Rug Wiki
Glossary
Oriental-rug terms, clearly explained.
A
- Abrash
- Natural colour variation from hand-spun, differently dyed wool; a hallmark of genuine handwork.
G
- Gabbeh
- A thick, coarsely knotted Persian nomad rug with bold, minimal designs.
K
- Kilim
- A flat-woven rug without pile; warp and weft form the pattern directly.
- Knot density
- The number of knots per unit area; higher density allows finer detail. Read more →
P
- Patina
- The soft mellowing of a rug’s colours over the years; a fine patina adds to an antique’s appeal.
- Pile
- The knotted surface of the rug that forms the visible design.
- Prayer rug
- A rug with a directional niche (mihrab) in the design, traditionally oriented for prayer.
W
- Warp
- The lengthwise foundation threads around which the knots are tied.
- Weft
- The cross threads passed after each row of knots to secure the structure.