The natural and unpredictable variation in color that occurs in Oriental rugs over time when different dyes are used.

A man-made fiber used as a cheaper alternative to wool.

An important rug-weaving center in Spain which thrived between 15th and 17th centuries.

A design and architectural trend popular in the second half of 18th century. Motifs used most frequently involved oval and octagonal shapes, and chief colors - gray, jasper, and blue. In England, some of the rugs copied the ceilings of the rooms for which they were commissioned.

Country in South Asia, capital - Kabul. Handmade rugs are manufactured for the local markets as well as for exportation. Most common rugs from Afghanistan are a Turkoman style.

(Persian), meaning an all-over layout.

The age informs how old a rug is. The three major timelines are: Contemporary, Semi-Antique and Antique.

Agra is the heart of the rug and carpet weaving industry in India. Its cultural, architectural, and rug weaving peak Agra reached during the 16th and 17th centuries. It is famous for large cotton rugs in square formats, designed with all over floral patterns.

Turkmen for "white chuval," a type of chuval with horizontal bands of pattern in pile and flat woven bands of plain weave, the elems are usually woven in pile with a white background color, hence the term "ak chvual." Ak chuvals generally have five broad and six narrow piled bands above the white piled end panel.

Country in Southern Europe, capital - Tirana. Albania has a minor minor rug-producing industry, which began in the mid 1940s.

Country in North Africa, capital -Algiers. Rugs from Algeria are manufactured for the local markets, and have not yet reached a Western market.

A repeated pattern through the filed where no central design is present.

A city in India that was known weaving center in the late part of the 19th century because of the powerful rug demand in the U.S. and Europe during this time. Amritsar rugs have cotton foundation, use good quality wool, are double-wefted, and use the asymmetrical knot.

Aniline Dyes were first synthetic dyes used as a cheap alternative to vegetal ones. They were first developed in Europe in the 1850s but were shortly discovered to poses rapid fading qualities with exposure to light and water. They were banned in Iran in the early 1900, and eventually replaced with Chrome synthetic dyes everywhere else.

Rugs 60 years and older. / Finish A modern washing procedure which give the rug an antique look.

A chemical wash that replicates an antique look.

Rug treatment that diminishes the effects of static electricity build-up.

An elaborate motif of interlaced branches, leaves or flowers; can be woven in geometric or curvilinear pattern.

City in northwest Iran, where a large quantity of top quality rugs were woven in the late 19th century, when European companies commissioned large decorative rugs for the European market.

Country in Southwest Asia, capital - Erevan. Armenians are the earliest known weavers of oriental rugs. A style that originated from this area is called Caucasian because Armenia is situated neat the Caucasus Mountains. Caucasian rugs can not be classified the way Persian and Turkish rugs are. In order to identify a Caucasian rug, its construction must be examined, including (though not limited to) the quality of wool, the way the sides are bound, and the variance in the color of the warp.

A group of rugs with Armenian inscription which were woven in Iran, Turkey, and the Caucasus. A typical Armenian rug patterns consist of geometric shapes. A large proportion of the inscribed Armenian rugs contain cross shapes, human figures, and geometric bird and animal figures not typically seen in other rugs.

Twentieth century movement in the decorative arts. It grew to influence architecture, design, and the visual arts in 1920s and is characterized by geometrical designs and bold colors.

A style in art, architecture, and design that gained popularity at the beginning of 20th century. It is characterized by winding flowing lines of flowers and leaves.

A cheaper alternative to silk, artificial silk yarn is made from cotton, rayon, or polyester. It is soft and silk-like to the touch.

(aka Persian knot, Senneh Knot) There are two types of major knots used in oriental rug-weaving: the Persian knot, and the

A world-renowned French tapestry and carpet center dating back to 15th century. The origins go back to the arrival of weavers from Flanders who settled in Aubuson in the late 1500s. Also a style of rug. Over time Aubusson evolved into numerous styles such as Antoinette, Josephine, and Maison patterns. The original style, however, was a flat-weave rug, featuring floral elements, architectural motifs, and pastel colors.

A small market town on the eastern border of Devon, England, which gave its name to a type of carpet. An Axminster-type loom was created in the town of Axminister during the industrial revolution. The loom is capable of weaving high quality carpets, enabling use of up to 70 colors, intricate geometric or floral patterns, and offering flexibility of design. Axminster carpets are now produced all over the world.

