A Pak Bokhara Rug is a rug made in Pakistan using an interpretation
of a Turkmen Pattern. Thee rugs are made with cotton warps and wefts. These rugs
are often woven two up or more on a loom. This means that multiple rugs are woven
as one then cut apart and then false selvages (side cords) are attached to the
rug. These rug lack the structural integrity of a traditionally woven rug and
this shortcut produces inherently flawed rugs.
The pile of these rugs is wool and normally wool is a good
material for pile. But all too often this wool is not normal wool it is the
worst of the worst. Wool is normally sheared from living healthy sheep but with
these rugs they often use tabachi wool. This is wool from dead sheep. When
sheep are butchered the hides are separated and soaked in Lye to remove the
wool. The wool then falls off or is pulled. Lye is sodium
hydroxide or potassium hydroxide which weakens the wool. Other uses of
lye include drain cleaners and oven cleaner
These rugs take their name from the Khanate of Bokhara whichis the old name for Uzbekistan. This was a trade term for Turkmen rugs long ago.
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