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Antique Caucasian Rugs

Antique Caucasian rugs were woven in the Caucusus. Approximately 95% were made in Azerbaijan, while Georgia and Armenia accounted for the rest. Before April of 1920 when Azerbaijan became part of the Soviet Union and lost its independence, rug weavers wove their rugs at home using natural dyes constructed on a wool foundation. The government of the Soviet Union began building factories for the Oriental rug weavers where commercial rugs using chemical dyes were constructed on a cotton foundation to lower the cost of production.

Some rugs were still woven in the weaver's homes after April 1920 and still included the wool foundation, but after 1935 all rugs woven in the region were made with chemical dyes. Production of Oriental rugs in the Azerbaijan area has recently increased to meet the demand for Caucasian rugs. The most modern rugs from this region are being woven similarly to rugs woven in the early 1900's.

The five main Caucasian rugs are Kuba, Shirvan, Kazak, Baku Cabistan and Karabaugh. There were many different qualities and designs made in these areas, which can make correctly identifying a Caucasian rug difficult. Some rugs from the area of Kuba are Perepedil, Chan, Chi-Chi, and Alpan. Some rugs from the area of Shirvan are Shamaha, Merazely and Ardgiman. Some rugs from the area of Kazak are Borcialu, Chelaberd, and Sewan. Some rugs from the area of Baku Cabistan are Apsheron, Shichly and Afshan. Some rugs from the area of Karabaugh are Karabaugh and Guldja. The spelling of the above names is phonetic (translated based on the way they sound).

Area Rugs - Countries of Origin