Country in Southwest Asia, capital - Baku. A style that originated from this area is called Caucasian because Baku is situated neat the Caucasus Mountains. Caucasian rugs can not be classified the way Persian and Turkish rugs are. In order to identify a Caucasian rug, its construction must be examined, including (though not limited to) the quality of wool, they way the sides are bound, and the variance in the color of the warp.

A source of blue dye. Azurite is a deep blue copper mineral produced by weathering of copper ore deposits.

The dominant color in the background of the rug. The most widely used background colors are red, blue, beige, and yellow, ranging in all shades and hues.

Berber rug is a term known today to describe bulky natural off-white textured carpet. The term more accurately refers to a group of North African tribes who crafted rugs from handspun yarn of un-dyed wool from local sheep.

A city in Northwest Turkey with strong weaving traditions. Bergama rugs traditionally have dyed wefts, are usually red, and have a long silky pile.

The term Beshir is conventionally referred to rugs and carpets that were sold through Beshir. Generally, this is a place and a generic name for colorful weaving by urban Turkmen, although the rugs posses a design not derived from tribal Turkmen.

Bijar rugs are woven in the town of Bijar (an important center of rug production) and its surrounding villages, northwest of Iran. Bijar rugs are woven in the houses (and not workshops). Most common patterns is the herati pattern. Antique Bijar rugs were woven on wool foundation and had three weft strands between every row of knots, which made them very heavy and exceptionally durable. Modern Bijar rugs are typically double- wefted and have a cotton foundation.

Carpets composed of more than one kind of fiber.

A design surrounds the field of an oriental rug.

The principal color in the border of the rug, which range in all shades and hues of red, yellow, green, and beige.

(Persian) meaning "bush." One of the most common paisley-like motifs used in oriental rug designs in the field of an all-over repeat layout symbolizing a leaf, a bush, or a flame. There are countless designs of the boteh from geometric to curvilinear.

Rugs made from strips of yarn or fabric that have been braided into thick ropes which are then sewn into almost any size or shape to create a reversible rug. The traditional way is braiding one long, continuous braid and then wrapping it around itself in a spiral and lacing it together, the more contemporary technique is braiding each row separately and then joining the ends together with a technique called "butting."

The reddish wood of certain tropical trees or shrubs, whose wood is used for violin bows and a source of red, purple, and black dye used in early Chinese rugs.

When border designs cross over the line and enter the field (or vice versa) this is referred to as a broken border pattern. Broken border design is frequently found on Chinese rugs as well as some rugs of French tradition weavings.

Bukhara is one of the most ancient cities of Uzbekistan, founded in the 13th century B.C. During the medieval period Bukhara was known as a seat of Islamic scholarship. Today, commercial Bukhara carpets are the best selling hand-knotted rugs in the world. The authentic Turkmen rugs are given the names of their tribes, not to be confused with their popular reproductions. Though their surface appearance may be similar, commercial Bukhara carpets are available in about twenty quality gradations.

Country located in Eastern Europe, capital - Sofia. Even though Bulgarian carpet-weaving goes as far back as 16th; today rug commerce in Bulgaria is rather insignificant.

A detailed design on squared paper, demonstrating to the weavers which colors to select for each knot. These designs are especially useful for rugs made by groups of people.

A design element with a date or inscription in a rug.

Commonly seen in some Chinese and Tibet rugs, carved nap is a method of carving around a symbol to improve the look of the rug.

Was commonly used in Indian rugs. The brown dyes are derived from an Asian tree with spikes of yellow flowers.

Refers to the different settings in which handmade rugs are produced. Handmade rugs are generally woven in the settings of Nomadic, Village, Workshop or Master workshop.

Area in the south of Russia bordered by the Black and Caspian seas. Caucasian rugs are known for their bright lively colors and geometric designs. The rugs are commonly woven on a full wool foundation or on wool warps with cotton wefts.

Country in East Asia, capital - Beijing. One of the largest exporters of handmade rugs in the world. China has been producing hand-knotted rugs for centuries, some of the early ones dating back to late 1600 hundreds. Chinese, Persian and French Aubusson designs are produced in Chinese workshops.

Rugs woven after 1935, using modern synthetic dyes.

