Rugs woven in the Caucasus, the mountain region between the Black and Caspian seas, whose southern part lies in modern Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan; Kazak rugs were first made there in the 1800s. The label is used for the region's geometric, tribal-looking weaving, best known from Kazak rugs with large medallions, rosettes and tribal symbols, and it often describes designs that weavers elsewhere echo, as in some Quchan, Mehraban and Bijar rugs. Today's Kazak rugs from Pakistan revive this tradition.
The standard, entry-level grade of modern Kazak rug, also called regular Kazak and the one buyers see most often, woven by Afghan weavers in Pakistan. It has the lowest knot density of the three grades (commercial, Super Kazak and Kazak Azari), which suits its large, bold, mostly geometric patterns, and it comes in softened, subdued colors with a good choice of shades. It is generally the lowest-priced of the three.
A prized rug wool from the Ghazni region of Afghanistan. Like other top-grade fleece it is thick and oily, and it is ranked with Manchester wool and New Zealand wool among the three best-known high-quality wools for Persian and Oriental rugs. Kazak rugs woven by Afghan weavers in Pakistan use it hand-spun.
The most expensive of the three grades of modern Kazak rugs that Afghan weavers make in Pakistan, above commercial and Super Kazak. Its knot density equals that of a commercial Kazak or runs slightly higher, but it offers a much wider range of patterns and harmonious colors, with designs inspired by Persian Heriz rugs, and a medium-to-thick pile that feels more luxurious. Its hand-spun wool is the best of the three grades, thick and rich, and its colors come from vegetable dyes. Although the rugs look antique, they are newly made.
Bold geometric rugs originally woven by Armenian weavers in the southern Caucasus in the 1800s, in what is now Armenia, Georgia, and Azerbaijan, with large-scale patterns, tribal motifs and many medallions. Today they come mainly from workshops in Pakistan, where Afghan weavers have recreated the designs since the 1980s and 1990s in hand-spun Ghazni wool and vegetable dyes, in softer modern colors such as beige, teal, indigo, and rust red, often with a red field against a cream medallion and border; India also makes Kazak-style rugs. The low-to-medium pile is cut short and stone-washed for an antique look. Grades are commercial (lowest knot density), Super (finest knotting, silky wool), and Kazak Azari (Heriz-inspired designs, thicker pile, best wool, highest price); examples measure about 121 KPSI (roughly 1,900 knots per 10 x 10 cm) to 169 KPSI (roughly 2,600).
The shortest pile tier in one dealer's four-tier scheme, about 1/8 to 1/4 in (3.2 to 6.4 mm) measured from the back of the rug to the top of the pile; the next tier, low-medium, runs to 1/3 in (8.5 mm). It feels smooth and shows a sharp, high-resolution design, so finely knotted rugs, silk Tabriz and other pure silk rugs are trimmed low, as are antique rugs worn down by age and antique-washed Oushak and Kazak rugs. It clears doors that swing over it, absorbs less humidity and dust and vacuums more easily, but bears heavy traffic and furniture less well than a taller pile.
The grade of modern hand-knotted Kazak rugs with the highest knot density, woven in Pakistan by Afghan weavers. The tighter weave allows finer, more detailed geometric patterns, and the high-quality wool has an almost silky look and a soft sheen, in a good range of colors. It is priced in the middle of the three grades: the standard (commercial) Kazak, with the lowest density and large, bold patterns, costs less, and the Kazak Azari, with a wider range of designs and colors and thicker wool, costs more.