Tribal Rugs and City Rugs: What’s the Difference?
The rules of design are drastically different for weavers who produce city carpets and those that produce their tribal counterparts. Whether one compares antique carpets from Turkey to those from Persia or the Caucasus, the weavers in each region follow a different code of color and contrast.
In Persia, the complimentary colors and curvilinear designs of the country’s great city carpets have become an archetype that many rugs produced today are measured against. These famous city rugs are constructed with the fine weaves for which Persian carpets are renowned. These extremely fine weaves allow for intricate patterns, which is why carpet weavers in major weaving centers wove delicate curvilinear patterns to show off their skills.
On the other hand, the angular designs and bold colors of village rugs and tribal weavings use contrasting hues and unexpected color combinations to create vibrant rugs with a dynamic presence. These tribal rugs are most often woven by nomadic peoples who do not have the means to create large or intricate rugs with dense floral patterns. Instead they are woven only as wide as their portable looms would allow (but come in varying lengths). The village weave consists of much larger knots than their fine city counterparts, which in turn is reflected in the geometric designs that often arise from these rugs.
Although city rugs and tribal rugs both make use of dense patterns and colorful palettes, the results are so different. By using contrasting tones instead of coordinating colors, tribal weavers create vivacious carpets filled with symbols and abstract details that are open to interpretation. It’s not uncommon for one person to see different shapes and figures emerge from a village carpet depending on the day. Tribal weavings and many village rugs have a rustic presence that can be modernized to fit today’s tends or brought back to their historic roots as fashionable interior items beloved by high society in Europe during the Italian Renaissance.
The carpets in Turkey and the Oushak region in particular cross the line between city and tribal by combining abstract medallions and angular vinescrolls with chic pastels. In direct contrast to the boldly colored Memling guls and Lotto carpets imported from Anatolia, the pastel carpets from Oushak include coordinating details, neutrals and vibrant accents woven in complementary hues.
The stronghold of contrasting colors and symbolic designs that existed in the Caucasus and parts of Persia uses many of the same patterns and motifs as the Turkic groups in Anatolia. While the city is rug is the standard of today, the angular village rugs and dragon carpets pictured in paintings from the Old Masters are the archetype of yesteryear.