In order to improve the luster of the pile or soften the hues, chemical wash of lime, chlorine, or wood ash is applied to a rug.

Fabric often used in rugs, known for its luxurious pile.

Elaborate rugs woven before the turn of the 19th century.

Frequently associated with Chinese rugs, also often appearing in Persian rugs, cloud band is a pattern which resembles a swirling band of clouds.

Derived from natural or synthetic dyes, color is one of the most important elements of the rug. All handmade rugs are recognized by their background border colors.

Bleeding of the dye into yarn of the surrounding area. This may occur because the dyed yarn has not been washed properly after the dyeing process or because the chemical dyes are not stable. Several chemical treatments exist, however, which can remove the bleeding.

Refers to the symbolic importance of color in the East. The traditional meaning of color can affect the choice of colors used in handmade rugs.

There are three conditions in the handmade rug industry-Fine, Average, and Worn, specifying the quality of the rug.

Rugs which are less than 25 years old.

Soft fiber derived from cotton plants, one of the chief materials used in the foundation of handmade rugs.

If a rug has colorfast dyes, the colors will not run when washed.

Describes rugs which are less than 25 years old.

Rugs made on Wilton loom. This technique allows the use of more colors as well as a more elaborate detail. Cross-woven rugs are done side to side as opposed to top to bottom.

Density is measured by the quality of rug's assembly, and is determined by the number of knots and the height of the pile.

Indian flat-woven rugs made of cotton or wool, typically lower-cost.

Describe carpets approximately a 4.6 x 6.6 size.

(Turkish) Acronym meaning "Natural Dye Research and Development Project, which began in 1981. This program was implemented by the Turkish government to improve the quality of the rug industry by reintroducing the use of natural dyes after years of using only chemical colors in carpet manufacturing.

An Irish rug manufacturing factory established in 1858.

Some of the most popular motifs in Chinese rugs, representing happiness and good fortune.

A rare and much prized by rug collectors group of Caucasian rugs (16th -18th century) decorated with large S-shaped dragons.

A non-pile rug made of goat hair or cotton, this type of rug comes from Indian and the Balkans.

There are two types of dyes-natural and synthetic. Dyes are used for coloring pile materials such as wool, cotton, and silk.

An area of western China. Common motifs for rugs from this area include pots with flowers, three medallions, and geometric elements throughout the field. Rugs from this region are sometimes referred to as Samarkand

Country in North Africa, Capital - Cairo. Although contemporary Egyptian rugs are of great quality, only a small number of them are exported.

A process of carving pile around the design or symbol to enhance the look of the pattern.

Decorational needle-work embellishments

One of the oldest towns in the world, Erevan is a famous Armenian rug center

Town in Turkey known for elegant simple small rugs

(Turkmen) An additional border in pile rugs

Tufted broadloom carpet which is cut and inlaid on a patterned form to create a customized rug.

A region in southwestern Iran, main city - Shiraz. This area is known for exceptional tribal rugs, woven on wool foundation and made on horizontal village looms.

Silk imitation, usually made from synthetic fibers, such as polyester, or cellulose fiber such as viscose/rayon.

An area in western Iran. This area is famous for late 19th century rugs with cotton foundation and pink or blue wefts. Popular designs are Herati, Mina Khani and Gol Hinnai.

The central part of an area rug surrounded by the border, and containing central motifs.

Fine rugs are those in excellent shape without tears or previous repair. Since most handmade rugs are very durable, they are considered to be in fine condition.

Weaving in such a way that no knots are required. The weft strands are passed through the warp strands. Good examples of flat woven rugs are Kilims, Shurries, and the original Aubusson.

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

Traditional Greek rugs woven from sheep's wool, Flokati rugs can weight from 1400 grams to 4000 grams. The higher the gram count, the more expensive the rug will be.

The basic structural components of handmade rugs, which consist of Warps and Wefts.

A unit of length. One foot is equal to 12 inches or approximately 30 centimeters. Foot and inch are the measurements used in the United States and England for measuring the length and width of rugs.

A country in Western Europe, Capital - Paris. Even though France was a chief rug production country in the 17th and 18th centuries, presently, the rug production is not significant. However, French designs such as Savonnerie and Aubusson are still heavily imitated by China, India, and Pakistan.

