Artists who lived in small villages that inhabited the majestic mountains of central Caucasus for centuries created a robust rug style known as Kazak. As trade routes expanded and became more populated, pieces of Kazak rugs reached Europe, Asia, and the Americas. By the 18th and 19th centuries, these rugs won the admiration of collectors and museums internationally.
Borjalou Kazak
Karachov Kazak
The region of Kazak is located in the Republic of Armenia, northwest of Lake Sewan (it does not refer to Kazakhstan, a country situated on the opposite side of the Caspian Sea). Regarding rug production, Kazak is the most famous area of the Caucasus, as the best rugs produced there in the past combine impressive geometric designs with incredible colours made with high-quality natural dyes. It is possible to attribute some rugs from this area to specific villages, such as Lambalo, Borjalou, Fachralo, Lori Pamback, Karachov, Sewan, and Shulaver. But when a piece cannot be accurately identified, it is called Kazak or by reference to the design it presents. It is the case with rugs known as “Star Kazak”, “Wheel Kazak”, “Tree Kazak”, “Dragon Kazak”, and “Shield Kazak”.
Star Kazak
Wheel Kazak
The design of Kazak rugs is usually simple and geometric. Warmer colours are preferred, and the wool is thick and of excellent quality, often lustrous. Unlike other styles of antique rugs, in many 19th-century Kazak rugs, large archetypal designs dominate the rug field with majestic proportions that amplify the powerful effect of their iconography. These designs express a mainly mythological character, exploring the intimate interaction between heaven and earth. Some of their geometric designs were found in metal works made in the Paleolithic period, which produced profound effects on their observers in numerous ways. Designs known as “wisdom stars”, “life wheels”, “ram’s horn”, and “safety fence”, among many others, populate these rugs. Woven with naturally lustrous, long-haired wool from the sheep raised by the artists themselves, who made them and dyed them under a slow process to obtain saturation, the best Kazak rugs display spectacular colours, from scarlet to lapis lazuli, from fern green to gold.
