Pakistani Rug | © Rugman

A country bordered by India, Afghanistan, and Iran. Pakistan was formerly a part of India and became independent with the partition of India in 1947. It comprises the states of Sind, Punjab, Baluchistan, Northwest Frontier Province, and part of Kashmir. About 77% of the population is Sunni and 20% is Shi’ia. Virtually all contemporary pile rugs woven in Pakistan are intended for export. Rug weaving centers are Lahore, Karachi, Hyderabad, and Peshawar. Rug weaving in Pakistan is organized as both factory and cottage production. Wool flatweaves are produced in Pakistan for domestic use. These are termed “farrasie” and “palesk.”

Pakistan Maps

Pakistan | © Rugman

Characteristics of Pakistani Rugs

  • Material and Knots

Rugs of Pakistan are woven on a cotton foundation with an asymmetric knot. The cheapest grades may have jute wefts. Wools are local or blended with New Zealand or Australian wool for the finer grades of rugs. Where designs copy Persian models, offset warps are used, white warps are not offset for the “Bokhara” designs.

Knot densities for Pakistani rugs are expressed as (knots per horizontal inch) / (knots per vertical inch). Thus, 11/22 equals 11 x 22 or 242 knots per square inch. The term “doubles” in referring to knots of Pakistani rugs means that the vertical knot count is twice the horizontal knot count. Pakistani rugs have knot densities ranging from 40 to 350 knots per square inch.

  • Design and Pattern

Rug designs were copies of or variations of Turkmen models (“Bohkara” designs), and some copies of Persian rugs are woven.1

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  1. Peter F. Stone. 2013. Oriental Rugs: An Illustrated Lexicon of Motifs, Materials, and Origins. North Clarendon: Tuttle.