Blue White Border Kazak Rug
This blue white border Kazak rug was double hand knotted in Afghanistan in lamb’s wool and measures 118 x 82 cm. It is a Sarasar design with a bright blue field, a white border and a centre column of red and cream motifs.
The design up close
The blue field of this blue white border Kazak rug carries a column of tall branching motifs in red and cream down its centre. A gold medallion with a red heart sits in the middle of the column, and cream and red star shapes flank it on either side. Navy leaf shapes come in pairs between the motifs.
The border is white and set with large rosettes in red, navy, gold and cream, with small crosses in the spaces between them. A narrow red stripe runs round the inside of the border, between the white and the blue field.
Because the blue is bright and the border is pale, the pattern reads clearly from across a room, and the rosettes stand out most against the white.
Kazak designs from the Caucasus
Kazak designs were first woven in the Caucasus, and the name comes from the Kazak (Gazakh) district of the southern Caucasus, on the borders of today’s Azerbaijan, Armenia and Georgia. Weavers there made thick rugs with large medallions, stars and hooked motifs in deep reds, blues and ivory. Weavers in Afghanistan have revived these designs in recent decades, and Kazak rugs made today keep the bold geometric look in thick, hard-wearing wool.
The rosettes and star shapes in this rug belong to that same geometric family, so the border and the centre read as parts of one design.
How it is made
This blue white border Kazak rug is double hand knotted, with each knot tied by hand on a loom. Turn the rug over and the design shows on the back, with small irregularities where the knots sit slightly differently from one another.
Our records note German dyes. Kazak rugs from Afghanistan are hand knotted in this way, so the blue field and the red and gold figures were built up knot by knot.
Sizing a blue white border Kazak rug
At 118 x 82 cm the rug covers about 1.0 square metre, so it is a small piece for a bedside, an entrance or the space in front of an armchair. A blue white border Kazak rug this size works best as an accent, with the blue field giving a small corner a clear focal point.
On a dark or timber floor the white border frames the blue well.
Looking after your rug
Vacuum it on a suction-only setting, or with the beater bar switched off, so the brush does not pull at the knots. Turn it around every six to twelve months so sun and foot traffic wear it evenly. Blot spills with a clean white cloth and cold water rather than rubbing them in. When it needs a full clean, choose a cleaner who washes handmade rugs by hand.
Put a good underlay beneath it. It stops the rug sliding on timber or tiles, adds cushioning and takes some of the wear off the pile. Moths like wool in dark, quiet spots, such as the part of a rug under a sofa, so vacuum those areas often and lift the furniture now and then.
See it before you buy
Visit our showroom at 307 Penshurst St, North Willoughby, open every day from 11 am to 4:30 pm, to see blue white border Kazak rug in person. If you would rather judge it in your own room, with your own light and furniture, book an in-home viewing and we will bring a selection to you.
Browse more Kazak Rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about Caucasian and Kazak rugs.
