Another great Encyclopaedia of Oriental Rugs post – Aqche Rugs to Bibikabad Rugs

In our continuing series into the origins and history of Oriental Rugs this week we take a look at 3 more types of rug from the Encyclopaedia that William Pryor (the owner of Oriental Rugs of Bath) has been writing over the past few years.

An aqche rug from Oriental Rugs of Bath

Aqche Rugs (also Aqcha) are handmade by Turkmen living in the central part of the Afghan Province of Jowzjan around the town of Aqcha. Deep reds are their usual primary colour with octagonal rose, elephant foot and stylised flower motifs in

Belouch Rugs (also Beluch, Belutch, Belutsch, Balouch, Baloutche, Balúchi) are hand-knotted by different nomadic tribes that wander between Persia and western Afghanistan. (Belouch is a generic term for nomads in that area.) Belouch carpets are closely related to carpets from Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. Their colours tend to be dark red, dark blue, black and brown; their patterns geometrical with curvilinear life-trees. They are often designed as prayer carpets with a prayer niche. The workmanship is of high quality; these carpets are tight woven, thin and are fine examples of genuine nomadic handicraft. Mashad or Meshed Belouch car-pets are sold in the city of Mashad in Iran, while Herat Belouch carpets are sold in the city of Herat in Afghanistan. dark blue.

Bibikabad Rugs (also Bibik Abad) are woven in the Hamadan region of Iran and are related to Malayers in technique. They tend to come in all-over designs, usually the Herati pattern or Boteh (Paisley), which may at times have a medallion

A Belouch Rug from Oriental Rugs of Bath

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The Short Encyclopaedia of Oriental Rugs – Antique Wash, Afshar Rugs, Afshar Rugs

Welcome back to the February edition of the Encyclopaedia of Rugs from Oriental Rugs of Bath:

For those that don’t know, every so often we do a blog post about the many different types of Rugs that we sell including explanations of the the terminology involved in making them and also where they come from. Read on to find out more:

Afghan Rugs are hand-knotted in villages and workshops in Afghanistan. Tra-ditionally they have an elephant foot pattern and are famous for their beautiful red colours. Our Afghan rugs are very durable, with a thick pile and are beautiful carpets well worth their price.

Afshar Rugs are hand knotted by members of the Turkic Afshar tribe, many of whom are still nomads in the south of Iran. The rugs often have a red and blue geometrical pattern. With their primitive beauty, Afshar Rugs are regarded as some of the best examples of nomadic art.

A great example of an Afshar rug from Oriental Rugs of Bath

Antique Wash is a chemical or natural process that tones down colours, de-signed to simulate aging. Also called tea washing because the overall brown cast gives the effect of having dunked the whole rug in tea. It is one of a few post-production treatments used to alter the visual presentation of the yarn.

 

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The Journey Continues, This weeks issue of the Encyclopaedia of Oriental Rugs

Oriental Rugs of Bath’s journey through the oriental rugs of the world continues this week with our next installment – Kazak and Bibi Rugs

Khan Mohammadi Rug

Afghan Action Kazak Rugs (also Qazax, Qazak) are produced in Afghan Action’s Kabul workshops using complex geometrical designs that originated centuries ago in or around the Caucasus town of Qazax (hence Kazak) in what is now Azerbaijan. Kazaks are made with both Ghazni and Karachi wools. Ghazni is hand spun wool and has better durability and shine. Kazaks are usually stone-washed to give them more gloss.

Afghan Action Khan Mohammadi Rugs (also Khal Mohammadi, Khanmo-hamaddi) are produced in the charity Afghan Action’s workshop in Kabul. They are so called because they copy designs pioneered by the famous Turkmen Ersa-ri rug dealer Khal Mohammad. The key to his success is extremely innovative use of natural dyes in particular his natural reds are exquisite. Additionally the workmanship, wool quality, and finish are of a very high quality.

