Red Floral Kazak Rug
This red floral Kazak rug was hand knotted in Afghanistan in lamb wool and measures 303 x 246 cm, or about 7.5 square metres. The ground is a muted taupe, and a broad red border frames the field of medallions in cream, navy, red and gold.
The red floral Kazak rug up close
The field holds three columns of medallions, each with a central motif in cream, navy, red or gold. Between them sit smaller pendants and stylised flowers in red, navy, pale blue and gold. Small navy and red shapes link one medallion to the next, so the field reads as one connected design. The columns run from one end of the field to the other, so the eye follows them down the rug.
The border is red, with small cream, blue and yellow rosettes and star motifs. A thin navy line separates it from the field, and a narrow band of cream and navy runs along the outer edge. Against the taupe ground, the red border gives this red floral Kazak rug its strongest colour.
Where Kazak designs 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. Kazak rugs suit living rooms, family rooms, entrances and hallways, because thick wool and busy geometric designs hide everyday wear.
How it is made
Each knot in this red floral Kazak rug is tied by hand on a loom, row after row, and the pile is then sheared level. Turn the rug over and the design shows on the back, with the slight irregularities that hand knotting leaves. Kazak rugs are known for a thick, hard-wearing pile, and the fibre here is lamb wool.
Sizing it for your room
At 303 x 246 cm the rug covers about 7.5 square metres. With a three-seat sofa of about 2.2 m set along the long side and centred, about 42 cm of rug shows past each end. Under a dining table of about 180 x 90 cm, roughly 62 cm shows at each end and about 78 cm along each side. A red floral Kazak rug this size works in a family room with a sofa and armchairs. With a table of about 240 x 100 cm, roughly 32 cm shows at each end and about 73 cm along each side.
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 red floral 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.
