Wool and Dyes

Wools
The wool for an oriental rug is sheared from sheep raised for this specific purpose. The quality of the wool differs depending on the part of the sheep the wool is sheared from. Other factors that influence the quality of the wool are altitude, breed, climate, the grazing area provided for the sheep, level of lanolin in the sheep's wool and the shearing methods. Simply put, the luster, feel and durability of the wool can vary greatly and directly effect the quality of the carpet. The most desirable wool is from the belly of the sheep where the wool has been protected from the elements and has grown long. The higher quality wools will hold color better and not shed excessively.

After the wool is sheared from the sheep, it is spun into the threads that will be woven into the carpet. When the wool is spun, by hand or machine, threads are wrapped around a single strand. The better quality wool is longer and uses fewer threads when spun. The shorter or lower quality wool needs many threads to wrap around it when spun. Using multiple threads can lead to more shedding, less design clarity and premature wear of the carpet.

Though the majority of rugs are made of wool, rugs can be silk, cotton, or camel, horse or goat hair. There are also handknotted rugs that are made with synthetic materials that are sold as silk. Often, it would take a laboratory analysis to identify the exact nature of these synthetic materials.

Dyes
Until the mid 1800's, wool for handwoven rugs was dyed exclusively using substances found in nature, mostly plants and flowers, minerals, nuts and husks of trees. These natural or vegetable dyes often show gradation of color, as opposed to man-made or synthetic dyes that color the wool evenly. Most vegetable dyed rugs contain a phenomenon called abrash, a variation in color, usually in one or several lines of the carpet. Abrash is a result of wool being dyed at different times so the color can vary. Abrash is quite apparent in rugs woven by nomadic tribes for two reasons: nomadic weavers only dye as much wool as they need for the days weaving so they will not have to transport excess liquid; the plants the dyes are derived from may vary from one location to another depending on environmental factors and availability. Today, abrash is sometimes woven into the more primitive carpets to enhance the authenticity.

In the early 1860's when synthetic dyes were developed, weavers found that it was easier and cheaper to use these dyes rather than the natural dyes. The colors were limited at first, but there was less variation within each color, therefore eliminating abrash.

Over time, the research and development of dyes led to the perfection of the manufacturing process and provided a vast range of colors. Today, synthetic dyes provide a uniform, solid color for wool and are widely used in the more sophisticated, formal carpets. From the late 1800's until approximately the 1970's, rugs were almost exclusively woven using man-made dyes.

Rugs woven using natural dyes have recently made a strong resurgence on the market. The dyeing techniques of these natural vegetable dyes are surprisingly similar to that of the early weavers.

Dyes come in many qualities and can directly impact the longevity and durability of a rug.