Rugs

Backing
The fabric that makes up the backside of the carpet.

Background Color
The color that appears to be "behind" the designs and borders of the rug. The background color is usually the dominant color of the rug.

Bamboo Rugs
Bamboo rugs or mats are woven from natural bamboo fibers. Bamboo is cut into strands for woven designs and into wide strips for a hardwood floor effect.

BCF Bulk Continuous Filament
Bulked continuous filament yarns are synthetic yarns processed by a mechanical means to fluff them out before tufting or weaving.

Berber
Term popularly used to refer to a natural colored look of carpeting. This style has been developed commercially by carpet manufacturers. Berber is more accurately or traditionally defined as a group of North African tribespeople who crafted rugs of handspun yarn from the undyed wool of local sheep.

Bessarabian
This particular style of kilim comes from Ukraine (formerly part of Romania) in southeast Europe. The designs usually feature arched floral patterns and are very formal, sophisticated and detailed.

Bidjar
A rug design that originated in the Bidjar region of Iranian Azerbaijan. Originally, the design was Kurdish and featured hundreds of trees. It was really accountable for earning this region its famous reputation. Commercial Bidjar rugs are machine made and feature a characteristic diamond-shaped medallion. They are considered the most durable carpets in history, because most are guaranteed to last over 300 years. This has earned the Bidjar the name: "The Iron Rug of Persia." Both types of Bidjar are still only made in limited quantities.

Binding
Band or strip sewn over a carpet edge to protect, strengthen or decorate it.

Bleeding
Transfer of fiber dyes from carpet or other fabrics by a liquid, usually water, with subsequent redepositing on other fibers.

Blend
Carpets composed of more than one kind of fiber.

Border Rug
A rug with one or more outside borders of one carpet style and an inside area of another carpet type.

Boucle
Heavy looped pile.

Boteh
The original version of paisley, this motif is thought to represent the forms of pine cones, cypress trees or the flame of Zoroaster. Boteh is a very popular motif in many types of traditional Oriental rugs.

Braided Area Rug
Braided area rugs are constructed in several different ways- including tape, tubular, yarn and flat. In the tradition of early America from which braided area rugs were created, these area rugs may be woven with many different materials; such as wool, clothing, old blankets, nylon and blends Often braided rugs are made of "rag" or multi-colored fabric swatches, which are then sewn into concentric circles or ovals.

Brocade
Floating horizontal weave that is used to embellish area rugs and other textiles. Brocade is sometimes used in kilim rugs.

Bukhara (also Bokhara and Bocarra)
Uzbekistan's capitol and a major trading center for tribal Turkish rugs. Turkoman rugs are commonly referred to as Bukharas, however contemporary rugs that are identified as Bukhara are often made in Pakistan. Bukhara rugs typically feature rows of repeating motifs or guls.

Burn Test
The material content of a rug can be tested by burning a small tuft of the fiber. Cotton has a vegetable smell when burned, while wool and silk will smell like burning hair.

Carding
Process of arranging and smoothing wool fibers by pulling them between two spiked paddles.

Cartoon
Diagram used as a template for rug design when knotting an oriental rug. These diagrams are especially useful for rugs made by groups of weavers, such as village rugs.

Cartouche
Design element that contains a date or inscription.

Chenille
Fabric with a deep luxurious pile that is often used in rugs.

Chrome dyes
Colorfast dyes that use potassium bichromate to bond the yarn to the dye.

Classical
Ornate court carpets that were originally designed before the turn of the 19th century (see also Aubusson).

Cloudband
Originally a Chinese design, this pattern resembles a swirling band of clouds. Cloudbands also appear frequently in Persian rug designs.

Color
An important attribute in a handmade rug. Colors are generally deriven from natural dyes, or made from synthetic dyes. Rugs are generally attributed by their "primary color" which is the color that dominates the majority of the material, such as the background color.

Combing
Process that organizes carded wool fibers in a parallel arrangement by pulling them through spiked blocks or combs. This process prepares wool for spinning.

Contemporary
Non-traditional styles of rugs that range from shag and braided rugs to pile-weave rugs with geometric or modern patterns.