Warp threads that extend beyond the end of the rug.

Gabbeh are coarse rugs with a long pile made by Nomads of the central Zagros Mountains. They are known for simple colorful patters which were once considered unsophisticated, but have

Ends of pile yarn per unit of length across the width of the carp.

Floral motifs throughout the field predominantly found in a Persian Bahktiari.

Patterns created with straight lines.

Country in Southwest Asia, near Caucasus Mountains; Capital - Tbilisi. The styles originated from this area are called Caucasian. The market is presently limited, as the new product has not adapted to the Western taste.

(Gul)(Persian) word meaning flower, rose, a name etc. Gol/ gul is a popular symbol found in Turkoman carpets, typically an octagon motif, elongated and divided into four.

Background color that accents the rug's design motif.

Stripes of color around the main border, separating it from the field.

A design consisting of all-over repeating naturalistic roses.

The henna flower used as a motif in Persian rugs. Gul Hannai ornament may be both an all-over and medallion layout design.

A process of making rugs wherein weavers push loops of yarn through a canvas backing. Latex glue is applied to the back of the rug and another layer of cloth is added to protect the stitches. The rug is then finished by turning under the ends. Hooked rugs are an affordable alternative to authentic knotted rugs, because they are far less laborious in the making.

Conventionally made with wool or silk, hand knotted rugs are the most expensive and take the longest to weave. They are created by knotting pile yarns around the warp fibers that run the length of the rug. The more knots there are per square inch, the more expensive the rug is.

Tactile qualities of a fabric including softness, stiffness, scratchiness, etc.

Rugs that are hand knotted, hand tufted, hand hooked; Also needlepoint, Aubusson, and hand loomed rugs. Naturally, hand-made rugs are more expensive than machine-made.

Rugs woven on a hand loom.

Type of cut-pile carpet that minimizes flattening with its durable stiffness.

Popular Caucasian rug design, 18th century.

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

One of the most common motifs consisting of a flower centered in a diamond with curving leaves outside the diamond and parallel to each side. The leaves sometimes look similar to a fish, so the term can also be referred to as "Fish Pattern," or "Mahi" - a fish design in Farsi.

A Turkish town known for finely woven silk rugs with the design of classic Persian motifs, frequently includes border inscriptions. Rugs woven in Hereke are known to have high knot densities.

Area in northwest Iran, and one of the chief centers for rug production. Even though Heriz rugs have a low knot count (about 30-80); they are still much admired. These rugs are usually large, double wafted, use a symmetrical knot, and include a square medallion motif with pendants attached on both ends.

Indigo is the color of blue between blue and violet. Different blue shaded dyes are derived from shrubs or herbs of the indigo plant (in the pea family). Indigo was chemically synthesized in 1880.

Country in South Asia; capital - New Delhi. India has been one of the main rug manufacturing countries since 16th century, and currently still holds the status of one of the largest producers of handmade rugs. India produced handmade rugs for exportation only.

A rug made in India in Esfahan style.

Country in Southwestern Asia; capital - Tehran. It is estimated that Iran produces approximately three-quarters of all the handmade rugs in the world.

Country in Northern Europe; capital - Dublin. Currently one of the very few European countries that still has a rug-weaving industry.

Located in Western Iran, Isfahan was the Persian capital in 16th and 17th centuries, during the golden age of Persian carpet production. It is one of the most famous cities in the production of Persian rugs.

A common motif based on arabesque forms of intertwining leaves, stems and vines.

The field of this design is designed with an islimi motif. This common motif is often used in combination with the shah abbasi motif, in which case the design is called shah abbasi and islimi medallion-and-corner.

Major city in Turkey which is a crossroads and market place of the carpet world.

A city in north central India known for having their prisoners weave commercial rugs based on 17th century Indian Mughal designs.

A false knotting technique in rugs of Khorasan, Iran wherein a knot is usually tied over four warps instead of too, making the weaving process faster. The knot can be either symmetrical or asymmetrical.

(Uzbek) meaning bearskin. Julykhyrs are a type of sleeping rugs made by the Kirghiz and Uzbek weavers, usually with long pile.

A town and a weaving center in north central Iran, known for the design of an all over lozenge pattern - each consisting of a geometric floral motif, typically woven on cotton with a knot count of 100-200 per square inch.

