| Antique oriental rugs often display a characteristic that | | | | fuel to heat the water that was used to dye the wool |
| one never finds on rugs made after the invention of | | | | for the rugs. They reasoned that the absorption or the |
| synthetic dyes. Antique oriental rugs frequently have | | | | madder dyes must have taken place over an |
| abrash. Abrash is the name given to the hue or color | | | | extended period of time, and at temperatures about |
| change that can be observed when viewing older rugs | | | | equal to those used for making yogurt. The reasoning |
| from multiple angles. Abrash results from either | | | | of Haldane and Rubio showed an excellent |
| inconsistent dyeing or the introduction of new wool | | | | understanding of the mind-set of the ancient rug |
| before a given rug has been completed. | | | | makers. They did not do things in a hurry. |
| Scholars who study antique oriental rugs have long | | | | The information gleaned from those studies underlines |
| puzzled over how the ancient rug makers gave their | | | | the simplicity of the process used to dye the wool for |
| products such deep, rich colors. Recently, two such | | | | the antique oriental rugs. The wool would probably |
| scholars, Jack Haldane and Nest Rubio, have | | | | soak for up to 30 days in a mixture that resembled a |
| attempted to replicate the ancient dyeing process they | | | | water solution with 25% Alum. Then it would soak for |
| envisage it. These studies have focused on the ability | | | | 3 to 7 days in a mixture that was one part water and |
| of yarn to absorb the red color from the natural | | | | one part madder root. What resulted from all that |
| madder root. | | | | soaking were antique oriental rugs with lovely pinks, |
| Haldane and Rubio reasoned that the makers of | | | | vivid reds and striking deep Burgundies. |
| antique oriental rugs did not want to waste valuable | | | | |