Try a Handmade Oushak Rug for Warm Spice Tones and Softness Underfoot

Oushak rugs are elegant and incredibly soft, and work well with a range of styles — is it any wonder they are a favorite of decorators? Here’s how to identify these beautiful carpets and where they come from.

Oushak rugs are named after the city of Uşak, Turkey, which was a center of rug production beginning in the Ottoman Empire and continuing to this day. In the past these magnificent rugs were known simply as Anatolian, but today collectors and scholars are able to more specifically classify them apart from other Turkish rugs.

Rug: antique Oushak


Fine Oushak carpets are made from especially soft, silky wool and are traditionally hand knotted and dyed using naturally derived colors: warm spice tones, gold, blues, soft red, ivory and gray. Green is the rarest, since a natural green dye is difficult to create.

Rug: light chocolate and robin’s egg blue Oushak


Oushak rugs may feature a central medallion or star, surrounded by geometric floral motifs, or an all-over pattern, from small medallions to vines, leaves and palmettes. A subgroup of Oushak rugs known as Lotto carpets feature an all-over arabesque design, usually on a red background. These rugs were favored by the 16th-century Italian artist Lorenzo Lotto, who often used them as backdrops in his paintings.

Rug: antique Oushak


Motifs on Oushak rugs share some similarities with those on Persian carpets. However, the motifs on Oushak rugs tend to be larger scale and more geometric than those on Persian carpets. Also, Oushak carpets are made using larger-size knots, and the colors tend to be lighter, ranging from soft pastels to rich saffron and cinnamon tones.

Rug: antique Oushak, Persian Galleries


Thanks to their often soft, sophisticated color palette, Oushak rugs fit well with a range of styles, from traditional to contemporary.

Rug: antique Oushak


These elegant, versatile rugs have been popular for centuries with good reason — one of those reasons is that they feel as sumptuous as they look. Luxuriously soft underfoot, Oushak rugs make a wonderful choice for bedrooms and private sitting rooms.

Rug: Oushak from The Rug Studio


If you are shopping for an Oushak rug, choose a reputable dealer and look for a rug that is hand knotted and made in Turkey. Many Oushak-style rugs are also produced in other areas, though these may be machine made. You also have a choice between antique rugs and ones made today — typically antique rugs are costlier, but you may be able to find an antique carpet in imperfect condition for less than you would pay for a new one.

Tell us: Have a special rug at home? We’d love to hear where you have it and where you found it. Please post a photo in the Comments!

More:
Learn the difference between kilim, flokati, Beni Ourain and boucherouite rugs?
See Oushak rugs in room designs | Find them in the Shop Houzz section

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