Glossary

Abrash:
A Change in the color of a rug due to differences in the wool or dye batch. The color change runs across the rug, and is most likely to occur at the top.
 
Asymmetric knot:
A knot that may be open to the right or the left. Also known as Persian or Senneh knot.
 
Bamboo:
A symbol of longevity; a favorite motif in Chinese art.
 
Border:
A design around the edge of a rug, surrounding the field. The border usually includes a wide bank with a repeating design, called the main border.
 
Boteh:
A pear-shaped figure often used in oriental rug designs. Characteristic of the paisley pattern, the boteh may represent a leaf, bush or a pine cone.
 
Butterfly:
A Chinese figure that connotes great age when used in conjunction with other symbols.
 
Canary:
A symbol of family togetherness, regarded as a good omen.
 
Carding:
The combing of fibers with wire bristle brushes prior to spinning.
 
Cartoon:
A grid on paper with colored spaces to guide rug weavers in the execution of a rug's design.
 
Chain stitch:
A crochet stitch used in rug construction that consists of successive loops to lock the final weft in place at the end of a rug.
 
Chessboard:
One of four emblems of literature and science. Others are the harp books and paintings.
 
Cloud band:
A curved, horseshoe-shaped motif in Chinese carpet, used especially to fill vacant spaces.
 
Crocking:
A loss of dye color at spots of friction or wear.
 
Dhurrie:
A flatwoven rug from India, usually made of cotton or wool.
 
Endless knot:
A bhuddist emblem symbolizing long duration, often used with other symbols.
 
Farisbaff:
An asymmetric, or Persian pile knot.
 
Field:
The part of a rug's design surrounded by the border. The field may be blank or contain medallions or an over-all pattern.
 
Flatweave:
Any rug woven without a knotted pile.
 
Foundation:
The combination of warps and wefts in the body of a rug.
 
Fringe:
Warps extending from the ends of a rug, which are treated in several ways to prevent the wefts and knots from unravelling.
 
Ground:
The interlaced combination of warp and weft that comprises the fabric. In pile rugs, the ground is referred to as the foundation.
 
Guard stripe:
Stripes or lesser borders on either side of the main border.
 
Gul:
A medallion, either octagonal or angular in shape, used in Turkman designs. It is often repeated to form an all-over pattern in the field.
 
Herati pattern:
A design consisting of a flower in a diamond, with leaves outside and parallel to the diamond's sides.
 
Jufti knot:
A knot tied over four warps instead of the usual two.
 
Kenareh:
The Persian term for a runner, 21/2' by 31/2'.
 
Kilim:
A tapestry-like woven rug.
 
Kork:
Any fine wool.
 
Lotus flower:
A Bhuddist emblem of summer, happiness and maturity, regarded as a sacred flower.
 
Matn:
The ground or field of a rug.
 
Medallion:
The large enclosed portion of a design, usually in the center. Typical shapes are diamonds, octagons and hexagons.
 
Mercerized:
Cotton thread whose strength and sheen have been enhanced by treating with alkali under pressure.
 
Merino:
A breed of sheep that produces very fine wool. Originally raised in Spain, merino sheep whose wool is used in rugs are also raised in Australia and England.
 
Mina khani:
An all-over design consisting of two or more flower blossoms connected by a diamond lattice.
 
Mori:
The weaving technique of certain Pakistani and Indian rugs.
 
Naqsh:
A design or pattern.
 
Node:
One loop of a pile knot around a warp seen from the back of the rug.
 
Overcasting:
A treatment of selvages where yarn is wrapped or interwoven with a yarn that is not part of the foundation weft.
 
Painting:
Applying dye or stain to the front of a rug after it is woven.
 
Peace emblem:
A round, maze-like symbol used in rug design that connotes peace and longevity.
 
Peach blossom:
An emblem of spring, which is considered the blossom of the fruit of life.
 
Peach border:
A dotted interior border pattern used as a frame to separate the center design from the outside border.
 
Peony:
The flower of wealth and respectability used in rug design.
 
Pile:
The nap of the rug, or the tufts remaining after the knotted yarns are clipped.
 
Plain weave:
The simplest interlacing of warp and weft.
 
Plug:
A piece of a rug sewn or woven into a hole of another rug.
 
Ply:
Two or more yarns spun together.
 
Prayer rug:
A rug with a representation of a mosque or arched prayer area. Columns may be shown supporting the arch with a lamp hanging from the arch's apex.
 
Prunus:
The plum blossom, a symbol of beauty that often symbolizes winter, used in rug design.
 
Pushti:
A Persian mat of about 3' by 2 '.Rofu: A Persian term meaning a repair that is not evident.
 
Selvedge:
The edge warps of a rug and the foundation weft around those warps.
 
Soumak:
A flatweave rug made from a technique that produces a herringbone effect.
 
Spin:
The direction of a yarn's twist.
 
Staple:
The average length of fibers in a yarn.
 
Symmetric knot:
A knot tied on two warps; also known as the Giordes or Turkish knot.
 
Tapestry weave:
Any variety of weaves where the pattern is created by ground wefts that do not run from end to end.
 
Thunder line:
A border pattern that stems from prehistoric hieroglyphics.
 
Turn-arounds:
Reversals in direction of the new wefts.
 
Warp:
Comprising the structure, parallel warp yarns run the length of the rug, and are interlaced with wefts.
 
Warp-faced:
A rug where warps are more closely spaced than wefts, and wefts are concealed. In a balanced plain weave rug, warps and wefts are equally visible.
 
Warp offset:
A technique where some warps are held tightly in place, while others are held in place loosely.
 
Washing:
A chemical solution used after weaving to soften a rug's colors and increase its luster.
 
Weft:
The yarns woven horizontally through the warps.
 
Weft-faced:
A rug where the weft yarns are more closely spaced than the warps.
 
Weft twining:
A weft wrapping method where two wefts pass across warps, twisting together after each wrap or at regular intervals.
 
Whip stitch:
A stitch used to overcase and lock the final weft in rug ends.
 
Worsted:
A wool yarn of long staple with fibers that have been combed prior to spinning.