Camel Super Kazak Runner
This camel super Kazak runner was double hand knotted in Afghanistan in fine lamb’s wool and measures 394 x 104 cm. A camel ground runs its full length, with a central column of stacked diamond medallions framed by a rust and brick border, so the runner reads as a warm strip of colour from the doorway.
The design up close
Down the centre, diamond medallions stack one above another, each with an ivory edge and a core filled in red, blue, green or orange. Small stars and crosses in rust and cream sit between them on the camel ground. The medallions on this camel super Kazak runner differ slightly in their centres.
The border is built from several narrow bands. The inner band repeats small hooked and stepped motifs in cream and blue, a wider rust band carries a row of diamonds, and the outer edge is a darker band with a fine repeated pattern.
On this camel super Kazak runner, the rust and red of the border pull the eye back toward the centre column, so the runner looks lighter in its middle and deeper at the edges.
Where Kazak rugs come from
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, boldly coloured rugs with large geometric medallions, stars and hooked motifs in deep reds, blues and ivory.
In recent decades, weavers in Afghanistan and Pakistan have revived these designs, and our Kazak rugs are hand knotted in Afghanistan. This runner keeps the stacked medallions and star layout of the old designs and carries them down a long, narrow format.
How this camel super Kazak runner is made
Hand knotting means each knot is tied by hand on a loom, row after row. Turn the runner over and the design shows on the back, with the small irregularities that come from tying every knot by hand. Our records note vegetable dyes for this piece.
Many Kazak rugs are made from hand-spun wool, which gives a soft sheen and a gentle variation in the yarn. A good Kazak has a dense pile and feels heavy for its size, which is part of why it wears so well. This runner is made from lamb’s wool.
Sizing it for your room
At 394 x 104 cm this camel super Kazak runner covers about 4.1 square metres. Its length suits a long hallway, a kitchen galley or the floor beside a bed, where it can run along the length of the room. For a hallway, allow the runner width plus about 10 to 20 cm of floor on each side, so a hallway about 124 to 144 cm wide suits it.
Because it is narrow, keep it where people walk, such as beside a bed or along a hallway.
Looking after your rug
Vacuum this camel super Kazak runner 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 this camel super Kazak runner 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.
