Rugs from the Caucasus come from the region between the Black and Caspian Seas. Until the USSR took over the land, very little was known about the settled tribes living there. However, prior to that, it's been said that when the serfs were freed in the 1860's, they were encouraged to settle in the Caucasus and take up weaving. The result… an increase in rug production during the late 19th century. Unlike their Turkish neighbors who made rugs for their homes and local consumption, there is not much evidence of village rugs in the Caucacus, they were mostly for exportation.
To make it easy, we could split these rugs into two categories, the Kazak group and the Kuba group. Popular rugs you may have heard of in the Kazak category would be Kazak, Bordjalou, Gendje, Karabagh and Lenkoran. These communities lie south of the Caucasus Mountains, which is close to Turkey and Iran or what was once Persia. The Kuba group, has rugs from Kuba, Baku, Daghestan and Shirvan, all of which are north and east of the Caucasian Mountains. This second group is almost all Muslim, so if you see a Caucasian prayer rug it most likely came from that region. However, prayer rugs were so widespread since the 16th century, the overabundance of them only suggests that the vast majority produced were never prayed on at all.
Tribes closer to the mountains and in the south wove a much coarser weave resulting in longer piled rugs, maybe because of the colder climate or maybe because of the wool. Rugs in other areas had a finer weave resulting in a thinner pile. As the Caucasus had many tribes, you can see where the Persian and Far East motifs have influence, however, tend to be much more angular and geometric in Caucasian rugs. During the late 19th century, Caucasian designs started to copy Persian rugs to gain market share, i.e., Shirvans starting to be woven with center medallions and corner triangular spaces. There is also a huge emphasis on negative space in Caucasian patterns. These rugs are designs within designs or the field becoming a design depending on how you look at it. Is it a border? Is it the field ? Is it both? How do you see it…? Caucasian rugs will always keep you busy with questions.
Below you will see Afghan Caucasian rugs in our store inventory. A little history on that… When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in the 1980’s many people fled towards the border to Pakistan, living in refugee camps and unable to secure jobs. Needing funds to live, they began weaving in the original style of rugs from the Caucasus, or in their words, from Kazak. They are made of strong wool, beautiful colors, and hold a remarkable sense of imitation to look authentic in place of their ancestors. This is why we carry them.
Please check out the 2 links below. Roz discusses Afghan Caucasians, if you haven’t seen it before. The second link, Peter Pap examines a beautiful Bordjalou Kazak from 1830-1850, definitely worth a listen.
Roz discusses "Why Afghan Rugs Sell Themselves"
Peter Pap discusses Kazak Border
