Sarouk Rug

Sarouk Rug
Design of Sarouk Rug (Rugman)
General information
Name	Sarouk Rug
Original name	قالی ساروق
Alternative name(s)	Sarouk Carpet
Origin	Iran: Markazi
Category	Village
Technical information
Common designs	Lachak Toranj, Afshan
Common colors	Red, Blue, Beige, Copper, Beige
Dyeing method	Natural, Synthetic
Pile material	Wool
Foundation material	Cotton
Knot type	Asymmetrical (Persian)

Sarough rugs originate from Sarough, also known as Sarouk and Saruq, located in the Province of Markasi in central Iran. Sarough is a very important village for area rug weaving. Their output is most impressive in both quality and number. Antique Sarough rugs produced prior to 1900 is considered to be a masterpiece. Due to the extraordinary quality of craftsmanship and material, it is sought after by museums and private collectors alike. Talented weavers create Sarough rugs in both village and workshop settings using the Persian knot, although the Turkish knot is seen in antique Saroughs.

Materials

Foundation and Pile

Antique Sarouks have a cotton foundation and a wool pile. American Sarouk carpets have a cotton foundation and a wool pile.

Techniques and structures

Color and dyeing

Field Antique Sarouks have colors were mostly brick-red or coral-red, with some woven in dark blue or ivory. These colors were interchangeable for the border and background.
The American Sarouks were usually woven with a light brick-red color in the field known as ronass in Farsi.
To better suit the American market, however, carpet importers would dye the backgrounds a deep red to match the decorative furnishings of the period. This process was done in a New York City washing facility, and the carpets came to be known as “Painted" American Sarouks. The borders were mainly dark blue, but some rugs with flower designs in the borders were also dyed. After World War II, the painted American Sarouks were very popular in the European rug market, especially in Germany. But because deep red was not suitable for European patrons, carpet dealers would chemically wash the carpets to remove the dark red dye. This wash process brought out a beautiful soft reddish gold or peach coloration in the background, and this carpet type is called a “Stripped" Sarouk in the market. The color was unusual for an Oriental carpet background and therefore there was great demand for the unique rugs in Germany. Many dealers took advantage of the great quantity of Sarouks in America and stripped them of their color for foreign export.
After World War II, some Sarouk weavers, under the supervision of American carpet importers, chose to use a dusty-pink that was popular in the overseas market as a background color. To achieve this muted shade, they would soak red-dyed wool in doughi (buttermilk) for several days. The rugs are known as DOUGHI CARPETS. The background colors “European” Sarouk of ivory, reds, and dark blues were interchangeable for the border.

Motifs and Designs

The first Sarouks were woven from the 1870s to the 1910s and are known as FARAHAN Sarouk or Antique Sarouk. The designs from this period are semifioral or semigeometric, usually displaying a center medallion and medallion sections in the field corners. A small percentage of allover styles were also made. Palmette, flower head, and leaf-and-vine motifs appear in the background and borders. The *Lattice pattern was occasionally woven for allover designs. Many attractive PRAYER RUGS were also woven.
The designs of the American Sarouk were semigeometric and generally had an allover pattern. The motifs included flowers, vases, branches, leaves, and vines mainly arranged to face the center of the carpet.
The third period of Sarouks dates from after World War II and these are categorized as two types: and MIR SAROUK. Both types were widely produced in the Sarouk and Arak regions. European Sarouks were semigeometric, with either a medallion or an allover pattern.

Bibliography

• Abraham Levi Moheban, (2015), The Encyclopedia of Antique Carpets: Twenty-Five Centuries of Weaving, NewYork: Princeton Architectural Press.