Balouch rugs are hand-woven
rugs
made by the people of Southern Balouch, Western Balouch, Brahui,
Aimaq, Hazaragi and Farsi. Thus, Balouch is a type of rug
made by people of different ethnicities.
Balouchis are people who speak Balouch. However, Balouch
can also refer to political entity. Thus, the definition
of Balouchis is not always clear.
In-Depth Knowledge:
People who weave the rugs are simple and kind. Rugs
are an expression of themselves, and their daily activities.
Balouch rugs are similar to the rugs made by their ancestors,
as rug weaving is a tradition within their culture that
they follow.
Weavers take great pains to knit these rugs. One rug might
take many months to complete. People mainly use them in
the form of bags or carpets. However, the family might also
choose to preserve them, so that they can exchange them
for basic essentials in future. Initially, weavers would
weave these rugs and use them as storage bags. Few of these
bags exist today and most of them come from Afghanistan.
The Balouchi weave the Balouch rugs with a utilitarian purpose
in mind. As a result, the rugs must be sturdy and last for
many years. Some of the rugs weaved by the weavers
might even be flat weaves that have no pile. Most of the
rugs have distinctive twining, which sets them apart from
other rugs.
Each Balouch rug features an oriental design. The dominant
pattern is the repetition of camels foot designs that
are stylized. Also dominant are the pear-shaped medallions.
Geometric borders surround them on all sides. Thus, the
rug has an intricate and geometric look. Influence of the
Turkmen
style is visible in the use of the gul motif.
Colors used in a Balouch rug are mainly contrast. You might
see dark blues and reds contrasted with pinch of white,
orange and yellow. Powerful blues are very dominant, and
they use ivory as a contrast. The effect is very striking
and distinct. Camel wool is also used to provide background
color to many Balouch rugs. Sometimes, color may appear
in the form of little glass beads that are added to the
rug. Blue glass beads are especially visible in these rugs.
Despite the numerous areas that make Balouch rugs, a majority
of rugs come from the Balouch tribes in Iran and from the
Taimani tribes in Afghanistan.
The Iranian
rugs make use of grey wool or white cotton in their
foundation. A common warp material for these is goat hair.
The finishing that the weavers provide to these rugs is
very distinctive and striking.
Yarn for these rugs is dyed naturally. The rugs are thus,
made of soft wool and weavers weave them loosely. Weavers
tend to use only the asymmetrical Persian knots. However,
some exceptions do exist. They use small knots, which they
pack down tightly. Thus, the Balouch rugs are made with
a thin and tight pile. Since these rugs are hand-woven,
every rug is different from the other. Each Balouch rug
is a unique piece of art that holds its own place in history.
Oriental Rug Care knows the value
of these rugs.