What is a tribal rug?

A tribal rug is a hand-knotted textile created by nomadic or village weavers rather than urban workshops. These pieces reflect regional traditions through geometric patterns and locally sourced materials. Weavers utilised symbols and colour palettes unique to their specific group, such as Turkmen or Afshar tribes, resulting in authentic, highly individual floor coverings.

How do I care for an antique rug?

Antique rugs require gentle maintenance, beginning with regular, careful vacuuming without a rotating power brush. Professional cleaning by specialists in antique textiles preserves the natural wool pile. Keeping the rug out of direct sunlight prevents natural dyes from fading over time. Using a quality underlay protects the wool foundation from friction against hard floors.

Are natural dyes easy to spot?

Natural dyes display subtle variations in tone, known as abrash, where colour shifts slightly across the field of the rug. These variations occur because traditional dyebaths absorbed unevenly into hand-spun wool. Synthetic dyes introduced later often appear completely uniform and lack the deep, luminous quality of earlier organic colourants.