Cotton
Cotton is a natural fiber of great durability and strength. The soft and fluffy fibers are formed within a cotton boll or seedpod. Each fiber is made up of twenty to thirty layers of cellulose coiled in a neat series of natural springs. When the cotton coll (seed case) is opened, the fibers dry into flat, twisted, ribbon-like shapes and become kinked together. This interlocked form fiber is ideal for spinning and is often used in rugs for backing, fringes and sometimes mercerized cotton is used for pile.

Cross-woven
Cross-woven rugs are made on the Wilton loom. This technique incorporates fringes into the rug rather than requiring them to be sewn on afterwards. Cross-weaving is done from side to side, rather than top to bottom, which allows the use of more colors in addition to delicate details and an elegant abrash look.

Cut Pile
Cut-pile is a smooth finish created by cutting off the tops of the wool loops. The cut loops are then twisted to make tufts of yarn that stand erect, creating a soft even surface. Also known as 'velour' or 'velvet' pile.

Denier
Measurement of linear density (mass in grams of 9000 meters of the measured yarn or fiber). Large fibers or yarns have high deniers, thin yarns have low deniers.

Density
Refers to the amount of pile yarn in the carpet and the closeness of the tufts. The more densely or tightly packed the yarn is, the more luxurious the pile will feel and the better the rug will wear.

Dhurrie (Dhurie)
Inexpensive flat-woven rugs from India, usually made of wool or cotton. Type of Kilim.

Dragon
Motif popular in Chinese rugs that symbolizes good fortune.

Duracord
Duracord fabric is constructed of man-made industrial yarn that has undergone improvements in the aesthetics and hand, has been augmented with ultraviolet inhibitors and further anti-microbial enhancements to prevent degradation from outdoor exposure. But it is virtually indistinguishable from cotton. Perfect answer for customers requiring cotton-like softness, with durability when left outdoors for long periods.

Embossed
Carved pile around a design or motif that augments the look of the pattern.

Embroidery
Needle-work embellishments that decorate a fabric or textile.

Faux Silk
Artificial silk or "false silk" is usually a synthetic, such as polyester fibers like viscose or rayon. Mercerized cotton is also used as a silk look-alike. Also called art silk, faux silk is usually used as small accents or in a short, dense pile construction. (See also Art Silk.)

Fiber
Area rugs may be from a variety of synthetic or natural materials which will help determine performance and appearance. Natural fibers provide soft, low luster colors and long performance. Synthetic fibers provide brilliant colors, softness, easy maintenance and value.

Field
The center plain of an area rug that is surrounded by the border and contains the central medallion or other motifs.

Flat Weave
Rugs without pile or knots. Flat weave rugs are made on a loom and threaded through the warps. Kilims, Dhurries and the original Aubusson are good examples of flat woven rugs.

Flattening
Carpets with pile flatten due to heavy traffic. Cleaning and vacuuming can restore the height of the pile.

Flokati
Traditional Greek rugs, hand-woven from sheep's wool. These shaggy rugs are decadent and fluffy for feet, and their natural colors are pleasing to the eye as well. Flokati rugs come in different weights from 1400 grams to 4000 grams. They are measured by their weight in grams of wool per square meter. As the weight increases, so does thickness and fluffiness. A 4000 gram/sq. meter rug will be noticeably thicker than the 1400 gram/sq. meter rug. The higher the gram count, the more plush and more expensive the rug will be.

Approximate Pile Height:

• 1400 grams/sq. meter is roughly 1.5 inches (New Flokati)
• 2000 grams/sq. meter is roughly 2 inches (Flokati 3A Heavy)
• 3000 grams/sq. meter is roughly 3 inches (Flokati 4A Super Heavy)
• 4000 grams/sq. meter is roughly 4 inches (Flokati 5A Extraordinary)

Frames
The part of the loom that holds the spools of yarn. Every frame in a loom holds a different color of yarn. An eight-frame loom weaves an eight color rug.

Frieze
Heavily twisted yarn provides a coarse texture of cut pile. (See also Hard Twist.)

Fringe
Warp threads that extend beyond the end of the rug.

Gabbeh
A fluffy long piled rug used by nomads as a mattress. They have only been sold commercially in the West since 1990. Gabbeh usually have a simple colorful patterns, sometimes depicting a pastoral scene.

Gauge
Ends of pile yarn per unit of length across the width of the carpet.