Jute rugs are woven out of natural plant fibers and were originally used as doormats. Jutes are long shiny vegetable fibers grown in areas of southern Asia and are second only to cotton in the amount produced and the variety of uses. The fibers are taken from their stalks and spun into yarn or rope. Jute yarns are very durable.

Afghan and mogul capital.

(Persian) One of the extensions which is a part of the pendant further away from the medallion in the centerpiece.

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.

Commercial weaving center in Turkey.

A district in the west of Azerbaijan. Kazak rugs are distinguished by their coarse long-pile rugs with energetic designs.

(Kelim, Gelim, Gilim) A group of flat-woven rugs for which no knots are used- the weft strands are simply woven through the warp strands.

A knot is formed when wool, cotton or silk yarn is looped around the warp threads. The two main types of knots are Asymmetrical and Symmetrical. Both types differ depending on the region and the tribe.

The number of knots in a square inch of a rug.

Knot density is the general number of knots used in making of a rug. It is measured in the Imperial System in square inch and in the Metric System in square decimeter.

The very finest quality wool obtained from the belly of sheep.

A city in the Caucasus. Most

A border design which originated from an Arabic calligraphic script.

A city/ province in southeastern Iran with history of rug production dating back to 16th century. The chief manufacturing began in the later 1800s with Keman's rugs exportation to America. The foundation of Kerman rugs is of cotton, and the knot count is typically high (150-400 per square inch).

A city in Eastern western China which produced quality rugs in the 18th and 19th centuries. The motif typically includes three medallions on a red or purple field. Some of the older carpets have metallic threads in them.

The four corner elements in a medallion and corner layout.

(Turkish/ Persian) word meaning medallion-and-corner. Lachak-o-toranj refers to a design, where a medallion is quartered into four corners of the rug, plus an extra full medallion is in the center.

A striking blue, violet-blue or greenish-blue semiprecious gemstone used as a source of blue dye.

The overall arrangement of motifs or objects woven into a rug.

A Turkish carpet production center, famous for small wool prayer rugs with triple arch mihrabs, stepped mihrabs, or two column mihrabs. Main colors are red and blue.

A city in northern Pakistan where Turkoman design rugs are produced. A major rug center for the British East India Company in the 17th century.

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

A structure firmly holding warp strands for weaving and knotting. Looms can be vertical, horizontal, fixed or mobile. Horizontal looks are small and used for nomadic weaving. Vertical looms are used for weaving of large rugs.

A design which appears on rugs in the paintings of Lorenzo Lotto, a sixteenth-century Venetian painter. These rugs were woven between 16th and 18th centuries are usually seen in Ushak rugs from Turkey. Lotto rugs are typically recognized by a red field with all-over yellow branching lines.

A medallion in a shape of a geometric crab with two or four arms. Named after a town on the Caspian Sea and is commonly used on Kazaks and Talishes.

A popular design in Caucasian rugs, lesghi star has eight points with four radiating arrows. It can be frequently found on rugs from Daghestan.

A diamond-like shape.

Brightness and sheen of the rug fibers or yarns.

Rugs woven on an electrically powered machines, now usually computer controlled.

A Southwest Asian long lasting plant. A red root of this plant was (and in some places still is) an important source of red dye.

Made by hand in a factory.

Persian for "fish," this term refers to the Herati design which at times can resemble a fish eye design.

Determines where a rug is made.

Large format rugs with complex geometric design and large medallions, woven in Cairo, Egypt from the 13th to the early 16th

Preservation of the rug by assuring graceful aging, such as wash, vacuuming, and rotation.

A green mineral used as a source of green dye.

One of the key rug weaving centers in Iran, where production began in the late 19th century. Mashad rugs are large, double-wafted, have a red background, and are woven on a cotton foundation.

The large centerpiece of the rug, a central point of the design. Most common shapes of medallions are diamonds, octagons, and hexagons.

A particular design of the rug, wherein a medallion is quartered into the four corners of the rug, plus one full medallion in the center.

Diamond-shaped medallion surrounded with small hooks.

An allover design consisting of two or more flowers connected by a diamond lattice.

One or a few narrower bands on each side of the main border are known as the minor border.

(Persian) A design of small rows of botehs throughout a field.

