In addition to the Baluch, many other ethnic groups in Khorasan weave carpets that look like the Baluch carpets and are designated as such. The tribes that make such carpets in the same region are the Timuri, the Kurd, the Arab, the Brahui, the Jamsidi, and the Barbari (Azadi and Besim, pp.15,16). The main characteristics of carpets in the Baluch tradition are the following:
Colors. The use of dark colors like dark blue or blue-black, dark brownish red, dark reddish brown, dark brown verging on black (mainly for outlines), dark purplish brown, dark brownish violet, and occasionally some ivory is characteristic. Because of the almost black outlines the dark colors appear even darker. These carpets thus possess a somber charm that appeals to many connoisseurs and collectors.
Camel hair is sometimes woven in the niches (mehrab) of Baluch prayer carpets. These rugs are less somber, even occasionally light in ground color. The idea that this material is actually wool dyed with walnut husks (Edwards, p. 186) is incorrect; it is undyed camel hair.
Occasionally a few old carpets are found with ivory fields; most of them come from the Qa'enat and Sistan areas. They sometimes seem more colorful than the normal Baluch carpets.
Ornament. Because of the prevalence of ornaments like rectangles, hexagons, and octagons, Baluch carpets belong to the geometric category of nomad carpets. Repeated or alternating lozenges and medallions, in regular or offset rows, play an extremely important role in the design of these carpets. Frequently the rows create a honeycomb pattern, so that the ground color of the field is no longer distinguishable. Indeed, this feature is characteristic of Baluch carpets. Plant motifs also occur in the Baluch repertoire of forms, but they have been rendered angular and geometric.
The nomenclature and meaning of Baluch motifs are not very well known. Statements in the carpet literature that the craftsmen did not understand what they were weaving are incorrect. Such statements are a sign of retreat before the extraordinarily difficult problems of research in this area. Such complex questions cannot be understood or explained through quick investigations. Rather, they require years of arduous study in the field, which have not yet taken place.
Technique. Baluch carpets are all knotted with the asymmetrical knot, that is, the so-called "Persian or Senna knot," open to the left. In traditional pieces the warp (tar) always consists of two-ply wool, Z-spun and S-twisted (cap-o-rast risida) and is light in color. In newer pieces the warp can also be of cotton. The weft (pud) of Baluch carpets consists of two sinuous brown or dark brown shoots, contrary to C.A. Edwards' opinion that all Baluch carpets are single-wefted (p. 186). On rare occasions the first weft is drawn taut, thus creating a difference in levels, as for example in the Kurd Baluch. The weft is usually two-ply, Z-spun, and loosely twisted. Frequently, however, the weft can be a single strand.
The pile is also two-ply, Z-spun, and loosely twisted. Many Baluch carpets, for example, the Salar-kani from the area of Torbat-e Haydari, include some silk in the pile of wedding and dowry carpets. This material is extremely expensive for the Baluch and represents the ultimate in luxury. They must buy or barter for the silk because they do not themselves manufacture it.
Selvedges. One of the most notable characteristics of Baluch carpets is the way in which their selvedges are handled. These can be up to 2cm wide; the material is dark brown or black goat hair. In rare instances the selvedges may be worked in a form of braiding with supplementary wefts. Usually, however, they are produced by passing the supplementary wefts over and under groups of four or more warps two, three, or four times, thus creating respectively double-, triple-, or quadruple-corded selvedges.
Uses. The Baluch, like many other nomads, manufacture a number of objects in pile or flat-woven technique, which serve different functions. Such products include double saddlebags (korjin, asb-jol); cushion covers (bales); saddle covers (ruzini); horse blankets (ru-asbi); ground covers on which meals are served (sofra); weavings for catching flour as it comes from the mill (sofra-ye ard); bags for special purposes (darak); donkey chest bands (gur-band); blinders for donkeys, horses, and camels (casm-bandan); etc.
Although we have general knowledge of the characteristics mentioned, it is nevertheless extremely difficult to attribute carpets to specific makers (tribes, subtribes, clans, etc.) and regions (Khorasan and Sistan, Saraks, Trobat-e Haydari, etc.). The main reason is that there are almost no detailed publications on Baluch carpets, in contrast; for example to Turkman carpets, on which there are many Russian field studies. Besides, it is still not known even which tribes and subtribes produce carpets at all. The single published monograph (Azadi and Besim, pp. 28-29) includes only the second attempt (the first being Edwards, p. 185) to provide a list of tribes that manufacture knotted-pile carpets. These tribes are as follows: "Ali Akbar-kani from the Qa'enat region; ‘Abd-al-Sork from the area around Saraks, Nisapur, Sabzavar; ‘Ali Mirza'i, from Saraks area; Bahluli (or Bahluri) from the vicinity of K'af, Jangal, and Torbat-e Haydari; The Bayazidi from around Mahvalat and Torbat-e Haydari; the Jan-Begi from the area of Rosk'ar and Torbat-e Haydari; the Fath-Allahi (Fatollahi) from the northern Zabol area; The Hasanza'i found dispersed through the entire region; the Qara'i, who belong with the Saral-kani, from Torbat-e Haydari, the Kanza'i from the Saraks area; the Kolah-derazi from the neighborhood of Kasmar and Torbat-e Haydari; the Kurd from around the Saraks; the Laki from the area of Saraks and Qa'enat; the Madad-kani from the region of Zabol and Qa'enat; the Narimani from the area of Torbat-e Jam and Mashad; the Rahim-kani from the Saraks and Torbat-e Haydari area; the Sarbandi from Sistan; the Sahza'i from around Torbat-e Jam; the Tuki subtribes Jamlza'i and Surani form the area south ofNehbandan and the Sistan region; the Vakeri in the neighborhood of Seydabad in the Mashad district.
(S. Azadi)
