Cord of twisted fibers.

1. Rug Care 101

These rug dyes are produced from natural sources such as berries, roots and tree barks. They offer a soft and natural look, but are not as durable and colorfast as some synthetic dyes.

The fine, soft, curly hair that forms the fleece of sheep, goats and other animals. Wool is readied for rug use by washing, combing and spinning it into fibers.

Two or more tones of the same color in a rug.

A type of flat-weave, hand-made carpet. It is one of the oldest rug techniques in existence and is seen commonly in Persian rugs and rugs from Iran.

A city in northwest Iran that has been a rug weaving center for centuries. Typical patterns from the region include medallions and pictorial rugs.

Rugs between 25 and 60 years old.

A rug that is long, narrow and rectangular and made for use in hallways or stairways. A more old-fashioned term is "corridor" rugs.

A synthetic fiber that is very durable and has high colorfast properties. This type of material is used commonly in machine-made rugs and rugs intended for outdoor use.