistani Punjab and
has many cultural and lingual commonalities with Amritsar. The
rugs listed here were made by the same carpet-weaving families
that migrated from Amritsar, and have taken inspiration from old
Amritsar designs.
Ardibil Rugs
One of the most famous hand knotted rugs is the “Ardibil
Carpet” housed in London’s Victoria and Albert museum.
Its design is based around a huge central medallion surrounded
by 16 smaller lobe-medallions and a field of intricate palmettes,
floral sprays, and Islimi spirals. The rug was purchased in about
1880 by an Englishman in the North-east Persian town of Ardibil,
from where it takes its name. The Ardibil carpet bares no resemblance
to contemporary rugs from that region, which are comparatively
coarsely-knotted pieces with predominantly geometric patterns.
The rugs in our Ardibil collection are instead inspired by the
design of the very beautiful rug known as the Ardibil carpet
Baktiar Rugs
The Baktiari design is also known as the paneled-garden design,
which is the most popular and unique variation of the Baktiar.
The field of the Baktiar rug is divided into compartments or panels,
containing individual motifs or patterns. Often a set of 3-4 compartments
is repeated throughout the field.Baktiars are sometimes made in
conjunction with medallions but usually are all-over rugs.
Although named after a region in Iran near Isfahan called Baktiari,
the designs origins are with a mixed group of nomads and villagers
of Luri, Kurdish, Armenian, Turkoman, and other ethnic origins,
now settled in South
and Central Persia.
Baluchi Rugs
Baluchi rugs are usually identified by the quality of
wool and combinations of colors used - traditionally coming from
indigo, turmeric, and the leaves of apple trees collected in the
autumn fall. Aside from this, there is no particular design belonging
to the Baluchi tribe. Remarkably and despite examples of very
high quality for nomadic rugs, Baluchi rugs were not truly appreciated
until the mid-1970s, when a number of landmark exhibitions in
the west brought these to the attention of the general population.
Prior to this, some rug dealers were giving away Baluchi rugs.
Bokhara Rugs
Bokhara is a term commonly used to describe Tekke-faced rugs.
Tekke was a tribe from the area of Bokhara in Central Asia. The
design is dominated by rows of guls and surrounding geometric
patterns. The Tekke tribe is also thought to have incorporated
some design aspects of the Salor tribe, also from the area of
Bokhara in Central Asia. Some historians suggest that the Tekke
most likely vanquished the original Salor tribe and assimilated
their designs. Today "Bokhara" designed rugs are made
across the carpet-weaving world, including Pakistan, Iran, India,
Turkey, Afghanistan, and Central Asia.
Caucasian Rugs
Our Caucasian rug gallery covers a wide variety of rugs
originating from or influenced by designs from the Caucasus region.
Caucasus is a disputed area of land spanning from the Black Sea
to the Caspian Sea. For 800 years and up until the 19th century,
this region was a great ethnic, cultural, and religious melting-pot
- and a perpetual battleground. Rugs classified as Caucasian,
therefore, reflect the immense diversity in the backgrounds of
their creators.
Chichi Rugs
Chichi rugs borrow their name from two small villages
that created the design, Dari-Chichi and Chichi, and are located
southwest of the Caucasus region of Kuba. Historically, Chichi
rugs were characterized by a repetitive pattern of floral motifs
(often made with interlocking polygons) on a dark blue background.
With modern Chichis, this has been extended to use a wide variety
of shapes and colors while remaining true to the original elements
of the design.
Chinese Silk Rugs
The rugs in our Chinese Silk collection consist of extremely
intricately-knotted pure silk rugs from China. These rugs have
curvilinear patterns, often with medallion-and-corner patterns.
The piles are clipped short and the rugs are very thin and light.
Chobash Rugs
Chobash rugs (aka "Cho-Bash") borrow their
name from the tribe that weaves them, the Chobash (mainly residing
in a village of the same name), in Afghanistan. The tribe is thought
have descended from the (Turkoman) Chaudor, which began moving
in the general direction of the subcontinent early in the 11th
century.
Fil Poi Rugs
Fil Poi (sometimes as Fil Poy) literally means "Elephant
foot" - owing to the large motifs found in the field of the
rug. Rugs of this design are considered traditional Afghani, woven
by weavers of Turkoman descent in Northern Afghanistan. Fil Poi
rugs are sometimes incorrectly referred to as Bokhara Rugs (in
itself a popular misnomer; "Bokhara" being used to describe
any Tekke-faced rug). Although the gul (or motif) in Fil Poi rugs
may historically be derived from the Tekke gul, it is quite a
distinct, classic design.
