Oriental Rugs Dictionary
Sarouk (Sarough)
Sarouk is a name of a village situated about 25 miles north of Arak (Sultan Abad). This region became one of the most active regions of carpet weaving in the late 19th Century through early 20th Century. Originally center medallion motifs were adapted, as in the competitive market of Kashan, but on early 20th Century vast number of Sarouks were exported to the American market, with all over floral patterns. Weaving on a workshop base continues today, but the output bears no resemblance in quality to the pre 1925 era. A peculiar practice happened with Sarouk carpets in Early 20th Century period. Initially many of these items were being washed to soften the harsh wool, but the washing process lightened the natural dyes of these carpets. In order to restore the lost color the dealers started the process of redying these carpets. Considering the fashion of the era, the redyed carpets were accepted by the consumers even better than the original, so later on the carpets were dyed to a deep burgundy color, which complimented the wood furniture of those days. Therefore almost all the Sarouks we find now were painted, and are referred to as " painted Sarouks". Since these items are considered original works of art at this point, almost all the dealers that acquire a "painted Sarouk" will send it to specialists to strip the chemical dye from these carpets and restore the original natural dyes. These carpets are referred to in the industry as "stripped Sarouk"
For Sarouk rugs in our inventory click here
