DAGESTAN RUG

usually small floor covering handwoven in the republic of Dagestan in the eastern Caucasus (Russia). Dagestan rugs are relatively finely woven, with short pile in wool, the warp being of wool and the weft frequently of cotton. Their designs are highly geometric and fragmented, producing the effect of brightly coloured mosaics. There is a wide diversity of patterns, including honeycombs, palmettes or rayed diamonds in diagonal rows, garden plans, and the so-called castle pattern. Specific designs are classified as Baku, Chichi, Lezgian, and Derbent, with a host of new names recently added. Prayer rugs, with a simple five-sided arch, usually have a honeycomb grid with a stylized flower in each cell. The line between Dagestan and Shirvan rugs has never been drawn conclusively.