Our rugs are all natural! We specialize in rugs made with all handspun wool and natural dyes. Not only are these materials more beautiful to the eye and more durable underfoot, they are also more environmentally friendly.

Hand made rugs are one of the most sustainable products ever made. With some care, they can last for generations. In our age of throw-away products, it may seem odd to purchase an essential home furnishing that will last a century. But, when you buy a good hand made rug, you are buying a rug for a lifetime.

Additionally, we avoid selling rugs that have been distressed with harsh chemical treatments. These strong chemical treatments are often euphemistically referred to as “tea washing” or “henna washing” and purported to impart an “antique” look. We prefer to carry rug that have been naturally treated with only soap and water washes. And soft colors are made by using lesser amounts of the natural dye materials instead of by bleaching bright synthetic colors.

As a member of Care and Fair we are dedicated to selling rugs that are produced responsibly and without the use of illegal child labor. Additionally, through Care and Fair we provide support for education and health care for carpet knotting families. Our rugs are sourced from small cottage industry weaving workshops and not from large factory productions. In many cases, rugs are woven in the individual weavers homes. We cherish the cultures and artisans who create these extraordinary rugs. The weaving of these rugs rekindle and sustain indigenous traditions.

In addition to Care and Fair weaving projects, many of our Afghan and Indian rugs come to us through a not-for-profit organization called Barakat.

And most of our Tibetan rugs are purchased through the not-for-profit Machik rug weaving project. This is one of the few Tibetan rug projects that I am aware of that use all natural dyes in their rugs.

At Nomad Rugs, our rugs are made with all natural materials and safe and fair labor. Our rugs are beautiful because they are beautifully made.

For a while now, we have been stocking some superb examples of Mamluk rugs. What is a Mamluk rug? Good question! First, a little history.

The word “Mamluk” is translated to “owned”. The Mamluk were a slave caste who were converted to Islam and served as soldiers under the the Muslim Arab Caliphs. Many of the these Mamluk soldiers were Circassians. On several occasions, they rose to power, overthrowing their retainers and for more than two centuries ruled over Egypt and Syria as the Mamluk Dynasty (1250-1517 AD).

During that time, the arts flourished. The age of the Mamluks is often referred to as a renaissance of Islamic arts. Mamluk rugs are particularly resplendent. These carpets can be described as having a sublime quality; more than just fine carpets, they are evocative works of art. Their remarkable composition of arabesques and geometric forms hint at the search to represent unity or singularity within complexity.

Some of my favorite rug producers have been successfully creating killer new Mamluks rugs! These rugs are being woven in Egypt, in Afghanistan, in India and in Pakistan. Check out some of these images. Click on the image for more info on the rug. And keep on rugging! Regards, Chris

Check out these killer new rugs woven in Afghanistan. They are based on the classic “Bird Rugs” of the Luri, Khamsheh and Qashq’ai tribes of Iran.

These rug are the inspiration of rug expert and author, James Opie. Animals, especially birds, often appear in the rugs of the tribal and nomadic weavers of Iran and Central Asia. This makes perfect sense when you think about what a central role animals (and nature in general) played in the lives of these weavers.

I am absolutely delighted by these new rugs! Not only is the quality exceptional: glossy handspun wool, tight weaving and rich saturated natural dyes! But the “drawing” of the rug is also fabulous and true to the originals: powerfully tribal yet whimsical and playful at the same time. I hope you like these rugs as much as I do.

Click on any image to take you to a full sized picture of the rug.

all my best, Chris

Various Uzbek Ikats

You may have heard of Ikats? They are woven fabrics made using a complex tie-died method. This technique has been used primarily in Uzbekistan and Indonesia. Well, you may also know that the Uzbek Ikats (know there as “abr”) and Ikat designs have been inspiring western fashion designers who have been incorporating them into clothes. They have also been showing up as furniture upholstery.

And now, Uzbek Ikat is used as the design source to create unique and beautiful rugs! Very cool. Well, actually, there is some thought that Ikat designs have been influencing rug design (and vice-versa) in Central Asia for hundreds of years. But, it is new to see such faithful recreations of Ikats done in naturally dyed pile rugs made in Afghanitan. Very cool stuff! Personally, I love these new rugs! There are a few rug producers that I know who have been playing with this idea. I am lucky to have recently acquired some fabulous examples of this new cross pollination art!

