Oriental Extra Large Antique Handmade Silk Bukhara Rug. Age's circa 1910
Size: L.3.58cm W.2.55cm
Bukhara Turkmen carpets are probably the best known of all Oriental carpets. Their history is a curious one, telling us a lot about how hand-woven carpets spread through Asia and then Europe. Today, Samarkand and Bukhara carpets are produced in different regions of the world, maintaining the style that has made these prestigious carpets famous.
From Uzbekistan to world fame
Samarkand and Bukhara carpets take their name from the city of the same name in Uzbekistan. Unlike other Middle East and Asian cities, which have given their names to weaving styles or specific types of carpet, Samarkand and Bukhara has never been a centre in which production was concentrated. On the contrary, the city of Samarkand and Bukhara, due to its strategic location near the borders with Afghanistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, established itself as the most important commercial centre in the area. From here carpets soon reached the West and began to decorate homes and public places.
Samarkand carpets have a clear link to tribal tradition. The colours, symbols and construction techniques are typical of carpets produced in this area. The classic Samarkand and Bukhara carpet, made of wool and with an intense red colouring, immediately catches the eye and becomes the star of the room.