Where were these rugs made?

These textiles were produced by nomadic and village weavers across the Caucasus region, encompassing areas that include modern Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. Each valley and tribal group maintained distinct design vocabularies. Local access to specific plants and minerals for dyeing, combined with regional tribal motifs, created distinct visual traditions that collectors use to identify origins such as Shirvan, Karabagh, or Daghestan.

How do I care for an old rug?

Maintenance requires gentle vacuuming without rotating brushes and professional cleaning when necessary to protect the wool pile and natural dyes. Keeping the textile away from direct sunlight prevents the colour from fading unevenly. Placing a breathable underlay beneath the carpet prevents slipping on hard floors and reduces friction between the foundation threads during everyday use.

What is the difference between pile and flat-weave?

Pile rugs are created by knotting individual strands of wool onto a foundation warp and weft, resulting in a thick, textured surface. Flat-weaves like kilims and Soumaks have no pile, created instead by interlacing warp and weft threads directly. Flat-woven pieces are lighter and traditionally served as utilitarian covers or wall hangings, whereas piled carpets provided warmth and cushioning on stone or earth floors.

How do I date a woven rug?

Dating relies on examining the materials, structural materials like cotton or wool warps, and the chemical composition of the dyes. Natural dyes and hand-spun wool generally point toward nineteenth and early twentieth-century production. Stylistic shifts, such as the introduction of synthetic aniline dyes towards the end of the nineteenth century, provide further benchmarks for establishing the period of manufacture.