Gilgit Rugs
Gilgit rugs are based on the famous Dragon and Phoenix
rug, which was discovered in a Central Italian church in 1886
by Wilhelm von Bode, director of the Berlin Museum. The rug has
been dated to early 15th century Anatolia, though there has subsequently
been some dispute on its age. The design depicts a combat scene
between two animals, one a dragon and the other a bird, thought
to be a phoenix. The pattern of the Dragon and Phoenix rug indicates
Chinese influence, leading some authorities to conclude the design
as being a west-Asian rendering of a far older Chinese image.
Gombud Rugs
Gombud rugs are identified by their spectacular central
medallion, which replicates the Islamic (mostly ceramic and inlaid)
artwork used to decorate the inside of the domes of some mosques.
Some tombs also use a similar design. An example being the tomb
of the famous poet Hafiz, in Shiraz, southern Persia. Depicting
other forms of art within oriental rugs is not uncommon and we
can find many historical examples of this. In some instances,
the opposite has been seen; slabs of stone pavement from a palace
of King Assurbanipal (dating to 450 BC) seem to have been carved
specifically to appear like rugs.
Hamadan Rugs
There are dozens of carpet-weaving villages around the
Persian city of Hamadan. Rugs from this region are made in a wide
variety of designs and qualities. There are, however, some over-riding
commonalities between the rugs. Hamadan rugs are often based on
geometric medallion and corner schemes, the Herati & Boteh
scheme, or in all-over floral schemes. Colors tend to be dominated
by blues, reds, and whites, with greens, golds, and yellow ochres
often used as secondary colors. Generally, Hamadan rugs have wool
piles on cotton bases with medium-clipped piles.
Hatchlu Rugs
Falling into the Enssi category or rugs, Hatchlu rugs
are usually divided into four symmetrical quadrants, with each
quadrant featuring rows of small Y-shaped or "candle-stick"
motifs. There are various interpretations on the symbolism of
Hatchlu rugs.
Herati Rugs
The rugs in our Herati collection were made in and around
the town of Herat in Afghanistan, a famous rug-weaving center.
Our Herati rugs feature very attractive geometric patterns and
warm color combinations. The most notable aspect of the rugs in
our Herati collection is the weave - they use a combination of
kilim and traditional pile weaves. This can be noticed most easily
in the beautiful and elaborate border patterns, which alternate
between the two types of weaves.
Hotan Rugs
We use the phrase "Hotan Rugs" to describe
rugs originating from the oasis town of Hotan in East China. The
town, historically famous for its rugs and silk, lies along the
path of the ancient Silk Road. Until very recently, Hotan was
populated by people of mainly Uygur Turk descent. Hotan (or Uygur)
rugs are distinguished by their use of prominent circular medallions
within the field of the rug. Although the Uygur people are predominantly
Muslim, some believe that Buddhism inspires the circular medallion
found in their rugs.
Isfahan Rugs
Isfahan rugs, named after the ancient and historic city
in Persia, are consistently amongst the finest quality workshop
rugs available, in terms of both knot count and quality of materials.
Modern Isfahan rugs often consist of silk and wool piles on silk
bases, though they are also made with pure wool piles on cotton
bases. Although Isfahan rugs are made in a variety of designs,
including hunting and pictorial schemes, the most famous design
is based on a circular medallion surrounded by intricately purling
vine set in a Shah Abbas field.
Jaldar Rugs
Jaldar is a Pakistani design with its roots in the traditional
Sarooq and Yamud designs. Jaldar rugs use symmetrical knotting
(single knot), with piles composed of wool and often highlights
of silk. Like most Pakistani rugs, Jaldars have cotton bases.
Jaldars are sometimes referred to as Bokharas because of their
similar construction and composition of materials to Pakistani
Bokharas. The designs in Jaldars are distinct from Bokharas, however,
with the guls more angular and diamond-shaped. The knot counts
of fine quality Jaldar rugs, such as those listed here, range
from 144 to 242 per square inch.
Kargai Rugs
Based on Central Asian designs, the rugs in our Kargai
collection are exceptionally fine quality pieces woven by Turkoman
weavers based in Pakistan. These rugs have soft but closely-clipped
wool piles on wool foundations, and have over 200 knots per square
inch.
Kashan Rugs
Among the most famous carpet designs, the Kashan design
usually contains a diamond-shaped medallion on a Shah Abbas field
- a series of curvilinear floral forms, creating a garden-like
background.
