A type of carpet constructed without pileThe surface of a rug or carpet, made of upright fibers in cut tufts or loops. In a hand-knotted rug it is formed by the cut ends of thousands of wool or silk knots tied onto the warp row by row, trimmed lightly during weaving and given its final height by shearing at finishing. Pile thickness, measured from the back of the rug to the top of the pile, typically runs from low, about 1/8 to 1/4 inch (3 to 6 mm), to high, about 1/2 to 5/8 inch (13 to 16 mm). Fine, dense designs are cut short to keep the pattern sharp; higher pile suits traffic and heavy furniture, lower pile suits door clearance and humid rooms., where the warp and weftThe two thread systems that make up a carpet's foundation: the warp, the vertical threads strung on the loom first, and the weft, the horizontal threads passed through them between rows of knots. The foundation is usually cotton, though wool is common in tribal and older rugs and silk in very fine ones. Single-weft rugs, standard in the greater Hamadan area, show zigzag rows of white warp dots on the back and have a thinner pile, whereas double-weft construction, standard in fine, tightly woven rugs and in Bijar and Heriz, hides the warp and gives a thicker, denser pile. The warp ends form the fringe, and extra weft passes at each end form the flat-woven kilim end that secures the pile. threads are woven together to create a flat surface. Examples include kilims, dhurries, and soumaks. Flatweaves are typically reversible, lightweight, and easier to clean than pile carpets, making them popular for casual spaces and warmer climates.
A rectangular woven box-bag — nomadic luggage — used by tribes of Persia and the Caucasus to store and transport bedding on migration. Woven flat in kilimA flat-woven rug with no pile, traditionally made in Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, and the Balkans. Colored weft threads are interlaced with the warp without knots, so both sides look alike. The fibers are typically wool, cotton, or goat hair, and natural dyes often give slight shade variations that are normal, not flaws. Its low profile clears doors easily, and it can hang as wall art. In a knotted rug, "kilim" also names the flat-woven band at each end, where extra weft rows secure the ends beside the fringe., soumakA flat-woven rug technique that creates a textured surface resembling braiding or embroidery. Unlike kilims, soumaks have a raised pattern created by wrapping weft threads around warp threads. This technique produces durable rugs with distinctive geometric designs and a textured surface, traditionally made in the Caucasus region, Iran, and Turkey., or mixed techniques and then assembled, mafrash panels display some of the boldest tribal design work, and many antique examples have been opened up and repurposed as striking flatweaveA type of carpet constructed without pile, where the warp and weft threads are woven together to create a flat surface. Examples include kilims, dhurries, and soumaks. Flatweaves are typically reversible, lightweight, and easier to clean than pile carpets, making them popular for casual spaces and warmer climates. rugs or cushions.