Karagashli Kuba rugs, Caucasian Kuba Karagashli rugs, Kuba Shahnazarli rugs

About the Antique Rugs of the Future Project

Sheep Breeds of Azerbaijan

Shearing, Sorting, Washing, Carding, Spinning

"The advantages of handspun yarn to machine spun yarn"

Rediscovery of Ancient Natural Dyes

Our Natural Dyestuffs

Mordants

Difference between synthetically and naturally dyed rugs

Weaving and Finishing Steps

Galleries of ARFP Caucasian Azerbaijani Rugs

CAUCASIAN KUBA/SHIRVAN MEDALLION GUBPA (SHAHNAZARLI - KARAGASHLI) RUGS, AZERBAIJAN

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Caucasian Kuba Shahnazarli Rug Code: KUSHAH01 Size: 147x205cm Size (ft): 4'9"x6'8" Area: 3.01 m² Density: 220 000 knots per square meter Dyes: 100% natural dyes: madder, spurge / euphorbia, indigo, pomegranate skins Materials: Handcarded and handspun wool for pile, wool warps and cotton wefts Hand Woven in Azerbaijan Design: Three diamond medallions surrounded two large gubbas (domes) are contoured in sky blue and honey yellow against a cerulean blue field decorated with rectangular tribal motives and an interspersing arrangement of ivory grapes leaf motifs; in a golden yellow birds main border, between an ivory "Z" type inner border and an outer border of octofoil blossoms, separated by rust and ivory ‘barber’s’ pole guard stripes. A successful and satisfying application of a constrained palette of earth and sky shades, producing a cool, refined tonal atmosphere ideally suited to the disciplined economy of the design.	Caucasian Kuba Shahnazarli Rug Code: KUSHAH18 Size: 149x239cm Size (ft): 4'10"x7'10" Dyes: 100% natural dyes: madder, spurge / euphorbia for green and yellow, indigo, onion skins Materials: Handcarded and handspun wool for pile, wool warps and cotton wefts Hand Woven in Azerbaijan Design: The indigo field with various human being, animal and bird figures, floral motifs around three stepped and checkered lozenge medallions with stylised bold serrated pendants, each containing multiple hooked lozenges, in a golden polychrome interlocked bird design main border between floral and Z motif minor borders. The serrated/saw-edged medallions (gubba, gubpa) have been related by some authors to ancient Egyptian and Persian Royal insignia.	Caucasian Kuba Shahnazarli Rug Code: KUSHAH17 Size: 143x215cm Size (ft): 4'8"x7'0" Dyes: 100% natural dyes: madder, spurge / euphorbia for green and yellow, indigo, onion skins Materials: Handcarded and handspun wool for pile, wool warps and cotton wefts Hand Woven in Azerbaijan, weaver's name: Salima Design: This rug represents a well known type of Kuba-Shirvan carpet composition which has rows of stepped edged and conjoined hexagonal motifs arranged in a single vertical row, with a flattened, saw-edged medallion (gubba, gubpa) at either end of the row; the latter motif has been related by some authors to ancient Egyptian and Persian Royal insignia.

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Kuba Shahnazarli Rug CODE: KUSHAH15 Size: 155x206cm Size (ft): 5'1"x6'9" Area: 3.2 m² Density: 220 000 knots per square meter Dyes: 100% natural dyes: madder, spurge / euphorbia, indigo, pomegranate rinds Materials: Handcarded and handspun wool for pile, wool warps and cotton wefts Hand knotted in Azerbaijan	Kuba Shahnazarli Rug CODE: KUSHAH08 Size: 149x221cm Size (ft): 4'10"x7'3" Dyes: 100% natural dyes: madder, spurge / euphorbia, indigo, pomegranate rinds Materials: Handcarded and handspun wool for pile, wool warps and cotton wefts Hand Woven in Azerbaijan Design: The indigo field scattered with a variety of floral, geometric and bird motifs around a column of three stepped concentric light blue and yellow linked lozenge medallions, a palmette pendant above and below, in a golden yellow border of polychrome hooked motifs between aubergine and red linked polychrome flowerhead and inner Z-motif stripes	Caucasian Medallion Gubpa Rug (Shirvan Kurdemir type) CODE: KUSHAH11 Size: 100x210cm Size (ft): 3'3"x6'10" Area: 2.1 m² Density: 220 000 knots per square meter Dyes: 100% natural dyes: madder, spurge / euphorbia for green and yellow, indigo Materials: Handcarded and handspun wool for pile, wool warps and cotton wefts Hand knotted in Azerbaijan Design: Three diamond medallions of concentric inner construction and two broad red serrate-edged extensions (dome, gubba) carry two green hexagon end-pendants, all against a light blue field of latch-hooked diamonds encased in crimson and ivory boxed surrounds; a golden red interlocked S type of inner borders surrounding a broad indigo-blue "pine tree" (or superimposed arrow heads) central border. A well-drawn and attractively coloured Shirvan in one of the best-known designs of the origin, the radiating serrated lozenges in red above and below the medallions often explained as being fire symbols of the Zoroastrian cult.