A pattern which consists of vertical stripes of equal width. Each stripe is different in color from the neighboring stripes and, typically has a different motif (although sometimes the motif may be repeated.) Often seem in Qum rugs.

Country in North Africa, capital - Rabat. Moroccan rugs are mostly woven for local use or sold to tourists, and have not yet reached the Western markets.

Any single form or a group of forms which together constitute an overall design of a rug

Indian carpets produced in the 15th-18th centuries during the ruling of the Mughal dynasty. This period is considered the golden age of carpet production in India.

Yarn loops of different height which create a three-dimensional effect.

The direction which the pile of the rug faces.

Dyes derived from plants, animals and insects, or from the earth, such as madder root, indigo, pomegranate, etc. Until the late 19th century only natural dyes were used for coloring weaving yarns.

Rugs made of natural fibers. Texture is the main feature of these rugs.

Country in South Asia, capital - Katmandu. Important weaving centers in Nepal include Katmandu, Pokhara, and Patan; stands among the major rug exporters to Europe.

Nomadic rugs are woven by sheepherders who migrate a great deal; thus the rugs are typically small in size because they have to be finished in time for the next migration.

Durable synthetic fiber good dyeing ability.

A superior type of kilim rug, featuring ornate flower and leaf patterns.

Layout of the rug where the design is woven in one direction.

Technique of over-rounding wool on the non-fringe sides of a rug.

A process wherein an already tufted and dyed carpet has another yarn system tufted through the back of the fabric to produce a design on the face of the carpet.

Exposure to excess sunlight which causes the rug color to change to a brown or black color.

Country in South Asia, capital - Islamabad. Rug-weaving traditions in Pakistan go back to sixteenth century. Presently, Pakistan manufactures handmade rugs exclusively for exportation. It is the fourth largest exporter of rugs in the world.

The use of lines that form figures and shapes on a rug. The categories of patterns are: Curvilinear, Geometric, and Pictorial.

(aka Asymmetrical Knot, Senneh Knot) There are two types of major knots used in oriental rug-weaving: the Persian knot, and the Turkish knot. In the Persian (or asymmetrical) knot-used in Iran, India, Turkey, Egypt, and China-is tied onto two warps; it can be either looped over a left warp and opened up to the right, or looped over a right warp and opened up to the left. A finer weave is created with this type of knot.

A small flower extensions or a cluster of flowers at the top and bottom of a medallion.

A design portraying people and animals.

A Chinese rug which is made for wrapping around pillars in temples, typically long and narrow with a dragon design motif.

The nap of the rug remaining after the knotted yarns are clipped. The main pile materials are wool, silk and cotton.

A weave wherein the warp and weft are of equal tension and spacing. The warp and weft are equally visible on the surface.

Pile weave (aka knotted weave) refers to the method of weaving by creation of knots. This method is used in most rugs.

Synthetic fiber most often used in staple spun yarns

The Backing into which the tufts are placed in tufted carpets. This backing is then strengthened with latex to hold the tufts in place.

Handmade rugs of popular traditional designs which are woven with the same design in different sizes. They are the considered to be same quality of rugs as the unique designs from the point of manufacturing (as the same amount of work is involved).

A round design with four symmetrical lobes.

A city in central Iran, famous for finely knotted rugs. Major rug manufacturing place which began in the 1930's.The popular designs are floral medallions, botehs, and all over designs.

The way rug pile regains its original thickness after having been subjected to compression.

Flat woven rugs designed in Sweden and produced in Portugal, rollakans original purpose was for the walls of Scandinavian cabins to prevent the wind from blowing between the logs.

Renovating the fringe of the rug.

A plant of the Rheum family, which have edible long, green or reddish, stalks. Copper reds or yellow dyes are derived from rhubarb.

A country in Eastern Europe, capital-Bucharest. Carpet industry in Romania is rather considerable, and traces back as far as 16th century.

A design that resembles a round flower.

Also referred to as "cushion" or "underlay," a rug pad is any type of material placed under a rug for softness and additional support. Carpets usually gain a longer life wear if a rug pad is placed underneath.

Also referred to as "corridor rugs," runners are long and narrow rugs, between 2.5 and 3 feet wide and 6 to 20 + feet long. They are used as carpets for hallways, stairways, an entrances.

