|
Area Rug
Terminology |
|
Area rugs have a vocabulary all their own. You don't have to be an expert
to appreciate the beauty of an authentic area rug.
Rugs are versatile works of art for the floor. |
Aubusson:
Named for the city in
central France where they originated. Originally this term referred to
their flatweave construction of cotton. Now, Aubusson's are constructed
in wool and often are made in other constructions taking on the design
elements of their flatweave ancestors. |
Persian Knot:
One
of several knot types. An asymmetrical knot used to make hand-knotted
rugs. |
Dhurri:
A flat and stiff rug made
in India. Today these rugs are made in wool and are noted for their
geometric and whimsical designs. |
Savonnerie:
Refers
to a popular French-designed rug
|
Hand-Hooked:
The finished rug has
a looped look and feel. Hooked rugs come in several constructions
referring to the size of their loops. We're seeing hooked rugs come in
Petit-hook, micro-hooks and even gross-point loops. |
Tapestry-Woven:
Noted for their fine detail
and flat-woven construction. Often tapestries will have artistic themes,
nature scenes and floral patterns.
|
Hand-Knotted:
Made on a vertical
loom with warp strings running vertically and weft strings running
horizontally. Weavers then tie knots around the warp strings to create a
design. This construction is the most durable of all the techniques. |
Turkish-Knot:
Unlike the
Persian-knot, this weaving technique uses a symmetrical knot.
|
Hand-Tufted:
The rug-maker starts
with a canvas. The yarn is then either punched through the canvas with a
hooking needle or using a pneumatic "gun-tufting" tool. The
final pile is cut to give it the finished pile. |
Warp:
The parallel strings that stretch
vertically on the rug-weaver's loom. Visible warp strings form the
fringe. |
Herbal Wash:
This is actually a
new trend to give rugs an antique look. It is an extra finishing
technique that the weaver or manufacturer puts into the rug after the
initial dying process. It softens the colors and darkens the rug, In
most cases it gives the rugs an intimate and warm feeling. |
Weft:
These parallel horizontal
strings on the loom combine with the warp to form the for which to weave
a rug on. |
|
Kilim:
Created on a horizontal
look like the dhurri. This rug-type was originally made of wool in
Turkey. These rugs have more distinctive, tribal-looking patterns than
dhurri's. This term also refers to the pile-less area of the warp and
weft on a hand-knotted rug between the pile and the knotted fringe.
|
Wilton Loom:
The
most popular technique for making machine made rugs. This machine is
capable making intricate designs in a variety of weights at a fraction
of the time of hand-made rugs. |
