Light Blue Sarasar Kazak Rug
This light blue Sarasar Kazak rug was hand knotted in Afghanistan in lamb’s wool and measures 144 x 96 cm. The wool is coloured with natural dyes. A light blue field holds three medallions down its centre, and a deep red border frames the whole design. At this size it suits an entrance, a bedside or a reading corner where the border can be seen up close.
The design up close
The top and bottom medallions are cream, with navy and red centres and a ring of small points. The middle medallion is red, with a cream and gold heart and touches of green along its edge. Small cream and gold stepped motifs fill the field around the medallions, and the corners carry small blossoms in red and blue.
A cream strip sits between the blue ground and the red border, keeping the two colours from running together. The border is a wide band of red with rows of cream and blue rosettes, and a fringe finishes each end. Because the field is light and the border dark, the medallions of this light blue Sarasar Kazak rug read clearly even from across the room. The red border is the widest band in the rug, so it takes up a good share of the floor around the blue centre.
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 Sarasar Kazak rug is made
Weavers tie each knot by hand, then shear the pile level. Turn this light blue Sarasar Kazak rug over and the design shows on the back, along with the slight irregularities that hand knotting leaves. Natural dyes colour the wool, and small dye batches can leave gentle shifts of tone across a field, which weavers treat as a sign of handwork rather than a fault.
Sizing it for your room
At 144 x 96 cm this light blue Sarasar Kazak rug covers about 1.4 square metres. It is too small to sit under a sofa, so it works best as a feature in its own space: an entrance, a bedside or a corner with a single chair. Light timber floors show off the blue, and cream furnishings let the red border stand out.
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 Sarasar 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.
