Light Blue Afghan Kazak Rug
This light blue Afghan Kazak rug was hand knotted in Afghanistan in lamb’s wool and measures 140 x 101 cm. Three medallions run down a blue field, set inside a wide gold and tan border with cream and dark brown motifs. Its compact size makes it a good fit for an entrance, a bedside or the space in front of an armchair, where the whole design can be seen at once.
The design up close
The top and bottom medallions are cream, with navy and teal centres and a fringe of small points around the edge. The middle medallion is larger and warmer, filled with gold and red, with a dark vertical line through its heart. Small red and gold flower motifs sit in the upper and lower corners of the field, and stylised plant shapes in red and orange fill the spaces between the medallions.
The border is gold and tan, carrying cream and dark brown squared motifs that repeat evenly along each side. A narrow stripe of red and cream lies inside it, and a thin band of red separates the border from the blue ground. At both ends of this light blue Afghan Kazak rug a short fringe finishes the weave.
Where Kazak designs come from
Kazak rugs take their name 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 have revived these designs, so pieces like this one carry an old pattern into new rooms.
How a light blue Afghan Kazak rug is made
Weavers tie every knot by hand on a loom, one knot at a time, then trim the pile level. Turn this light blue Afghan Kazak rug over and you can read the design on the back, with the small irregularities that only hand knotting leaves. Lamb’s wool gives the pile its soft surface, and the medallions sit in a clear column down the middle of the field, so the layout is easy to follow from either end.
Sizing it for your room
At 140 x 101 cm this light blue Afghan Kazak rug covers about 1.4 square metres. That is too small to sit under a three-seat sofa of about 2.2 m, so place it where it can be seen as a feature: in front of an armchair, beside a bed or at the foot of a hallway. Cream and navy furniture lets the border show, while timber floors pick up the gold in the centre medallion. Kazak rugs of this size are easy to move between rooms, so you can try it in two spots before you decide.
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 this light blue Afghan 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.