A plant with orange flowers which are a source of yellow dye. The flowers also produce seeds containing oil, which are used for cooking, medicine, and cosmetics.

A plant with purple or white flowers with orange stigmas. Saffron may have been used to dye some early rugs of China, India and the Balkans.

A city in Uzbekistan, which was a major marketplace for rugs. Also, the oldest city in central Asia.

A French hand-knotted pastel rug with a floral medallion atop an open field with broken borders, this rug was produced until the late 1800's and is currently the model for many of today's Indian and Persian rugs.

A village in central western Iran, notorious for it floral rugs, manufactured for export. Sarouk carpets were especially prevalent on the US market in the 1920's-1930's.

Rugs made with dense cut pile and heavy yarns.

Rugs between 25 to 60 years old.

A process of combing of a rug which gets rid of shorter fibers, resulting in a glossier-looking yarn.

(aka Asymmetrical Knot, Persian Knot). There are two types of major knots used in oriental rug-weaving: the Persian knot, and the Turkish knot. In the Persian (or asymmetrical) knot-used in Iran, India, Turkey, Egypt, and China-is tied onto two warps; it can be either looped over a left warp and opened up to the right, or looped over a right warp and opened up to the left. A finer weave is created with this type of knot.

Modern rug style with long and usually synthetic pile.

A group of fan-shaped ornaments used for all-over layouts, medallions, and in borders. Shah Abbasi motif can often be found on rugs which produce-and copy-Persian styles.

A circular or diamond-shape medallion design with Shah Abbasi motifs and pendants. If the design includes corners, these corners are also filled with Shah Abbasi motifs.

One of the popular modern Persian rug designs featuring feather and lotus motifs.

A rug with high luster produced by a special chemical wash.

Sheikh Safi medallion-and-corner consists of a medallion surrounded by 16 leaf-like pendants with two lamps connected at the top and the bottom. The corners resemble the medallion itself.

Expensive fiber derived from the cocoon of silkworms; it is used less often as a pile material for handmade rugs because of its high cost.

Flat-woven carpets created in the soumak technique practiced in the eastern Caucasus.

Country in Southern Europe, capital - Madrid; considered to be the oldest producer of handmade rugs in Europe. Spain still makescarpets; though due to a limited number of items, they reach the foreign markets rather poorly.

A variation of the Turkish knot - a knot is tied on every other warp thread with knotted warps alternating on each row.

A method of creating an uninterrupted thread by way of twisting together different fibers. Spinning may be done by hand or a machine.

Build-up of electric charge created by walking upon a rug; and isaffected by humidity.

Character of a rug defined by different patterns and colors.

(aka Turkish knot). There are two types of major knots used in oriental rug-weaving: the Persian knot, and the Turkish knot. The Symmetrical (Turkish) knot-used by Turkish and Kurdish tribes-is made by passing the yarn over two neighboring wrap strands, and then wrapping each end behind one warp and brining it back between the two warp strands.

Dyes which are made chemically since the mid-19th century for dyeing yarns used in rugs.

A city in Iran which was a major rug-producing center with roots going back to the 15th century. The city had experienced a decline of rug production lasting for several hundred years, but in the 19th century the market bloomed again, reestablishing the prominence of Tabriz carpets on the world market.

A region in the southeast of Caucasus, with rugs of long formats and empty fields (typically red, blue or green.)

Weft face weave with complicated designs.

A method used for creating an "antique look" to the colors of the rug.

Modern Capital of Iran as well as a prime market for Persian rugs. Typically asymmetrical knots and cotton foundation are used.

Region in southwest of China, bordering with Nepal, Bhutan, Burma, and India. Tibet has held presence on the commercial rug production since late 18th century. Tibetan rugs have been influenced by China and East Turkestan. The traditional designs include tiger motifs and folk motifs; the colors depend on the function of the rug. Orange and gold are used for religious ceremonies; reds are used for covering floors of the monasteries. Since Chinese occupation of Tibet, many weavers escaped to neighboring countries, but continue producing traditional Tibetan rugs.

A unique weaving technique, wherein a temporary rod establishing the length of pile is put in front of the warp and a continuous yarn is looped around two warps and then once around the rod. When a row is finished the rod is removed and the loops are cut to construct the knots, creating the pile.

A group of Tibetan rugs with a tiger motif, greatly favored by Tibetan nobles and officials.

