While this is her first rug collection, I don't think it will be her last. These designs are well chosen, well colored and particularly well made for the price point. We have several in approx. 5 x8 size.

Then, to the left, I show you this Turkish hand made rug (approx 30 years old, private collection). Note the fairly plain field with the distinct arch.
These are becoming increasingly hard to find because these rugs were not made for sale except perhaps to family or neighbors. And these days, the rugs that are used are mostly inexpensive machine made ones.

First, these strips are found almost exclusively on new Persian rugs (made in Iran), rarely on older ones. Looms there are generally handed down from generation to generation so they can be quite old. In fact it is often from grandmother to grand-daughter. So, the wooden tops and bottoms have warped with age causing uneven tension on the weave. The rug will not flatten out on the floor. These strips help flatten it out. Maybe they will be all the help needed, maybe not. The strips generally will be required indefinitely. The best thing that can be said about them is that they are a very strong indicator that the rug was made in Iran (Persia). Unfortunately, that does not automatically indicate high quality, just a country of origin.

Another possible source of this extra tension is from the hand serging. If the individual stitches are pulled too tight, the edge of the rug is likely to curl under without something on the back to help hold it flat.

Either way, most well made rugs do not need this extra help. Granted, these leather strips are not harmful, but I think, even though we may see more of this for a few years, as Iranian weavers begin to produce rugs for the North American market, you will find such on fewer and fewer rugs in the long run, partly because these old looms must eventually be replaced but in large part because of the better weaving found in other countries (that is often less expensive for like quality).

By contrast, most looms in India, Pakistan, Turkey and China are made of metal. And many of the finest quality rugs are made on these looms.

July 8
New from Karastan
Have you seen this new introduction from Karastan? It's based on the venerable flagship pattern, 717, Multicolor Panel Kirman but in a new color set with a beautiful, black background. (The picture, as usual, doesn't do it justice.)

This is now the third rug they have in that pattern but with different colors. Wow, what a versatile pattern!

Below, left to right, are details from the three: 717 Multi Panel Kirman, 719 Empress Kirman and 724 Empress Kirman Black

One story told is that Field went to England and purchased a virtually worn out Axminster loom, which was gladly sold to the "dumb American". But he also brought back with him, craftsmen well skilled in the loom's operation. Then, with some secret modifications started producing high quality, wool rugs that were, for the first time, affordable to the American middle class.

So far advanced was the new manufacturing process that the trade press called those rugs “Mystery Rugs.”   To share the “mystery” of these rugs, Karastan created a large version of its Kirman pattern for the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. But instead of putting it on display so visitors could simply admire its beauty, Karastan did something unthinkable. They invited the public to walk on it.   And walk they did.

Several million people left their footprints, spills and food stains all over the rug. After the fair, Karastan cleaned half the rug to show how well their rugs recover.   That rug still exists in the same state today — one side almost unrecognizable, the other returned to its original beauty.