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GLOSSARY

	Abrash: A Change in the color of a rug due to differences in the wool or dye batch. The color change runs across the rug, and is most likely to occur at the top.

	Asymmetric knot: A knot that may be open to the right or the left. Also known as Persian or Senneh knot.

	Bamboo: A symbol of longevity; a favorite motif in Chinese art.

	Border: A design around the edge of a rug, surrounding the field. The border usually includes a wide bank with a repeating design, called the main border.

	Boteh: A pear-shaped figure often used in oriental rug designs. Characteristic of the paisley pattern, the boteh may represent a leaf, bush or a pine cone.

	Butterfly: A Chinese figure that connotes great age when used in conjunction with other symbols.

	Canary: A symbol of family togetherness, regarded as a good omen.

	Carding: The combing of fibers with wire bristle brushes prior to spinning.

	Cartoon: A grid on paper with colored spaces to guide rug weavers in the execution of a rug's design.

	Chain stitch: A crochet stitch used in rug construction that consists of successive loops to lock the final weft in place at the end of a rug.

	Chessboard: One of four emblems of literature and science. Others are the harp books and paintings.

	Cloud band: A curved, horseshoe-shaped motif in Chinese carpet, used especially to fill vacant spaces.

	Crocking: A loss of dye color at spots of friction or wear.

	Dhurrie: A flatwoven rug from India, usually made of cotton or wool.

	Endless knot: A bhuddist emblem symbolizing long duration, often used with other symbols.

	Farisbaff: An asymmetric, or Persian pile knot.

	Field: The part of a rug's design surrounded by the border. The field may be blank or contain medallions or an over-all pattern.

	Flatweave: Any rug woven without a knotted pile.

	Foundation: The combination of warps and wefts in the body of a rug.

	Fringe: Warps extending from the ends of a rug, which are treated in several ways to prevent the wefts and knots from unravelling.

	Ground: The interlaced combination of warp and weft that comprises the fabric. In pile rugs, the ground is referred to as the foundation.

	Guard stripe: Stripes or lesser borders on either side of the main border.

	Gul: A medallion, either octagonal or angular in shape, used in Turkman designs. It is often repeated to form an all-over pattern in the field.

	Herati pattern: A design consisting of a flower in a diamond, with leaves outside and parallel to the diamond's sides.

	Jufti knot: A knot tied over four warps instead of the usual two.

	Kenareh: The Persian term for a runner, 21/2' by 31/2'.

	Kilim: A tapestry-like woven rug.

	Kork: Any fine wool.

	Lotus flower: A Bhuddist emblem of summer, happiness and maturity, regarded as a sacred flower.

	Matn: The ground or field of a rug.

	Medallion: The large enclosed portion of a design, usually in the center. Typical shapes are diamonds, octagons and hexagons.

	Mercerized: Cotton thread whose strength and sheen have been enhanced by treating with alkali under pressure.

	Merino: A breed of sheep that produces very fine wool. Originally raised in Spain, merino sheep whose wool is used in rugs are also raised in Australia and England.

	Mina khani: An all-over design consisting of two or more flower blossoms connected by a diamond lattice.

	Mori: The weaving technique of certain Pakistani and Indian rugs.

	Naqsh: A design or pattern.

	Node: One loop of a pile knot around a warp seen from the back of the rug.

	Overcasting: A treatment of selvages where yarn is wrapped or interwoven with a yarn that is not part of the foundation weft.

	Painting: Applying dye or stain to the front of a rug after it is woven.

	Peace emblem: A round, maze-like symbol used in rug design that connotes peace and longevity.

	Peach blossom: An emblem of spring, which is considered the blossom of the fruit of life.

	Peach border: A dotted interior border pattern used as a frame to separate the center design from the outside border.

	Peony: The flower of wealth and respectability used in rug design.

	Pile: The nap of the rug, or the tufts remaining after the knotted yarns are clipped.

	Plain weave: The simplest interlacing of warp and weft.

	Plug: A piece of a rug sewn or woven into a hole of another rug.

	Ply: Two or more yarns spun together.

	Prayer rug: A rug with a representation of a mosque or arched prayer area. Columns may be shown supporting the arch with a lamp hanging from the arch's apex.

	Prunus: The plum blossom, a symbol of beauty that often symbolizes winter, used in rug design.

	Pushti: A Persian mat of about 3' by 2 '.Rofu: A Persian term meaning a repair that is not evident.

	Selvedge: The edge warps of a rug and the foundation weft around those warps.

	Soumak: A flatweave rug made from a technique that produces a herringbone effect.

	Spin: The direction of a yarn's twist.

	Staple: The average length of fibers in a yarn.

	Symmetric knot: A knot tied on two warps; also known as the Giordes or Turkish knot.

	Tapestry weave: Any variety of weaves where the pattern is created by ground wefts that do not run from end to end.

	Thunder line: A border pattern that stems from prehistoric hieroglyphics.

	Turn-arounds: Reversals in direction of the new wefts.

	Warp: Comprising the structure, parallel warp yarns run the length of the rug, and are interlaced with wefts.

	Warp-faced: A rug where warps are more closely spaced than wefts, and wefts are concealed. In a balanced plain weave rug, warps and wefts are equally visible.

	Warp offset: A technique where some warps are held tightly in place, while others are held in place loosely.

	Washing: A chemical solution used after weaving to soften a rug's colors and increase its luster.

	Weft: The yarns woven horizontally through the warps.

	Weft-faced: A rug where the weft yarns are more closely spaced than the warps.

	Weft twining: A weft wrapping method where two wefts pass across warps, twisting together after each wrap or at regular intervals.

	Whip stitch: A stitch used to overcase and lock the final weft in rug ends.

	Worsted: A wool yarn of long staple with fibers that have been combed prior to spinning.

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	courtesy of: Nourison Rug Corp. "© 1995 - 2003

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