Afghan Bibi Rugs, usually less than half a meter square, are very small Afghan rugs hand-knotted in villages or workshops in Afghanistan. Traditionally they have an elephant foot pattern and are famous for their beautiful deep red col-ours. Our Afghan Bibi Rugs are very durable, with a thick pile and are beautiful carpets well worth their price.

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The Short Encyclopaedia of Oriental Rugs – Afghan Action Chobi Rugs to Gabbeh Rugs

Welcome back to another instalment from Oriental Rugs of Bath’s Encyclopaedia of Rugs! This week:

Afghan Action Chobi Rugs (also Chobeh, Choobi) are produced in the charity Afghan Action’s workshop in Kabul. They are often distinguished by their use of natural vegetable and mineral dyes, using hand-spun Himalayan Ghazni wool and hand-knotted. The influence of Persian, Turkmen and Afghan cultures results in rugs of great complexity and superb colouration. These carpets will take very heavy wear and will last for generations. Sometimes Chobis are called Zieglers, since most use the Ziegler design; the common exception being Chobi Gabbehs.

A great example of a Chobi Rug from Afghan Action

Afghan Action Cushions are made from Chobi and Gabbeh rugs in Afghan Action’s Kabul workshop.

Afghan Action Gabbeh Rugs (also Gabeh, Gabbe) are produced in the charity Afghan Action’s workshop in Kabul. They are known for their primitive pat-terns and rustic charm. They are hand-knotted in Afghan Action’s Kabul work-shop. They have a very simple design, often featuring small animals and other figures on a plain background. Hand knotted with 100% pure wool pile, warp and weft, their coarse knotting gives a thick pile and heavy construction. The wool is the same as used in Ziegler rugs, giving the same lustre and reflective properties, exhibiting different shades from either end.

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Our brand new website is launched!

Oriental Rugs of Bath is a constantly evolving business and the launch of our new website is one of many great changes that are happening to the business.

The new website for Oriental Rugs of Bath brings the centuries-old hand-made artisan rugs business fully into the 21^st Century. There is even greater choice, with nearly 1,000 authentic products ethically sourced from their countries of origin.

I think the new site does a fantastic job of showcasing our wide range of hand-made rugs, kilims, suzani boots and much, much more… The website helps people find what they want easily while learning about the background of these unique works of art.

There is something to suit every taste and pocket, from £50 to £5,000. And it is even easier to browse the website with a new funky navigation that helps you choose by type, style, colour, size, price and place of origin.

Every rug on the website now comes with a description that gives you valuable information about where the rug comes from and some of the history of the people that made it.

Screenshots from the new Oriental Rugs of Bath website

Thanks to a unique partnership, it is also possible to commission your own rug to be made by the Kabul charity Afghan Action who will hand-make your rug to your design whilst ensuring that the local people are fairly rewarded in what is a very challenging time for Afghanistan.

The website is only a window to what we do, so when you’re next in Bath make sure you come and visit our shop!

You can access the website through the same URL as before: www.orientalrugsofbath.com

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The Short Encyclopaedia of Oriental Rugs – Abadeh to Afghan Action Contemporary

As part of a new weekly series we will be posting excerpts from the Oriental Rugs of Bath:

“Short Encyclopaedia of Oriental Rugs”

This week we will start with ‘A’ for:

Abadeh Rugs come from the Iranian market town of the same name on the main road half way between Isfahan and Shiraz. It is traditionally where the Kashgai in their north/south seasonal migration would cross the highway.

An Abadeh rug from Iran

Abrash is the variation in the shade of a single colour field or area within a carpet, usually as a horizontal line (perpendicular to the warp) due to variation in wool’s ability to absorb the dye, uneven application of dye, or from the washing process. Abrash is commonly seen in tribal nomadic rugs and modern oriental rugs. Sometimes abrash is used intentionally for decorative effect.

Afghan Action Contemporary Rugs are produced in the charity Afghan Action’s workshop in Kabul. Their contemporary designs are strongly influenced by the traditional Kazak and Chobi designs their young rug weavers are used to and their sunny colours and architectural structures reflect an extraordinary optimism in the face of the daily conflict they see all around them.

Afghan Action Contemporary

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