Quba rugs and carpets

Quba rugs and carpets are named for a town that is located in Azerbaijan Republic not far from the Caspian Sea; therefore, making Kubas a sub-division of Caucasian carpets.1 Kuba is at once a city and an area that was formerly a Khanate (the equivalent to a state region in the traditional Persian system) of Azerbaijan.2 Within the Kuba genre itself, there exist many subdivisions including: Alpan-Kuba, Karagashli, Konaghend, Chi Chi, Perepedil, Seychour and Zejwa.³

Quba rugs are highly desired. Among the more popular types of Kubas are Chi-Chi and Konaghend patterns, which are coveted by collectors. Noted for their detailed and tightly woven design, Kuba rugs are prized as the finest of all Caucasian rugs.4 Some medallion patterns are used, but Kuba rugs and carpets have hundreds of designs and do not utilize medallions as often as other regions' rugs.5

During the 1920s, rugs of the Caucasus were greatly exported to the West in large quantity along with many older pieces that had been used in Russia.6

Rugs from the Quba region are made from wool, though cotton is also used on rare occasion. The wool is always composed of two strands, making it 2-ply. Warp will vary according to region, but ply consistently remains 2-ply. Kuba rugs in general are woven using a single-warp method: the warp threads lie along the same level, as opposed to depressed warp where the warp threads alternate between are sunken and raised. Often the depressed threads are lowered as much as 75%.7 The threads are symmetrically knotted and the sides of Kuba rugs are finished with a blue or white selvage of wool or cotton.8 The warp ends are tied together in several rows of knots.

The Shirvan region, which is part of Azerbaijan, lies in Southern Caucasus where the mountain chain descends into the Caspian Sea. Historically, the rugs made in Kuba, Baku and Dagestan were also encompassed under the term Shirvan. 9 Kubas can be differentiated from Shirvans and Dagestans by dense, ribbed structure and higher knot count.10

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