Two or several shades of the same color created by mixing yarns of different shades or by using the same color of yarn in a rug with both cut and looped pile.

(Persian) Name for the centerpiece in a medallion layout.

Rugs where the yarn of a number of loops is left uncut, minimizing the effects of flattening.

Two or several shades of the same color accomplished by either merging two ends of different tones, or by using the same color in a rug with cut and looped pile.

Designs of the European and Oriental schools of weaving. Contemporaryrugs imitate the classic styles, patterns, and colors of the traditional rugs.

An extensive range of carpet styles between traditional and contemporary. Many floral patterns are included in this category.

A rug ornament typically covering an entire surface, exhibiting a tree with branches and leaves. This motif can appear both realistic and abstract.

A type of rug which is made by-or displays the styles and colors of the-North American or Middle Eastern tribal people.

Made as an alternative/ replication of a hand-knotted rug, tufted rugs are created by the technique of punching tufts of wool through the base fabric.

A gul in the shape of an octagon and another small octagon in the center.

Country in Central Asia, capital - Ashgabat. Turkmenistan produces carpets known as Turkoman.

Country in Southwest Asia, capital - Ankara. Rug production in Turkey goes as far back as thirteenth century, and is still considered a major exporter of handmade rugs.

(aka Symmetrical knot). There are two types of major knots used in oriental rug-weaving: the Persian knot, and the Turkish knot. The Symmetrical (Turkish) knot-used by Turkish and Kurdish tribes-is made by passing the yarn over two neighboring wrap strands, and then wrapping each end behind one warp and brining it back between the two warp strands.

A source of yellow dye, turmeric is an Indian plant with yellow flowers and an aromatic root; also a popular spice.

(Ushak)A town in Turkey where rug production dates to the 15th century. It gained fame for the 16th century designs of star, medallion, and prayer rugs. Since 19th century became a major commercial rug manufacturing, producing both high and low quality carpets.

Country in Central Asia, capital -Tashkent. The rugs from this country are known as Turkoman.

Natural dyes derived from insects or from the earth.

Cut-pile with a velvet surface.

A motif typically portraying the "S" shaped dragon or interlocking birds.

Rugs made by dwellers of the villages. Typically all members of the village family are working on the same project, and their home is also their place of work.

Wool, cotton, or silk strands of fiber attached to a Loom vertically for the entire length of a rug. Warps comprise the main structure of the rug, and are the yarns upon which the knots are tied.

A treatment which a rug undergoes to tone down its color and gain a softer texture. Sometimes washing imitates the effects of aging.

Technique used in weaving. Pile weave and flat weave are the two

(Woof) Wool, cotton, or silk strands of fiber that are woven through -and run parallel to-the warps. The weft threads hold the pile knots in place.

A rug where the weft yarns spaced more closely than the warps.

A source of yellow die, this European plant has long spikes of small yellowish-green flowers.

A British center manufacturing machine-loomed rugs, dating back to 19th century. Modern Wilton rugs were the first type to be made on a computerize machine.

Wool is the most frequently used material in handmade rugs. It is obtained from the hair of sheep, goats, and other domesticated animals.

Key sign of a worsted yarn is straightness of fiber, which is achieved by blending, combing, and then tightly twisting (worstening) the fiber, before spinning the wool into yarn. This process greatly improves yarnquality, and is used for the more

Rugs made on the looms, where the pile and the backing thread are woven simultaneously, creating strong tufts and anchors. Examples of woven carpets are Wilton and Axminster.

Rugs with discoloration, foundation damage, pile wear, or fading are considered worn. Worn rugs, however, may have antique value, and thus, a solid resale value.

Yantdag West Anatolian rug type typically depicts a central medallion pendant with triangular amulets.

A region in Azerbaijan famous for its antique rugs. All wool rugs have bold geometric motifs and are woven with the symmetrical knots.

An English company which exported rugs to Europe from Iran in the mid 19th and early 20th century. The rugs were designed to European liking, and so Tabrizes, Mahals and Sultanabads made during that time under Ziegler and Co.'s supervision are known today as the Ziegler Carpets.

A south Persian rug design consisting of all-over repeating vases with floral arrangements. Qum rugs are an example of zili-i-sultan design.

Traditional name for large simple flatweaves.