20th Century Russian and Scandinavian Rugs

Baluch Rugs – Antique Baluch rugs are a unique phenomenon in the world of antique Oriental rugs. Rather than originating from one specific, easily identified region, Baluch rugs are ...

Antique Russian area rug handwoven from the finest sheep’s wool. It’s colored with all-natural vegetable dyes that are safe for humans and pets...

One of a kind vintage Bessarabian Kilim. A handwoven Eastern European Rug from Moldova. These traditional Moldovan flat-weaves are inspired from vintage Aubusson carpets but they ar...

Mid-20th century Swedish Geometric green, blue flat-weave wool rug Signed AB Size: 5'8" x 7'11" (172 x 241 cm) This vintage Swedish flat-weave rug, signed "AB," exemplifies mid-centu...

In this listing you will find an absolutely steiking and very rare vintage Ziegler rug. It features fantastic geometrical patterns with washed out red and blue on beige. Hand knotted...

ntique Bessarabian Rugs / Kilims in both pile and tapestry weaving technique are some of the more beautiful carpets to have been produced in Europe. Many of the Bessarabian Kilims we...

Striking Rya made with a high-quality handmade Rya weaving technique. To be used as a floor rug or a decorative wall hanging. In perfect condition, ready to hang. Sweden, circa 1960.

Soumak rugs (also spelled Sumak) – This construction technique produces a flat-weave rug that is thick, strong and exceptionally durable. Unlike kilims, Soumak rugs are not reversible because non-clipped yarns are left on the back. However, they are also stronger than kilims. Antique Soumak carpets are unique because the wefts are used to produce decorative patterns rather than as a structural element. Antique Soumak rugs are generally very finely woven and feature richly detailed motifs. Traditionally, these spectacular flat-weave carpets are decorated with ancient symbols, tiny birds and geometric animals. Many of these geometric patterns and tribal symbols are associated with the Shahsavan tribe. In the 17th century, these influential warriors served as the personal bodyguards to Shah Abbas according to historic legends. The Shahsavan, who used Soumak weaving techniques widely, inhabited modern-day Azerbaijan and parts of Northwest Persia near Ardabil. Because Soumak rugs were woven in various carpet producing regions, the designs they feature are exceptionally diverse. Although they are fairly rare compared to pile carpets and traditional kilims, antique Soumak rugs feature grand medallions, finely executed repeating patterns, Persian garden designs and tribal motifs that are surrounded by multiple sets of richly detailed borders. Antique Soumak rugs make outstanding floor coverings, but the technique was also used to construct bags, trappings, saddle covers, decorative bed spreads and functional household items. Like other regional handicrafts, antique Soumak rugs are highly decorative and diverse textile pieces that flatter modern furnishings and soften minimalist interiors very well. Soumak or Sumak is a type of brocading or flat-woven pile. Thicker than a kilim carpet, it is accomplished by looping the yarn horizontally around successive pairs of warps in between passes of over-under wefting. When compressed vertically with a weaver’s comb, the resultant texture looks like cabling rising slightly from the surface of the rug. Soumak is named for the village of Shemaka in the Caucasus where this technique was widely practiced, but it certainly was not invented there. Soumak has been practiced extensively across the antique rug producing world, from Central Asia to Iran, the Caucasus, and Turkey. Antique Soumak Weave Techniques: Soumak Weave – The art of fine rug weaving and making is ancient and complex. Over the centuries, a myriad of disparate cultures, from every corner of the globe, have developed methods of creating tight, long-lasting weaves, such as rugs, carpets, and kilims. As such, there is no singular, universal method for creating a fine weave; rather, there are several different, totally distinctive weaving techniques. These techniques and approaches have been developed over time and that are unique to the area, tribe and or people. One specific example of a type of weave that was developed and is still used to this day is the Soumak weave. The widespread adaptation of the Soumak weave by such a wide range of different rug-producing cultures is certainly a rather strong testament to the quality and “reproducibility” of the process — cornerstones of any long-lasted artistic technique. One of the most familiar types of antique weaving from the Caucasus region is the Soumak. These were produced in a wide array of designs, but generally they are typified by a crisp, precise drawing applied to highly abstract or stylized geometric patterns, using a rich and varied palette. In technical terms, Soumaks are flatwoven rugs. Their technique is related to that of kilims, but it is somewhat more complex, thicker in handle, and more durable as floor covering. As opposed to Kilim technique which consists of compacted weft facing simply running over and under the vertical wraps, Soumak weave runs the yarns around the warps in a serpentine pattern, over two, back one, over two back one, and so forth. The rows of this yarn facing or brocading are then separated by wefts like the rows of knots in pile carpets. The origin of this technique is hard to pinpoint, but it is attested literally from one end of the rug-producing world to the other. The term Soumak is apparently a corruption of the name Shemaka, a town in the Shirvan region of the Caucasus, where such rugs, it is often claimed, were made. However Soumaks were made in various areas of the Caucasus and the region north of Kuba seems to have been a major center of their production. Caucasian Soumaks have a very interesting design repertory, with a number of distinct types or groups. From the perspective of carpet history, the most interesting group is the one that utilizes field designs of large polygonal medallions, often in the shape of diamonds or stars. These tend to be modeled on early Turkish pile carpets, especially those of the so-called “small pattern Holbein” and “large pattern Holbein” types produced in Western Turkey during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. A key feature of the Holbein rugs is the use of small squares with horn-like hooked pairs as fillers in the indentations along the edge of the main medallions. Caucasian Soumaks of this type reproduce even these details with remarkable consistency and fidelity. The various smaller motifs used as space fillers seem to come from the common tribal repertory behind most Caucasian and Turkish rugs. The borders of Caucasian Soumaks tend to be made up of small geometric medallions or stylized rosettes, although they can be surprising, as on the example shown here which is adapted from kilim designs. A second major group of Caucasian Soumaks have allover field designs made up of smaller medallions arranged closely in staggered repetition. Some of these which have multi-pointed star-like configuration (the so-called Crivelli-Star) also come from the repertory of early Turkish rugs. But the oval medallions with undulating edges are floral palmettes of classical Persian derivation. Despite the varied origins of the design elements, the Soumaks of this group still convey considerable stylistic homogeneity or integrity. The borders of this second group are much the same as those of the first, although the example shown here has a highly unusual border that derives once again from early Turkish rugs. A third group of Caucasian Soumaks stems from more local traditions. Known as “Dragon Soumaks...

Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...

Swedish flat-weave carpet.

Large Vintage Swedish Kilim rug by unknown designer. Brown border with a green, white and red geometric design against a large beige central area. Fringes have been shortened and wit...

Vintage Scandinavian rug Swedish Kilim Rug Handmade Rare Human Figures Tapestry 6'1" X 8'10" 6x9 186cm x 270cm "This is a fantastic mid century Swedish Scandinavian Kilim. It has ...

78466 Laila Karttunen Finnish Flatweave Rug, 06'06 x 09'08. Woven with the quiet rhythm of Finnish earth and sky, this antique flatweave rug by Laila...

Beautiful modern contemporary George Earl Ortman art rug, country of origin / Rug type: Indian rug, circa 1970. Size: 9 ft x 4 ft (2.74 m x 1.22 m)  

A Bessarabian Kilim rug, circa 1920s. 76 by 117 inches

Up for sale is an Antique Khotan Samarkand Rug, from Uzbekistan, circa the 1900s.

Antique Swedish Tapestry 4x6 4'3" x 6'1" 130cm x 186cm About Us~ Welcome to Antique Rug Collection. Your #1 Source for handmade Antique Rugs...

A vintage Turkish Tulu rug resembling Scandinavian Kilims. Geometric design throughout. Lots of different colors. We are in love with the forest green field, circa 20th century. ...

A very long early 20th century Russian Karabagh runner featuring accents in black, blue, gold and rust. The border is black, the field is a deep navy blue. The quality is very fine....

A vintage Turkish carpet from the second quarter of the 20th century.

Antique Turkish Oushak rugs have been woven in Western Turkey since the beginning of the Ottoman period. Historians attributed to them many of the great masterpieces of early Turkish...

Antique Amritsar Rugs: - The spectacular rugs of Amritsar capture the exotic style of India while incorporating a subtle colonial influence. This convergence of eastern and western s...

Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...

