The prayer niche, the cross panels and the main border stripe are all characteristic of its class.
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THE MATERIAL OF RUGS
The materials from which rugs are made, named in order of the ratio in which they are used, are wool, goats' hair, camels' hair, cotton, silk, and hemp.
Wool.—The wool produced in the colder provinces is softer and better than that produced in the warmer provinces. Likewise that produced at a high altitude is superior to that from a lower altitude. The quality of the pasturage plays a most important part in the quality of the wool. For this reason no better wool is to be found anywhere in the world than from the provinces of Khorasan and Kurdistan. Very often the sheep are covered over with a sheet to protect and keep the wool in a clean, lustrous condition. The quality of the wool also depends to no small extent upon the age of the sheep from which it is taken, that from the young lambs being softer and more pliable than that from the older animals. The softest and most lustrous wool is that which is obtained by combing the sheep in winter and is known as kurk. From this some of the choicest prayer rugs are made.
Goats' Hair.—From the goats of some localities, especially in Asia Minor and Turkestan, is obtained a soft down which is used to a large extent in the manufacture of rugs. The straight hair of the goat is also used. It is of a light brown color and, as it will not dye well, is sometimes used without dyeing to produce brown grounds, as in some of the Kurdistan products. It is quite commonly used as a selvage and fringe in the Turkoman products. When wet it curls so tightly that it is difficult to spin it, therefore it is not always washed. This accounts for the strong odor which is especially noticeable in warm weather.
Mohair is obtained from the Angora goat of Asia Minor, while cashmere consists of the soft under-wool of the Cashmere goat of Tibet.
Camels' Hair.—In Eastern Persia, Afghanistan, and Beluchistan are camels which produce a long woolly hair suitable for rug weaving which is never dyed, is silky and soft, has phenomenal durability and is used quite freely in the Hamadan, Mosul, and Beluchistan products. It is more expensive than sheep's wool but has one great drawback in that on the muggy days of summer it has a disagreeable odor. Most of the alleged camels' hair of commerce is a goats' hair pure and simple.