ISSUE 88: The Story Behind Turkish Oushak Rugs

Since Oushak rugs are such a big part of the shop’s inventory, I thought it would be a good idea to share some brief information and history of these wool beauties.

Ready?

Oushak rug design, sometimes referred to as ‘Antolian’ rugs, became refined toward the beginning of the Ottoman Empire in the town of Oushak in west-central Antolia which later evolved into Istanbul, Turkey. Later in history, these rugs were created by the Antolian people on a commercial level because high quality wool and natural dyes were easily accessible. Prior to these eras, Oushak rugs were primarily crafted and used by nomads for personal use.

Oushak rugs are known for the silky, luminous wool they work with. s. They typically have a cotton or wool foundation with a wool pile, but silk and metal threads can be found in the designs on occasion. These rugs are primarily woven to display ornate patterns particularly a floral design, geometric pattern, or a large medallion design. The vast majority of vintage rugs have natural dyes that tend towards cinnamons, terracotta tints, gold, blues, greens, ivory, saffron and gray. However, newer vintage rugs may have bright colors woven in that were created with man-made dyes.

Oushak Rugs have a strong Persian influence unlike most other Turkish rugs, like the kilim rugs. Oushak craftsmanship is considered some of the best not only for the quality of materials but for the aesthetics of the design as well.

Scribe Oushak Runner