Pillow made from a Russian Karabagh rug. Measures: 16" x 20".

Wonderful large European Austrian rug with nice Persian design and beautiful light colors, entirely hand knotted with wool velvet on cotton and jute founda...

Finely woven early 20th century handmade Kuba rug in easy-going earthy palette.

A large example of a mid-century Swedish kilim in tones of blues and cream. Geometric border design with dark blue edging. Professionally leaned. Sweden circa 1960. L 238cm x W 170cm...

A gallery-size one-of-a-kind 3rd quarter of the 20th century Turkish Kilim in ivory and gray Measures: 5'3'' x 10'4''.

A vintage Caucasian Karabagh from the mid-20th century.

ntique Russian area rug handwoven from the finest sheep’s wool. It’s colored with all-natural vegetable dyes that are safe for humans and pets. It’s a...

One of a kind whimsical Turkish Animal Human figurative Motif on a fuchsia ground. This rug is from the middle of the 20th century. Elephants, horses, hu...

The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and carpets for both interna...

A Unique Swedish 1930s Rya Wool Rug. With a vivid Symmetrical Flower Motif. Pure wool. Acquired directly from family of the original owner, North of Stockholm. This Scandinavia...

Wild room size Turkish kars rug from the middle of the 20th century. 2 medallions on a brown field, accents in neon green, electric blue, sunny yellow, pumpkin orange and bright pink...

Marvelous one of a kind Pictorial Russian Karabagh rug depicting a large, bold and beautiful horse with a floral scenic background with predominant accent colors in light blue, brigh...

Antique rugs that are called “Kilim rugs”, primarily refer to a type of flat weave rug that was produced without knotted pile. Because these antique rugs are found across the globe, ...

Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...

Rug ‘Salerno Grey’ designed by Barbro Nilsson for Märta Måås-Fjetterström AB, Sweden, 1948. Hand-woven wool. Rölakan technique. Signed. Provenance: From a private Swedish collect...

Needlepoint rugs were created using the traditional needlework weaving technique that is used to make everyday items from furniture to carpets and artwork. However, it has a fascinat...

A pictorial Russian Karabagh rug depicting a bunch of reindeers floating around a lady. The background is a tomato red, the border has a floral motif in dark brown, circa 1940. Me...

Antique Turkish Oushak rugs have been woven in Western Turkey since the beginning of the Ottoman period. Historians attributed to them many of the great masterpieces of early Turkish...

Needlepoint rugs were created using the traditional needlework weaving technique that is used to make everyday items from furniture to carpets and artwork. However, it has a fascinat...

Rare Fine Antique Shirvan Caucasian Rug Navy Blue 4'10" x 6'9" Circa 1930 "This is an extremely rare, fine Antique rug from 1920. It has a ...

Abstract Swedish flatweave carpet by Alice Wallebäck Measures: 24'' x 32'' Alice Wallebäck rugs are beautiful Swedish röllakan carpets with a ...

Antique Caucasian rug with a dazzling color combination. 3'6'' x 4'8''

Antique Central Asian Khotan Samarkand 10'7'' X 5'6''

Discover elegance with our exquisite modern Scandinavian rya rug meticulously hand knotted with high pile wool on cotton foundation. Adorned with a captivating design featuring a pri...

Nice vintage abstract attributed to a maker in Scandinavia. Remains of a red label on back.

Antique Amritsar Rugs – The spectacular rugs of Amritsar capture the exotic style of India while incorporating a subtle colonial influence. This convergence of eastern and western st...