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Caucasian Kuba Shahnazarli Rug Code: KUSHAH06 Size: 190x320cm Size (ft): 6'2"x10'6" Area: 6.08 m² Dyes: 100% natural dyes: madder, spurge / euphorbia, indigo Materials: Handcarded and handspun wool for pile, wool warps and cotton wefts Hand Woven in Azerbaijan Design: Three sky blue and light red hexagon medallions are outlined in white against a indigo blue field holding pairs of ivory grape leaves, quadrupeds and small bird forms; in an ivory polychrome crab-rosette border between four flower-star and "S" motif minor borders. As most examples of this group the rug also include serrated lozenges above and below the main hexagons.	Caucasian Kuba Shahnazarli Palace carpet CODE: KUSHAH13 Size: 420x610cm Size (ft): 13'9"x20'0" Area: 25.62 m² Density: 210 000 knots per square meter Dyes: 100% natural dyes: madder, spurge / euphorbia, indigo Materials: Handcarded and handspun wool for pile, wool warps and cotton wefts Hand knotted in Azerbaijan	Caucasian Kuba Shahnazarli Rug CODE: KUSHAH09 Size: 151x194cm Size (ft): 4'11"x6'4" Area: 2.93 m² Density: 210 000 knots per square meter Dyes: 100% natural dyes: madder, spurge / euphorbia for green and yellow, indigo, onion skins Materials: Handcarded and handspun wool for pile, wool warps and cotton wefts Hand knotted in Azerbaijan Design: Two vertical medallion systems each of three lapis blue and golden yelllow hexagonal lozenges with upper and lower red serrate-edged panels (gubpa-dome) flank a vertical axial arrangement of four red diamond medallions, all against a midnight blue field containing some ivory grape leaf motifs and stylised bird forms; a tan inner border of interlocking latch-hooked amulets and a striking ivory main border of polychrome interlock bird-like design are set between red and dark blue floral-repeat minor borders and golden inner medachyl stripe. Luminous dyes combine with in unusual asymmetry in the design execution to produce an attractively spontaneous visual impression in this finely-crafted example.

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Caucasian Kuba Shahnazarli Rug Code: KUSHAH03 Size: 135x150cm Size (ft): 4'5"x4'11" Dyes: 100% natural dyes: madder, spurge / euphorbia, indigo Materials: Handcarded and handspun wool for pile, wool warps and cotton wefts Hand Woven in Azerbaijan	Kuba Shahnazarli Gubba Rug Code: KUSHAH02 Size: 118x140cm Size (ft): 3'10"x4'7" Area: 1.65 m² Density: 220 000 knots per square meter Dyes: 100% natural dyes: madder, spurge / euphorbia, indigo, pomegranate rinds Materials: Handcarded and handspun wool for pile, wool warps and cotton wefts Hand Woven in Azerbaijan	Caucasian Kuba Shahnazarli Rug CODE: KUSHAH10 Size: 106x164cm Size (ft): 3'5"x5'4" Area: 1.73 m² Density: 200 000 knots per square meter Dyes: 100% natural dyes: madder, spurge / euphorbia for green and yellow, indigo Materials: Handcarded and handspun wool for pile, wool warps and cotton wefts Hand knotted in Azerbaijan Design: The madder red field with "vine leaf", "comb", small floral octagon and tribal horned motifs around single column of large stepped hexagonal medallions containing similar motifs, in broad golden interlocked bird design main border between the minor borders filled with the dark indigo polychrome stepped motifs and outer barber-pole stripes

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Caucasian Kuba Shahnazarli Rug Code: KUSHAH07 Size: 100x120cm Size (ft): 3'3"x3'11" Area: 1.2 m² Dyes: 100% natural dyes: madder, spurge / euphorbia, indigo Materials: Handcarded and handspun wool for pile, wool warps and cotton wefts Hand Woven in Azerbaijan	Caucasian Kuba Shahnazarli Rug CODE: KUSHAH16 Size: 118x138cm Size (ft): 3'10"x4'6" Area: 1.62 m² Density: 190 000 knots per square meter Dyes: 100% natural dyes: madder, spurge / euphorbia, indigo, pomegranate skins Materials: Handcarded and handspun wool for pile, wool warps and cotton wefts Hand knotted in Azerbaijan Design: The sky blue diamond medallion surrounded by serrated madder red gubbas (dome) are ranged the length of an azure field; a polychrome interlock bird design fills the ivory main border, flanked between red and dark blue floral-repeat minor borders.	Caucasian Kuba Shahnazarli Rug Code: KUSHAH04 Size: 158x211cm Size (ft): 5'2"x6'11" Dyes: 100% natural dyes: madder, spurge / euphorbia for green and yellow, indigo, onion skins Materials: Handcarded and handspun wool for pile, wool warps and cotton wefts Hand Woven in Azerbaijan Design: The indigo field with various bird figures, floral motifs around three stepped and checkered lozenge medallions with stylised bold serrated pendants, each containing multiple hooked lozenges, in a golden polychrome interlocked bird design main border between floral and Z motif minor borders

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Kuba Shahnazarli Rug CODE: KUSHAH12 Size: 160x214cm Size (ft): 5'3"x7'0" Area: 3.42 m² Density: 220 000 knots per square meter Dyes: 100% natural dyes: madder, spurge / euphorbia for green and yellow, indigo, onion skins Materials: Handcarded and handspun wool for pile, wool warps and cotton wefts Hand knotted in Azerbaijan	Caucasian Kuba Shahnazarli Rug Code: KUSHAH19 Size: 147x224cm Size (ft): 4'9"x7'4" Dyes: 100% natural dyes: madder, spurge / euphorbia for green and yellow, indigo, onion skins - all are eco-friendly and non-toxic Materials: Handcarded and handspun wool for pile, wool warps and cotton wefts Hand Woven in Azerbaijan Design: The indigo field with various human being (babies, women, men in traditional dresses, even a "strange" soldier or a king), animal and bird figures (peacocks, camels, domestic animals, goats, deers), mystical archaic elements, wheels, small houses with crosses underneath (?), swastikas, weaving combs and floral motifs around three stepped and checkered lozenge medallions with stylised bold serrated pendants, in a golden polychrome "S" dragon motif main border between floral and Z motif minor borders. The serrated/saw-edged medallions (gubba, gubpa) have been related by some authors to ancient Egyptian and Persian Royal insignia.