The Story of Kazaks

This rug is an example of a Kazak. This style of weaving originated in the mountainous area between the black and the Caspian Sea. In modern times this area is part of Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia.

At the time of the origin of Kazaks, the center of the weaving world was to the south in Persia. In Persia the high art of weaving was delicately demonstrated in patterns with gentle arches and curves of impressive detail. The rugs coming out of Persia were not only wonderful artistic works, but they were also impressive technical achievements due to the density of the knots in them.

Kazaks did not aspire to the same goals as the Persian weaving made in the urban areas to the south. In contrast to the vaunted Persian weavings, Kazaks came from little villages in a backwater mountainous region. While the patterns of the Persian rugs to the south were extremely detailed with matching colors, Kazaks showcased bold contrasting colors and brilliant large-scale patterns. Kazaks were an in-your-face unrefined expression. With their unique style these rugs were able to express rugged and powerful emotion.

In modern times Kazaks are often used as examples to illustrate that the value of a rug can not be simply determined by a list of numerical criteria, such as knot density.