Call TOLL FREE!   Our toll-free phone number (1-800-435-2902) is available throughout the country including within Rhode Island.   We will ship anywhere, within the United States or globally. Yagcibedir - 11652

When Nuance opened 15 years ago 90% of our merchandise was Oriental rugs. Although our product mix has changed over the years with collectibles making up about 75% of our products, we still carry a wonderful selection of handcrafted rugs which we personally select and import.   Carpet Weaving   The first step in carpet weaving is to have a pattern or design.  Master weavers do not need a pattern outline, they retain the pattern in memory. However, for the novice, a pattern sampler rug, called "Ornek" in Turkish, is used.    This sampler rug has a very unusual design composed of sections of the borders, center, edge design, etc. yet none in harmony with the others. The weaver chooses a border design or center medallion pattern, from many in the sample rug. Flatweave - Kilim - 12110 Selchuk, Yoruk - 11798   The typical color palette is also given on those Orneks so that the weaver stays within the general color selection of the region instead of making her own choices.   The next step is to choose the material, such as wool, pure silk, floss silk or cotton. The pure silk of Turkish carpets is produced from cocoons grown in the Bursa region, one of the most well-known silk growing centers in the world. Silk carpets are ideal ornaments and may be used as tapestry, wall hangings, etc.   The material most commonly used is wool. The Antolian plateaus are excellent grazing lands for sheep and the sheen and strength of the wool yarn is determined accordingly.   The cotton is used to weave the base (warp and weft) of the carpet., except in village rugs (they use wool for the base as well as the pile The wool yarn is then knotted onto this base to form the pile. Flatweave - Kilim - 11401   The double knot, known as the Turkish or Gordes (Gordion) knot is used in all typical Turkish carpets. Another well-known method of weaving is the Sihna or Persian knot. The Turkish knot is wrapped around two warps and the Persian knot, around a single warp. 12 x 12 inch, assorted colors - 11001   Generally speaking, the culture of rug weaving goes back several centuries and originates in the Central Asian plateaus where nomadic Turkish tribes once ruled on horseback. They used the wool of their herds of sheep to weave beautiful tribal rugs of Turkoman designs.    - Ismail Saltuk Top of Page NUANCE / 300 County Rd. / Barrington, RI 02806 Telephone: 401-245-5219 / FAX: 401-245-0737 Toll Free Order Line: 1-800-435-2902