Kazak Rugs
Originating from the western area of the Caucasus populated
by Armenian and nomadic Kurdish tribesmen, Kazak rugs are dominated
by highly stylized floral motifs. Reds, blues, greens, and yellows
are the main colors used in these vibrant rugs. The rugs in our
Kazak gallery are very fine quality pieces made with natural dyes
and Ghazni handspun wool.
Khal Mohammadi Rugs
Khal Mohammadi rugs are very strong, heavy, and durable
100% wool rugs originally made in Northern Afghanistan. They usually
are a shade of rust in color and have geometric patterns. Some
Khal Mohammadi rugs are made by Afghan refugees living in Pakistan.
Kilims
The Turkish word "Kilim" is a broad term used
to describe flat woven rugs made in an area spanning from North
Africa to India. Although sharing much of their cultural heritage
with hand-knotted oriental rugs, the weaving technique and lack
of a pile makes kilims very similar to tapestry. Like Baluchi
Rugs, kilims were not truly appreciated until the latter half
of the 20th century. Quite undeservedly so - arguably, kilims
predate knotted rugs and are perhaps closer representations of
the heritage shared by both.
Kirman Rugs
Kirman is a Persian city famous for producing some of
the most intricate and detailed designs in hand knotted rugs.
Kirman designs are generally floral, curvilinear patterns and
often include a medallion. The pile of Kirman design rugs is predominantly
wool, while the base is generally cotton. There are two types
of qualities under our Kirman collection - the first use the symmetrical
knot (single knot) and the second use the asymmetrical knot (double
knot).
Malayer Rugs
Malayer is a village near Arak (formerly Sultanabad) in Iran,
famous for its Kurdish weavings. The rugs in our Malayer collection
are based on antique designs from that region and have been made
with handspun wool and natural dyes.
Nain Rugs
Nain rugs take their name after the Persian city of Nain.
Nain was renowned for producing high quality woollen cloth until
the craft fell into decline in the late 1800s to early 1900s.
To revitalize the city, rug-weavers were brought in from the city
of Isfahan and workshops established, and by the 1950s Nain had
established itself as one of the foremost carpet weaving centers
in the world. Given this backdrop, it is only natural that many
features of Persian Nain rugs are shared with Isfahan Rugs, both
in terms of construction and design. Nain rugs are almost exclusively
made with silk and wool piles on cotton bases, however, with the
silk in the majority of Nain rugs used to outline the patterns
and motifs through the rugs. In addition, the coloring of Nain
rugs is distinct from Isfahans, with the majority of Nains having
blue and ivory schemes.
Paisley Rugs
The Paisley pattern is known as the Boteh pattern in South and
Central Asia. Boteh derives its name from the Persian word for
"a cluster of leaves". There is some contention as to
whether the pattern was first used in Persia or in the Indian
Subcontinent. There is also debate as to what the inspirational
source was for the boteh - a pine cone, a cypress tree, a leaf,
etc. Rugs using the boteh pattern are generally found in all-over
schemes or medallion-and-corner schemes.
Pictorial Rugs
Rugs with pictorial designs have been made since ancient times.
The rugs in our Pictorial collection are diverse in origin, composition
of materials, quality, design, and subject(s) of depiction. They
all, however, have a story to tell.
Prayer Rugs
One of the pillars of the Islamic faith is the offering
of prayer to God five times a day – dawn, high noon, afternoon,
sunset, and after dark. The form of the prayer includes kneeling
and prostrating, during which time the prayer is recited. Prayer
rugs were introduced as clean surface matting for offering the
prayers. The rugs have a one-way pattern and often incorporate
lamps, pillars, and mosques. Virtually every carpet-weaving country
makes Prayer rugs, but they are thought to have been introduced
by the Turkish. Some Prayer rugs, such as the Saph, incorporate
two or more prayer fields and are often referred to as family
prayer rugs. Prayer rugs today are used both for actual prayer
or as beautiful decoration pieces
Qum Rugs
Qum rugs take their name after the holy city of Qum
in Central Persia. Although some Qum rugs are made with woollen
piles, the majority of Qum rugs are pure silk pieces. With knot
counts of up to 1000 per square inch, pure silk Qum rugs are considered
to be amongst the finest quality hand knotted rugs in the world
today. As a carpet-weaving center, Qum is relatively young and
the designs and patterns used greatly vary, with the most popular
schemes being the medallion, Shah Abbas, Vase, Boteh, and Baktiar
(panelled garden) patterns.
