WOOF.--Double yarn of wool. Sometimes of wool and cotton.
WEAVE.--Closely and tightly woven, making the nap stand up straight. SIDES.--Overcast like other Kurdish rugs.
ENDS.--One end has plain selvage, the other selvage and loose warp threads like most Kurdish rugs.
BORDER.--From two to five border stripes.
PREVAILING COLORS.--Dark reds, blues, and browns; also white and yellow.
DESIGNS.--Kurdish designs as a rule. The Herati pattern is frequently employed.
PRICES.--Rather rare. From $2.00 to $5.00 per square foot.
REMARKS.--Very compact, strong and serviceable.
WHY SO NAMED.--After the city of Tabriz, the Persian capital, in the neighborhood of which they are made.
KNOT.--Nearly always the Senna, occasionally Ghiordes. Number vertically twelve to twenty-two; number horizontally ten to twenty; number to square inch one hundred twenty to four hundred forty.
WARP.--Nearly always cotton. Silk in some extra fine specimens. Occasionally linen.
[Illustration: TABRIZ RUG LOANED BY H. B. CLAFLIN & CO.]
WOOF.--Cotton, sometimes wool or linen. Formerly dyed the predominating color of the rug, but of late not dyed at all.
NAP.--Good wool, closely woven and closely trimmed.
SIDES.--The antiques are usually overcast, while the moderns are generally selvaged.
ENDS.--Narrow web with loose warp threads at each end. Occasionally trimmed. Frequently several strands of colored wool run through the web.
BORDER.--Generally five to eight border stripes; one wide one with an equal number of narrow ones on either side of it.
PREVAILING COLORS.--Bright blues, reds, and browns; ivory is frequently the predominating color of the field.
DYES.--Usually good. Some of the modern pieces have aniline dyes. The blues, reds, and browns are especially likely to be aniline.
DESIGNS.--Nearly always a medallion with field covered with intricate floral designs. Frequently verses from the Koran or of Persian poets are found in the borders. Tree of life patterns are frequent and a heart-shaped lamp often hangs from the niche in the prayer rugs. Seldom are figures of birds, animals, or human beings used.
SIZES.--All sizes, from mats to large carpets.
COST.--From $3.00 to $10.00 per square foot.
REMARKS.--The modern ones are too regular and exact in pattern and show European influences. They are so firm and closely woven that they are stiff and non-flexible.