SAROUK(SARUQ)Carpet Properties:

Visibility: SAROUK (SARUQ) rugs and carpets are characterized by both curvilinear and geometric patterns and come in both traditional and American styles. The traditional designs consist of Herati, boteh, or gul hannai motifs in either an all-over or medallion layout. The medallion layout could have a hexagonal, oval, diamond, round, or angular floral shape. The most interesting traditional design is a medallion-and-corner layout which consists of geometric yet very naturalistic floral motifs. SAROUK (SARUQ) rugs and carpets are very famous, however, it is not easy to determine true SAROUKs (SARUQs) from those of neighboring villages and cities.

Quality: SAROUK (SARUQ) rugs and carpets are of excellent quality. Antique (1900) SAROUK (SARUQ) rugs and carpets are of extremely high quality and are being collected by museums and private collectors. After WWII, the quality SAROUK (SARUQ) rugs and carpets dropped for a brief period. Now carpets some of which are of the very highest quality are being exported all over the world, and especially to Europe and America.

Size & Shapes: SAROUK (SARUQ) rugs and carpets come in different sizes, but the majority of them are mid-size (4 x 6 to 8 x 10 feet).

Color: The main colors used in the traditional designs are red, blue, burnt orange, ocher, and champagne. The main colors used in American SAROUK (SARUQ) rugs and carpets are rich reds and blues. Sometimes the motifs are outlined with a lighter red, light yellow, or turquoise to create contrast between the background and the motifs, especially in the case of open field designs. An intense salmon pink called dughi pink is typical of American Saruks; this color is obtained by adding yogurt or curdled milk to the dye mixture. Other colors such as soft green, blue, and brown are found in newer carpets.

Texture: New SAROUK (SARUQ) rugs and carpets are made from excellent wool, cut medium high to high. Older pieces are often hard, woven in lustrous top quality wool, KORK (baby lamb's wool), and cut very short to short.

Foundation: Warps is mostly cotton; wefts is also cotton.

Knots: Inspection of the back of the carpet is important because the weavers in SAROUK (SARUQ) use Persian knots. In antique SAROUK (SARUQ) rugs and carpets, you can also find Turkish knots. The quality of the carpet depends upon the number of knots, which varies, but usually averages from around 120 KPSI (30 RAJ) up to 475 KPSI(60 RAJ).

Price: SAROUK (SARUQ) carpets are among the best looking and finest quality carpets. Expect to pay $8-$25 Per Square Foot (PSF) for a carpet from SAROUK (SARUQ). Keep in mind that, as a rule, the higher the KPSI, the greater is the price.