Antique Bessarabian Rugs / Kilims in both pile and tapestry weaving technique are some of the more beautiful carpets to have been produced in Europe. Many of the Bessarabian Kilims were woven around the mid to late 19th century, though some do date back to the 18th century as well. This production that carried into the early twentieth century under late Ottoman Turkish rule in an area corresponding to modern Bulgaria and Romania, they stand right on the cusp of European and Oriental carpet weaving. Many of the designs are floral patterns made in a naturalistic western style utilizing brown or black ground, not unlike certain Karabaghs from the Caucauses. But others, particularly flat weaves, reflect the tradition of Turkish kilims from nearby Anatolia, although in a distinctive Bessarbian palette. In either case they are supremely decorative rugs. History Of Antique Flat Woven Bessarabian Kilim Rugs from Romania Bessarabian Kilims and carpets are flat woven rugs that originate in the Russian provinces of the Ukraine and Moldova in the late 1800’s to the early 1900’s. While most carpet experts will classify the flat woven rugs as Bessarabian they will often refer to the knotted pile carpets as Ukrainian. The Bessarabian carpets differ from antique Persian carpets in many ways. For example, unlike Persian carpets, Bessarabian rugs cannot be classified to a region according to the way the rugs were woven. Their weaves provide indications regarding the area for which they were created rather than for their classification. The markets these antique rugs were designed for could have fallen into different categories such as a rural market or an urban one. But all other attributes were dismissed and all the Romani made area rugs and carpets are referred to as Bessarabian instead. Antique Romanian Bessarabian kilims are ornate and they come in a variety of designs as well color combinations. It’s not uncommon for some Bessarabian kilims to be more floral while others may feature more geometric patterns. Bessarabian carpets are made on carpet weaving looms similar to the ones used to make the French Aubusson rugs. These looms are wooden, and the rugs are flat woven / kilims. The best of these rug types were created in the 1700’s. The Russian Imperial Tapestry Factory was where these Romanian rugs were made, and the factory was created by none other than Peter the Great. He established the Russian Imperial Tapestry Factory following his return from England and France. He was inspired to create the factory after being in awe of the splendid Aubusson carpets, Savonnerie rugs, and Axminster carpets he saw while abroad. The beautiful carpets he admired while in Europe had already caught the eyes of his Russian contemporaries, and importing them was triggering a financial drain for the Russian treasury. For this reason, the Russian Imperial Tapestry Factory was used as a location for copying the French and English carpets Peter the Great and the Russian nobility desired. Demand for these lavishly luxurious rugs grew, and additional factories were created in villages. This region is from where these rugs got the name Bessarabian. The region is divided between two territories: the Republic of Moldova and Romania. Bessarabian rug weavers were country people who had a country taste. Though they were tasked with replicating the elaborate motifs of the European rugs, they added their own unique country’s flair to their borrowed rug patterns and designs. This more folksy or traditional approach to the European patterns...

Up for sale is a 1900s Antique Decorative Khotan Samarkand Rug. This rug is made of wool on a cotton foundation. It is tribal and traditional

A rare size Caucasian runner with a camel field, accents in green, red, blue. Measures: 3'1'' x 8'3'' Older Caucasian antique tribal carpets are...

Antique Bidjar Rugs Bidjar is a town in Persian Kurdistan located in north-west Persia. The Bidjar name is also used to describe the antique rugs that were produced in the many villa...

Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...

Antique Samarkand Rugs: The desert oasis of Khotan was an important stop on the Silk Road. The people of Khotan were expert carpet weavers who produced high quality antique rugs and ...

1995, Danish wool rug depicting "olive grove" by Vincent Van Gogh (1899). This rug was made by Ege Axminster A/S for their 20th century masters collection. The image of "olive grove" was licensed by Van Gogh International B.V. This rug is wonderfully executed and respects the genius of Van Gogh. The colors of this rug are strong and beautiful; browns, various shades of green, pinks, yellows, blues and lilacs are all utilized to wonderful effect. In addition to the work of Vincent Van Gogh, the Ege Art collection has included rugs depicting the art of such greats as Paul Klee, Pablo Picasso, Robert Jacobsen, Andy Warhol and Rene Magritte. iEde rugs are an iconic piece of art that is made for your floor. They can be used to define a space and create a vignette that is unique and emphasizes your artistic side. Owning this rug would be a fun and lasting way to enjoy one of the most brilliant artists of all time. About Ege Axminster: Weaving together timeless Danish design, long-lasting quality, natural comfort and progressive sustainable thinking, Ege Carpets craft wall-to-wall carpets, rugs, carpet tiles...

Up for sale is a 1900s Antique Uzbek Khotan Samarkand Rug 5'8'' x 4'1'', tribal and traditional, wool on cotton

Antique rugs that are called “Kilim rugs”, primarily refer to a type of flat weave rug that was produced without knotted pile. Because these antique rugs are found across the globe, ...