Persian Rugs: Guide to Karaja Rugs and
Carpets
All during the 19th and into the 20th
century there was pressure from Russia in first the
Czarist era and on into the communist era. The Russians
actually seized Tabriz and only left in 1945 when
President Truman threatened an Atomic (not nuclear this
was before the development of Nuclear bombs) strike on a
Soviet city if the Russians did not pull their troops out
of Tabriz. I believe that Karaja weavers were from
further up in the Caucasus and moved south to avoid
Christian or Communist rule.
Sarkis Kish Antique Karaja Rug
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Karaja Rugs and Carpets
Also Karadja, Gharadjeh, Qaraajeh, Gharajeh
Karaja is a village in the northeast of the
Heriz region not far from the Azerbaijan Border.
Karaja rugs seem to fall into two distinctive
groups. The first group Type A is as we see to
the left is typified by a row or rows of
medallions that while not unique are most often
seen in Karaja rugs especially smaller sizes and
runners. The Type B Karaja remind me of a a
single wefted Heriz carpet. In older Type A
Karaja rugs I expect red or blue fields drawing
heavily on madder red dark indigo blue and white
with lesser amounts of other colors. Type B
Karaja rugs are usually in carpet sizes and
frequently use a significant amount of light blue
that is almost as light as a robin's egg blue.
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Picture a single wefted
Heriz
The Karaja weave is a Single weft similar to
the "Sennah
Baft" or Hamadan
weave. Here the wefts
are rigid and the warps
are sinuous. In the sketch the wefts
are heavier than the warps
but in a Karaja rug the warps and wefts are more
balanced. It is woven with symmetrical knots.
Since there is only one shot of weft between each
row of knots this shows every other warp which
makes these rugs easy to spot. If it has the
medallions of a Type A Karaja or appears to be a
single wefted Heriz then think Karaja. If it does
not then think Hamadan. It sounds simplistic but
after you see a few it is not hard to tell them
apart. Karaja wool is different and the rugs have
a heavier handle.
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Some old Karaja rugs (pre WW2) have higher than
normal knot counts,
some even in room sizes that meet the description
with warps usually
of cotton but the weft is cotton or wool some
times both will be used
in the same rug. Normally one associates Karaja
with sizes under 6 x 9
and runners of lower knot counts.
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