Gileem (See Kilim )


Guard Stripes
Stripes of color that embellish the main border and separate it from the field.

Gul
Persian word for flower, it describes the popular ornaments found in Turkoman carpets. This is an octagonal motif, usually elongated and divided into four. The word means "rose or flower".

Ground
Background color that accents the rug's design motif.

Hali
Word for 'rug' in Turkish.

Halicilik
The word for 'rug merchant' in Turkish.

Hand
The feel of the rug's texture. Qualities could include scratchiness, stiffness, roughness and softness.

Hand-Hooked
Rugs made in a manner similar to that of hand-tufted rugs, except that the pile is left looped rather than cut. Canvas backing is spread on a frame and a hooking implement is then used to pull the yarn through the fabric. Latex glue is then applied to the back of the rug to hold the loops in place. Another layer of cloth is added to the back of the rug and the rug is then finished by turning under the ends.

Hand-Knotted
The most expensive and longest to make, hand-knotted rugs are traditionally made with wool or silk. The weaver loops wool or silk around the warps one at a time, creating a thick pile. Cotton yarn is then woven through the warps to hold them together. Generally the cotton yarns are tied off to form a decorative fringe.

Hand-Woven
Rugs woven on a hand loom.

Hand-Made Area Rug
There are different types of hand-made area rugs: knotted, tufted, hooked, looped and flat weave. These are generally more expensive than machine-made rugs.

Hand-Tufted
Hand-tufted rugs are made much like hand-hooked rugs, except that the loops are sheared to create a flat surface. Tufted rugs can be made with combinations of fibers, and offer a great value. Hi-Lo Tufted Rugs feature a combination of cut and looped pile, yielding a three dimensional effect.

Hard Twist/Cut Pile
Practical type of cut-pile carpet that minimizes flattening with its durable stiffness. The yarns are twisted and set at a high temperature. (See also Frieze.)

Heat-Set
Process of using heat to treat twisted yarns to maintain their strength.

Herati Border
A rug pattern consisting of a rosette surrounded by four leaves. The rosette is often found inside a diamond shape.

Hereke
A style of rugs made in this Turkish city that are known for their factories where the most elaborate silk rugs are created. Although Hereke is in Turkey, they make use of the famous Persian Senneh knot in their rugs.

Heriz
City on the border of Iran and Azerbaijan. Popular rugs with geometric medallions were originally woven there.

Hooked rug
Rug made by pushing loops of yarn through a canvas backing. (See also Hand-Hooked.)

Indigo
A shrub or herb in the pea family whose yellow juice oxidizes to blue when it comes into contact with air. Indigo became chemically synthesized in 1880.

Jute Rugs
Rugs woven of natural plant fibers that were originally used as doormats. Jute is grown in areas of southern Asia. The fibers are then stripped from their stalks and can be spun into yarn or rope and woven. Jute rugs are woven with loop or flat construction, and have become popular for use throughout the home. Jute yarns are strong and often used as warps in knotted rugs.

Karabagh
The district of Karabagh is located southeast of the Kazak district in the southern part of the Caucasus. Many unique designs are woven in rugs; designs that include single and multiple medallions, bouquets of roses, prayer designs, Karabagh, repeated boteh, and Herati.

Kashan
A city located in Northern Iran which acted as a major trading center for high-quality rugs during the 17th and 18th centuries. Typical pattern is one of beautiful floral motifs built off of a single, central medallion.

Kashmir
Silk or mercerized cotton carpets from the Islamic region of India. Kashmir rugs are woven with Persian knots and have coloration and ornate patterns unique to India.

Kazak
The Turkish style of rugs are made by these people of Kazakhstan.

Kerman
A city located in Southeastern Iran. These rugs are known for their beautiful floral motifs, as well as their intricate patterns composed of medallions all over the area of the rug.

Kilim
A flatwoven, two-sided rug for reversibility. These rugs are similar to a dhurrie but they are woven tighter. Most often, they are woven with wool.

Knot
Oriental rugs are made with two basic kinds of knots, Persian Senneh and Turkish Ghiordes. Persian Senneh are complex asymmetrical knots. Turkish Ghiordes are symmetrical knot. Both knots vary with different tribal and regional traditions. (See Persian Knot and Turkish Knot for more details.)