Serapi Rugs
Serapi rugs, originally from North-West Persia, are brightly-colored
pieces with bold geometric patterns, not dissimilar to those of
Heriz. The rugs in our Serapi collection are very fine quality
pieces, made with natural dyes and Ghazni handspun wool by ethnic
Turkoman weavers based in Pakistan.
Shah Jahan Rugs
Shah Jahan, one of the great Mogul Emperors, reigned
from 1628-1659. His reign was part of the 188-year period that
is considered to be amongst the finest flowering of Islamic art.
Shah Jahan is credited with the building of the Taj Mahal, among
other beautiful landmarks. His love of art naturally extended
to hand-knotted rugs, and those with elaborate floral arrangements
in particular. The rugs listed here are based on some of the beautiful
designs that were made during his reign.
Shiraz Rugs
Shiraz rugs are made in and around the Persian town
of Shiraz. Being in close proximity to Kashgai, rugs from Shiraz
are heavily influenced by Kashgai patterns. Shiraz rugs are generally
considered to be a more affordable alternative to Kashgai rugs,
which use more expensive materials and have finer knotting. Shiraz
rugs are made in a wide variety of sizes, often irregular, and
use wool piles on both cotton and wool foundations.
Shirvan Rugs
The Shirvan area is in the Caucasus region of Asia,
on the shores of the Caspian. Original Shirvan rugs are amongst
the finest woven in the Caucasus. Particular Shirvan designs can
be associated with a number of towns and villages – Chajli,
Marasali, Bidjov, and Akstafa for example. Original Shirvan rugs
are no longer made and those on the market are rare and relatively
pricey. Contemporary Shirvan rugs are made in workshops through
Central Asia but have only a passing resemblance to older Shirvan
rugs. For example, the term “Shirvan” is now often
applied to a quality produced in Central Asian workshops rather
than in reference to the designs of original Shirvan rugs.
Sultanabad Rugs
Sultanabad (now called Arak) is a Persian city renowned
for the bold floral patterns of its rugs. The rugs in our Sultanabad
collection are based on these beautiful floral patterns, but have
been made in much finer qualities.
Tabriz Rugs
Tabriz rugs are made in and around the city of Tabriz
in north-west Persia. Tabriz rugs are usually woven on cotton
bases and have wool piles, often with highlights of silk. Generally
very durable rugs, they are made in a wide variety of designs
and the piles are usually clipped short to medium in length. As
with most hand knotted rugs today, the quality of rugs made in
Tabriz vary greatly.
Tree of Life Rugs
Tree of Life rugs (or Tree rugs) are distinct in that
they represent one of the oldest spiritual symbols in human history,
predating Christianity and Islam. References to a "Tree of
Life" that links mankind to heavenly worlds have been found
in ancient cultures spanning from Europe to the Orient. Historically
and in the oriental rug weaving region, Tree of Life rugs have
been produced by many of the weaving centers - often as Prayer
Rugs. In Islam, the Tree of Life retains a religious significance,
symbolizing the path between heaven, earth, and the world below.
William Morris Rugs
William Morris is considered by many to be the greatest
pattern designer of the Victorian age. William Morris was one
of the examiners of the South Kensington Science & Art department,
where he had the opportunity to study a recently acquired collection
of Persian carpets, textiles, and ceramics. Having studied extensively
over a period of time, William Morris began designing and producing
hand knotted rugs in England in the 1880s. Although the inspiration
for William Morris’ designs came from Persian carpets, the
style of William Morris rugs is distinctly different to floral
rugs normally associated with Persian and Mogul weaving. The rugs
in our William Morris collection are made with handspun wool and
vegetable dyes and are based on some of the styles William Morris
developed in the 19th century.
Yamud Rugs
Turkoman tribes from Yamud in Central Asia were prolific
weavers. Being in close proximity with the Tekke and Salor tribes,
Yamud rugs bare a strong resemblance to rugs referred to as Bokharas.
The guls generally tend to be more angular, though there are different
types of guls found in Yamud rugs. The rugs listed below are very
fine quality Central Asian Yamud rugs woven by Turkoman weavers,
with wool piles on wool foundations with fine knotting.
Ziegler Mahal Rugs
Ziegler’s was a Manchester firm that was amongst
the earliest European dealers and manufacturers of hand knotted
carpets active in Persia. In 1883, Ziegler’s set up a factory
in Arak (formerly Sultanabad) in Iran with the idea of producing
carpets to later market in Europe and the US. The carpets in our
Ziegler collection are based on old designs that came out of that
region at the turn of the 19th century, and have been made with
handspun wool and natural dyes to provide an older, more muted
look. |