Red Super Kazak Runner
This red Super Kazak runner was hand double knotted in Afghanistan in lamb’s wool, with vegetable dyes, and measures 225 x 73 cm. Its bold red field carries five geometric medallions in navy, cream and blue, set in a long central panel and framed by stepped borders.
The design up close
Five medallions stack one above another down the centre. The three middle ones are diamonds with hooked arms, in navy, cream and blue, and the medallions at each end are rounder, with blue, cream and red centres. Small cream and blue flowers sit between them, so the column reads clearly from one end of the runner to the other. The medallions have cream and navy outlines that keep their shapes sharp against the red.
Between the medallions, small red squares with gold outlines and tiny navy crosses fill the spaces on the red ground. The motifs are small enough that the red shows around each one, so the field feels rich and even.
The border has two parts. A narrow cream band with a stepped zigzag in red, navy and cream runs along each edge, and a second border of the same motif frames the outside. The stepped triangles follow the length of the runner, which gives the rug a strong direction that suits a long, narrow space.
Kazak rugs and their origins
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. The hooked medallions on this red runner follow that older style.
Afghan weavers have revived these designs in recent decades, and this red Super Kazak runner is one of our Afghan pieces.
How a red Super Kazak runner is made
Afghan rugs are hand knotted on a loom, one knot at a time. This runner is double knotted, as its title states, and the pile is lamb’s wool. Our records note vegetable dyes, and the red ground and the navy, cream and blue motifs are all knotted into the same pile.
Sizing a red Super Kazak runner for your hallway
At 225 x 73 cm, this red Super Kazak runner covers about 1.6 square metres. Its width suits a hallway about 93 to 113 cm wide, which leaves 10 to 20 cm of floor showing on each side.
A runner this length also suits a kitchen galley, where it runs along the benches, or the floor beside a bed.
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 the red 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.
