Terminology
Oriental Style Area Rugs have produced a number of terms that you may not understand. Below are several pre-defined terms that will help you understand the creation and cleaning process of Oriental Style Area Rugs.
Popular Terms
Weave – Interlacing long threads passing in one direction with others at a right angle to them. Also known as entwine, twist, intertwine, plait, or loop.
Field – The background of Oriental Style Area Rugs where the vast majority of medallions and designs are located. Fields can be broken up into different rectangular, square, or diamond shaped compartments, which can then be arranged into rows.
Medallion – An oval or circular painting, panel, or design used to decorate area rugs. Medallions are symmetrical and occupy the center of the field. Parts of the medallion, or corresponding designs, are repeated at the four corners of the field.
Corner Bracket – The space located between the background and the borders of the carpet. These appear when a rug has a circular or diamond shaped center.
Knots – An important part of knotted-pile carpets. Knots are hand-made and come in different styles, types, and methods.
End Finishes – These can be found along the ends of the rug. They keep knots and wefts in place by securing ends with warp strings and edge bindings.
Knot Count – Expressed in knots per square inch (kpsi), this measurement relays important structural information. Generally speaking, the ratio between horizontal and vertical knots should be as close to 1:1 as possible, though this takes an intense amount of skill.
Pile – The density of the fibers. Pile can either be short (flat) or long (shaggy). This goes hand-in-hand with pile height, which measures the thickness of a rug.
Warps – Pieces of string that are stretched across the frame or loom on which the carpet will be made. The warp is the foundation for the rest of the rug. The tension created by being stretched will provide structure until other components are worked into the piece.
Wefts – Strings that run parallel to loom beams. An individual string is called a pick. Each pick is inserted over and under the warp strings and between knots placed along the warp strings. It strengthens the rug and solidifies structure. Wool, silk, and cotton are all commonly used as wefts.
Edge Bindings – Warps will not always be held to loom beams. This means they need to be strengthened along the edges of the rug. To accomplish this feat, yarn is wrapped around a group of warp strings to keep them pulled together. This makes up the edge binding of the rug.
Fringes – Although the fringes of the rug create an interesting aesthetic, they serve a functional purpose as well. Fringes are the ends of warp string knots, accessible when the rug is released from the loom beams and nearly completed. Fringes keep the ends of the rug tight and hold knots in place.
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