Cotton Material ¹

Fiber from the seed pod of the plant Gossypium herbaceum. The use of cotton in the foundation of pile rugs is a common and very old practice. Undyed cotton is used rarely for small areas of pile rugs where its hard white appearance provides contrast. Cotton is not generally used as an allover pile fiber because of its tendency to mat.

Cotton is grown throughout the Middle East and Asia. Egyptian cotton is known for its long staple, only exceeded in length by Georgia Sea Island cotton. Staple length varies from ⅜ to 2½ inches. Cotton fiber has the cross section of a flattened tube. It is naturally twisted, and this characteristic makes it easy to spin.