20

Baluch Pile Rug
Late 19th century

The field of this prayer rug features a unique design of alternating pillars of repeating patterns heavily reliant on the use of natural wool for contrast. The prayer field is framed by a Greek Key like design. By only using four darker colors, the weaver was still able to create a contrasting major border that uses a device similar to that seen in one of the secondary borders in Craycraft's plate No. 4.1 Through the years, the brown dyed wool has corroded giving the rug a relief feature common to Baluchi weavings of the nineteenth century. 

1. Michael Craycraft and Anne Halley, Belouch Prayer Rugs, San Francisco, 1983.

 

 

   

Detailed Images  (click an image for a detailed view)

Detail 1 - front
(164kb)
Detail 2 - sides, ends
 & back (139kb)
Detail 1 - front
(147kb)

 

    
Structural Analysis
Size:

5' 1" x 3' (155 x 91 cm)

Warp:

light brown wool


2 shoots brown wool

Pile:

wool, asymmetric knots, open left, 12v x 10h, 120 kpsi

Colors: (5) brown (corroded), ivory (natural wool), dark blue, aubergine, and cherry red
Ends:

5" inches total; flat weave with 1 weft float pattern

Sides:

light brown wool selvedge of 2 cords of 4 warps wrapped in goat hair

    
 

 

 
  
 
 

 


NERS GALLERY
Prayer Rugs & Related Textiles