Terminology
Area rugs have a vocabulary all their own. But don't feel like you have to be an expert. 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 This rug-type was originally made of wool in Turkey.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.
Persian knot:
One of several knot types. An asymmetrical knot used to make hand-knotted rugs.
Savonnerie:
Refers to a popular French-designed rug.
Tapestry-woven:
Noted for their fine detail and flat-woven construction. Often tapestries will have artistic themes, nature scenes and floral patterns.
Turkish knot:
Unlike the Persian-knot, this weaving technique uses a symmetrical knot.
Warp:
The parallel strings that stretch vertically on the rug-weaver's loom. Visible warp strings form the fringe.
Weft:
These parallel horizontal strings on the loom combine with the warp to form the for which to weave a rug on.
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.