Check out some of these beauties!! (the rugs I mean!) Click on a rug image for more info and additional images.

Stop by the shop sometime and check out the new Ikat rugs!

all my best,

Chris

Based on the dealers that I talked to (and on the reporting from Hali magazine) the show was declared a success! Many dealers mentioned that in addition to selling, they did some very good buying amoungst the dealers from Turkey, Europe, the USA and other distant locals. Pulling up to the Motel, it was extraordinary to witness the many 19th century rugs draped over 3 floors of motel banisters. It looked liked a camel caravan from the silk road had exploded in the carport! Anyway, thanks for all the hard work from the organizers and I hope you do it again!

It has been a tough year but we made it! Things have picked up this fall after a particularly slow winter. And we have a ton of beautiful rugs! Actually, we have a few too many rugs, so we are offering a large discount with loads of clearance rug!

This year, our clearance rugs are 40% off!!!

We have a new section on our website simply titled “Clearance Rugs” . The “clearance” price marked here reflects the 40% off our normal retail price. These clearance items are new, perfect condition rugs that simply have been our inventory a little too long. It is time to find them a home! (and maybe it will be your home?)

If you are ordering online, the 40% discount is already listed and no additional discount will apply to the clearance price.

Remember, at Nomad Rugs we do not sell the run-of-the-mill, mass produced oriental rugs. We sell unique, one-of-a-kind, naturally dyed rugs made in small cottage industry rug workshops. Plus, I personally inspect every rug that comes into my store. Every rug I sell is made with artistic and structural integrity! As I like to say, this is art you can walk on!

The sale ends November 30th so stop by soon. Me ‘n Chico look forward to seeing you!

best regards, Chris ‘n Chico

She works in a wonderful abstract style the emphasises her bold use of color and rich texture. Marc Ellen is a Noe Valley local who lives just down the street from the shop and paints in her studio in Hunters Point.

Please come to our opening reception on Friday night from 6pm to 8pm. Meet and greet the fabulous artist, drink some wine, eat some cheese and pet Chico! We look forward to seeing you!

All works for this show are in oil and all pieces are available for purchase. I can’t help to think how much Marc Ellen’s work reminds me of some of the colorful Gabbeh rugs that we sell such as this one or this one too. What do you think?

Learn more about Marc Ellen here from her website.

See you at the show! Hurry ’cause the show ends Oct. 25, 2009!

There are a whole bunch to choose from! We have new pillows made from Belouch camel bags and antique rug fragments made into rugs. Mostly we have tribal designs. Here are a few images to get you interested. The price range from about $40 to about $135.

Come-on-by and get your pillow today. Chico’s waiting to greet you!

Woof!

The Ersari rugs have long been some of the favorite rugs that we carry. In fact, I personally own one Ersari rug from this weaving project that resides in my living room. I also got the chance to visit the Ersari project when it was still situated in Pakistan some years ago. Here is an image from one of the larger looms they had going.

What I love about this particular rug is the proportions! They were able to fit a wonderful Engsi design into a 2′x3′ rug! And, the rug looks perfectly balanced and well articulated! I am sort of a fan of 2′x3′ rugs. When done well, I find that a 2′x3′ rug is sort of like reading a great short-story. You can really fit a lot into a small “canvas”. But let’s face it, there are a lot of really boring small rugs (in fact, there are a lot of boring large rugs too). So, to find such a rug sort of excites me!

What is an Engsi? Good question: used to be, they were thought to be prayer rugs. Now, it is more commonly thought they were the door cover (or tent flap) of the Turkmen’s yurt. But, there is still some debate about this. Here is a great discussion of the subject.

In any event, I love the various Engsi designs! There is something strangely evocative about the directional design. And, on this particular piece there is the wonderfull camel elem (the bottom border of the rug) depicting a camel train.

What more could you ask for in a small rug woven? It is woven in a project that supports health care and education, it is woven with natural dyes, handspun wool and it is beautiful!

best regards,

Chris