[Sidenote: _Inscriptions on Persian rugs_]
There is some very interesting reading in "Oriental Rug Weaving," by V. Kurdji, on the subject of inscriptions often found on Persian rugs. He says: "If the possessors of some of the rare pieces that are sold in this country knew the meaning of the inscriptions woven in their rugs, the knowledge would add a charm and interest which would make them more valuable than the harmonious colors so beautifully blended."
[Illustration: _Pattern for border of Persian rug_]
Oriental rugs take their names from the countries or provinces in which they are made. Bokhara rugs are made in mountainous districts of Turkestan, and have never been successfully imitated, because the dyes used are made from a plant grown only in that district. The designs are geometrical, and the colors deep maroon or blue. The pile is woven as close as velvet. They are noted for the superior quality of their dyes. Khiva rugs, sometimes called afghan, are made in Turkestan. They resemble the Bokhara rugs, but are coarser in texture and heavier in pile, and they differ from them in having a wide selvage at each end. Some Khivas have a small pattern in red mosaic over the surface with a circle in the center. One often sees a rug made of a rich golden yellow with a background of dark red.
[Illustration: _A Kiz-Kilim rug pattern_]
[Illustration: _Pattern for a Kiz-Kilim stripe_]
The Kiz-Kilim rugs have no nap, and are woven with a needle. They are thin and almost alike on both sides. The larger sizes are woven in two strips fastened together so that they can be taken apart and used for curtains. "These Kiz-Kilims are woven by Armenians and Turks in Anatolia (the land of sunrise, and the Greek name for Asia Minor). The literal translation of the word Kiz-Kilim is bride's rug, it being a custom in that country for a bride to present to her husband one of these rugs, which she has woven during her engagement to him. The quality of the rug is supposed to measure the quality of the husband's affection for his bride, consequently we have many beautiful specimens of this class, the brilliant hues and intricate designs of which could only have been inspired by the whisperings of Cupid. They are in open-work patterns--called perforated--and often have long tufts of colored silk tied to the rugs with blue beads, in order to keep them from the effects of the Evil Eye." The Kiz-Kilim rug in the illustration was copied from a genuine rug. The filling is a deep blue and the borders are in oriental colors. The center figure is white, with red, brown, and yellow inside. There are four kinds of Kilims. Much interesting and valuable information can be found in John Kimberley Mumford's "Oriental Rugs"; New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1900, where directions for weaving Kiz-Kilims, Khivas, and Bokharas are given, with a few patterns.