| The variations found in rugs and kilims around the | | | | passage of timeand the rug maker. The nomads who |
| world are amazing and beautiful. | | | | made kilims could not produce a large batch of |
| The color combinations present in a kilim or persian rug | | | | dye,therefore sometimes the color would vary from lot |
| make it appealing to the eye and awonderfully | | | | to lot in that way as well.Also the typeand quality of |
| decorative work of art. Each color hides a meaning | | | | wool was a factor in the final color result. |
| which contributesto it's fascination. Early rugs and kilims | | | | Long ago dyers realized that as more wool was dyed |
| of course used dyes obtained from vegetableand | | | | in a single dyepot, colors became weakerand weaker. |
| animal sources. In modern times synthetic dyes (aniline | | | | Dyers use this notion of depleted dyes to their |
| or chrome) are also usedand make rugs more | | | | advantage. The first dyeingproduces a deep, strong |
| affordable to the average person. The following is a | | | | color. Subsequent dyeings in the same dyepot produce |
| list of some ofthe most common uses of color in rugs | | | | lighter,softer colorso Synthetic Dyes: Aniline Dyes |
| today and from times past.o Red is the color of fire, | | | | Aniline dyes were speedily adopted in the carpet |
| enthusiasm, courage, virility, faith, luck and joy. | | | | industry due to their low cost and |
| However,it also carries the idea of sorrow and | | | | easy-to-usecharacteristic. The use of them was not |
| calamity.o Orange stands for humility and piety.o Blue | | | | limited to a specific area but spread throughout |
| symbolizes a sense of strength and power or forceo | | | | theworld. In the last years of the nineteenth century |
| Green is used sparingly and only in place which are | | | | aniline dyes were strongly acidicwhich damaged the |
| unlikely to be trodden on.It also meanshope, life, | | | | quality of the rug by destroying the natural oil in the |
| renewal and spring.o Natural dyes: Vegetable and | | | | wool causingthe rug to wear off in no time. In addition, |
| Animal | | | | the colors ran when the kilim was washed orfaded if |
| Time-consuming, pricey and tiresome are adjectives | | | | the rug was exposed to sunlight. |
| generally connected to the descriptionof the making | | | | Because of these problems, aniline dyes are not used |
| and using of natural dyes, both vegetable and animal. | | | | as much as they used to be. Nowadaysthey are used |
| Whenever vegetable andanimal sources are abundant | | | | in the dyeing of inferior-quality rugs. If you do not know |
| in the area where kilims or rugs are manufactured the | | | | whether yourprecious kilim or persian style rug was |
| situationchanges and it becomes financially feasible to | | | | aniline dyed. You should rub a damp cloth overthe pile. |
| use vegetable or animal dyes. The sourcesof these | | | | If the rug was dyed with a good-quality vegetable or |
| dyes may vary from country to country but the most | | | | chemical dye it will notrub off onto the cloth, but if it |
| common are the following:o .Indigo:(originally obtained by | | | | does then your rug has been dyed with aniline.o |
| extracting and fermenting indican from the leaves of | | | | Synthetic Dyes: Chrome Dyes |
| theindigo plant) Produces Dark navy blueo Madder: | | | | At present, oriental rugs are dyed with Chrome dyes. |
| redroot of the madder plant;(produced by boiling the | | | | In contrast to natural dyes, theseare simpler to use, |
| dried, chunked root of themadder plant in the dye pot) | | | | quite cheaper and their dye is much easier to match. |
| Produces dark, rusty red.o Red: cochineal insecto | | | | Chrome dyes offera greater range of shades and |
| Yellow: weld, vine leaves or pomegranate peel. | | | | colors which are colorfast. The natural oils of the wool |
| produces muted goldo Brown : walnut shells or oak | | | | arenot removed so the kilim will not be worn off as |
| barko Green: combination of weld and indigoo Purple: | | | | fast as an aniline dyed one. Although chromedyes are |
| hollyhockso Black: walnutso Larkspur: planto Henna: | | | | widely used, in the past there were also complaints |
| leaves and flowers | | | | with them because their colorswere harsher than the |
| An observation should be made regarding slight | | | | hues of natural dyes. This was corrected by the |
| changes in color usually seen in older rugsfor this | | | | implementation of alight chemical wash which is done |
| happens when the weaver starts weaving with a yarn | | | | to most rugs before being exported to ensure the |
| from a different dye lot than theone previously used | | | | richnessof the rug. |
| .This peculiarity is common when working with natural | | | | Rugs which are dyed in this way can never achieve |
| dyes since it isquite difficult to get an exact color | | | | the soft hue of a rug which is dyed witha natural dye. |
| match. Fortunately, this condition does not affectthe | | | | The rug fades a bit over time, depending on it's |
| value of the rug. It may in fact increase it's value. | | | | exposure to the sun and generaluse, but the color |
| It is very common on tribal rugs to see this variation in | | | | which it achieves as a result is warm and unobtainable |
| color and is a unique characteristicof hand made rugs. | | | | in any other way. |
| The exact "recipe" used by a particular rug maker | | | | The next time you look at your treasured rug or kilim, |
| was a closely guardedsecret which passed from | | | | think of how it was dyed and appreciateit's beauty all |
| generation to generation, or sometimes died with the | | | | the more. Kilims and rugs are wonderful to behold! |