Sarouk rugs

Where they come from

Saruq is a village in the Farahan district near Arak, the city once called Sultanabad. The name Sarouk is used for rugs from the village and from the surrounding area.

The region was a busy weaving center in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when Western firms ordered large numbers of rugs there for export.

Farahan Sarouks

The older rugs, usually dated from about 1870 to 1910, are often called Farahan Sarouks. They have a central medallion, a compact, balanced design and soft natural colors such as ivory, navy and madder red.

They are among the most sought-after Sarouks today.

American Sarouks

From about the 1910s to the 1950s, many Sarouks were woven for the American market. They usually have no medallion. Instead, sprays of flowers are spread across a deep rose or salmon-red field, with a dark blue border.

Many of these rugs were chemically washed and then painted in the United States to give the deep red that buyers wanted. On a painted rug the red often sits only on the tips of the pile, and the knots on the back can look lighter than the front.

Painting lowers the value for collectors, but a well-kept painted Sarouk can still be a sturdy, attractive rug.

How to recognize one

Sarouks are tightly woven, with two wefts between each row of knots. The back looks neat and even, and the rug feels firm and fairly stiff.

The pile is short to medium in length, and the wool is usually good. Many older Sarouks have lasted a century of daily use.

Quick answers