Knot Count
Number of knots per square inch of rug

Knotted Pile
Weaving style that involves wrapping tufts of wool or pile around the warps. They wool or pile is then tied around each individual warp strand to erect the pile at a 90 degree angle to the floor.

Kufic Script
Stylized calligraphic script used for decoration.

Lapis
A color that is derived from a gemstone bearing an opqaque and transclusent blue, violet-blue, or sometimes greenish-blue tone.

Latex
Emulsion of synthetic rubber or plastic, used in rug adhesives.

Line Count
Number of horizontal knots in a foot of rug. The greater the number of knots, the higher the quality of the rug.

Loom
Structure that holds warp strands taut for weaving and knotting. Looms can be vertical, horizontal, fixed or mobile.

Loop Pile
Loop pile is a hard-wearing surface, designed to minimize tracking. Loop pile is the same as cut pile before it is trimmed.

Luster
Brightness and sheen of the rug fibers or yarns.

Machine-Made
These area rugs are made on power loom by hand, machine or computer. The loom is strung with a cotton or jute warp and then woven using nylon, polypropylene, wool or other material. Computer operated machines produce a number of contemporary designs in various sizes and colors from a predetermined design. More than 40 shades can be achieved in a single area rug using a cross-weaving technique. Machine-made area rugs have become very popular due to the variety of sizes, colors, designs, lower-pricing and availability.

Medallion
Large design in the middle of some oriental and European rug styles.

Mahal
These rugs represent the combination of Perisan and European design influences. These beautifully intricate rugs offer the best of both world in their floral and medallion-based patterns.

Make
An attribute that determines where a rug was made.

Motifs
Single or repeated elements of a rug pattern.

Multi-Level Loop Pile
Varied heights of yarn loops that create a three dimensional effect.

Nap
Surface or pile of a rug.

Natural Rug
Rugs made of natural fibers that are usually ivory or neutral colored. Texture is the main feature of these rugs.

Natural Dyes
Dyes used for coloring weaving yarns that can be either plant dyes, animal dyes, or mineral dyes.

Needlepoint Rug
A needlepoint rug making technique made with wool yarns worked on canvas using the same method as a needlepoint pillow.

Nylon
Nylon is a durable synthetic fiber which also has good dyeing characteristics. Nylon yarns can can be solution dyed, skin dyed and/or space dyed.

Oltenian
Considered to be the finest type of kilim rug, usually featuring ornate flower and leaf patterns.

Oriental
Out-of-date word for 'of the Eastern World', or the region of the world that was found by early European explorers who circled Africa.

Ottoman
The mighty Turkish dynasty that ruled Perisa from 1290-1924. The name is deriven from its establisher Osman.

Pattern
The design or form of lines on a rug. A pattern is usually curvilinear, geometric, or pictorial.

Pendant
A small, floral design that extends from the top and bottom of a medallion in the center of a rug.

Persian Knot
Knot that is tied onto two warp strands, wrapped around one and looped behind the other. (See also Asymmetrical Knot.)

Pile
Surface of the rug formed by cut ends of the knots.

Pile Height
Height of the pile, measured by tenths of an inch from the top surface of the rug backing to the top of the pile's surface.

Pile Weight
Weight of pile yarn per square yard of the rug.

Plush
Cut pile rug in which the tuft ends blend together.

Ply
Number of yarns spun together to form a tuft of pile. Measurement of the yarn's thickness.

Point
One tuft of pile.

Polyester
Synthetic fiber most often used in staple spun yarns.

Polypropylene
Polypropylene or Olefin fibers are petroleum-based synthetic materials derived from propylene and ethylene gases. The fiber is characterized by its resistance to moisture. It is often heat-set to guarantee vibrant color, long lasting beauty and easy maintenance. It is quick drying and mildew, soil and stain resistant. Its fibers have the lowest density of all manufactured fibers giving olefin textiles a very lightweight quality.

Power Loom
A loom operated by mechanical or electronic power.

Prayer Rug
One-sided rug with an arch at the top of the field. Small versions of these rugs were once designed and used for kneeling while reciting prayers. Prayer rugs are woven in Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan and other areas of the Middle East.

Primary Backing
Backing in a tufted carpet into which the tufts are inserted. The backing is then bonded with latex on its back side to hold the tufts in place.