Red Sarasar Super Kazak Rug
This red Sarasar super Kazak rug was hand knotted in Afghanistan in lamb’s wool and measures 242 x 169 cm. Natural dyes colour the wool. A red field is set with octagonal medallions in cream, blue and gold, inside a cream border, so it works as a bold centrepiece for a living room.
The design up close
The medallions are laid out in staggered rows. Octagons in cream and blue-grey sit at the sides, while the centre column carries larger gold and red medallions. Small star flowers in cream, blue and gold fill the spaces around them, so the red ground shows in the gaps. The staggered rows give the centre column a zigzag rhythm, with each larger medallion sitting between two of the side octagons. The cream border is the brightest part of the edge.
The border is cream with red and blue motifs, and a narrow band of blue and gold separates it from the red field. Seen whole, this red Sarasar super Kazak rug reads as a single bold field, with the medallions ordered in staggered rows.
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 red Sarasar super Kazak rug is made
Weavers tie every knot in this red Sarasar super Kazak rug by hand, and the design shows on the back with the slight irregularities that only hand knotting leaves. Natural dyes colour the wool, and small batches of dyed wool can leave gentle shifts of tone across a large field, which weavers value as a sign of handwork rather than a fault. A room-size rug like this one can take a small team of weavers many months.
Sizing it for your room
At 242 x 169 cm this red Sarasar super Kazak rug covers about 4.1 square metres. A dining table of about 180 x 90 cm leaves about 31 cm of rug past each end and 39.5 cm along each side, so the table sits well inside the outline of the rug. Kazak rugs with a strong red field suit rooms with cream or grey walls, and timber floors let the red read clearly.
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 Sarasar super 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.
