Scarlet Kazak Runner
This scarlet Kazak runner is hand knotted in Afghanistan from wool and measures 396 x 82 cm, a long runner for a hallway or corridor. It is a Super Fine Kazak with a bright, saturated red ground and a row of ivory and blue medallions down the centre. Our records note vegetable dyes.
The design up close
Medallions run the length of the field in a single row. Each one is a stepped, angular shape with a small diamond at its centre, outlined in ivory, blue and orange on the red ground. Between them, smaller motifs in cream and blue fill the spaces.
The main border is ivory, with small red and blue lozenges repeating along its length. Outside it, a narrow red band and thin stripes frame the runner.
Cream and blue in the medallions balance the strong red. A scarlet Kazak runner works as a focal point at the end of a hallway, where the whole length of the field is visible at once.
Kazak rugs and their design
Kazak rugs revive the bold, geometric designs first woven in the Caucasus. The name comes from the Kazak (Gazakh) district of the southern Caucasus, where weavers 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, often using hand-spun wool and natural dyes, so the old patterns live on in new rugs.
How a scarlet Kazak runner is made
Our records note vegetable dyes. Abrash, the soft change of shade across the field that comes from dyeing in small batches, is valued as a sign of handwork rather than a fault.
Hand knotting gives a dense pile. The design shows clearly on the back, and a good Kazak feels heavy for its size, which is why it wears so well.
Sizing it for your room
At 396 x 82 cm the runner covers about 3.2 square metres. Its width suits a hallway about 1.1 to 1.2 metres wide, since the runner plus 10 to 20 cm of floor on each side gives 102 to 122 cm. At nearly 4 metres long, a scarlet Kazak runner suits a long hallway, a corridor or a galley kitchen.
The strong red also sits well beside a bed, where the runner can meet the floor on either side of the mattress.
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.
A scarlet Kazak runner in a hallway meets the most foot traffic in the house, so vacuum it more often than a rug in a quiet room.
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 scarlet 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.
