Flokati rug

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close-up of a flokati rug Flokati rug edge.jpg
close-up of a flokati rug

A flokati rug is a woven wool rug. They are shaggy in appearance, and are thick and soft. Modern wool or synthetic rugs may be purchased in a variety of colours.

Contents

Name

The word comes from the Aromanian floc, from Latin floccus. [1] Another name for a similar style of rug is βελέντζα /vel'endza/ < Turkish velense, possibly via Albanian velentse. [1]

History

Flokati are often made from wool. Flokati - panoramio.jpg
Flokati are often made from wool.

Flokati were popular in the 1970s. [2] The word first appeared in English in 1967. [3] The term was created by the Greek Ministries of Finance, Industry, and Commerce to apply to a rug with certain specifications: hand woven in Greece, made of 100% wool (warp, weft, and pile), with total weight of at least 1800 grams of wool per square meter. The rug must also be "subjected to the water friction process" to create the unique pile. [4]

Gagalis Co. imported flokati from Greece starting in 1970 and sold them as "a new look in casual floor coverings." [5]

In the October 2005 Cosmo Girl, designer Mark Montano suggested a flokati rug as a solution to the question, "What if my dormmate is the complete opposite of me?!" [6]

Trivia

Related Research Articles

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A rug is a piece of cloth, similar to a carpet, but it does not span the width of a room and is not attached to the floor. It is generally used as a floor covering, or as a decorative feature. Rug making is the process of crafting a rug from various textile materials. Historically, there has been a variety of methods of rug making, including braiding, hooking, and weaving. These processes can be carried out by hand, using smaller tools like a latch hook, or using a weaving machine. Rag rugs are a historically notable and widespread form of hooked rug making. Rug hooking is both an art and a craft where rugs are made by pulling loops of yarn or fabric through a stiff woven base such as burlap, linen, or rug warp. The loops are pulled through the backing material by using a crochet-type hook mounted in a handle for leverage.

Carpet Textile floor covering

A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century, synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, nylon or polyester are often used, as these fibers are less expensive than wool. The pile usually consists of twisted tufts that are typically heat-treated to maintain their structure. The term carpet is often used in a similar context to the term rug, but rugs are typically considered to be smaller than a room and not attached to the floor.

Tibetan rug

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Persian carpet Term for handmade carpet from Iran

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Kilim Flat tapestry-woven carpet

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Isfahan rug

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Ushak carpet

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Rug hooking

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Rya (rug)

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Hereke carpet Turkish carpet

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Ryijy

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Ardabil rug

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Turkmen rug Cultural heritage of the Turkmen people

A Turkmen rug is a type of handmade floor-covering textile traditionally originating in Central Asia. It is useful to distinguish between the original Turkmen tribal rugs and the rugs produced in large numbers for export mainly in Pakistan and Iran today. The original Turkmen rugs were produced by the Turkmen tribes who are the main ethnic group in Turkmenistan and are also found in Afghanistan and Iran. They are used for various purposes, including tent rugs, door hangings and bags of various sizes.

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Armenian carpet Weaving technique used for carpet, rugs and floor covers, etc.

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Swedish carpets and rugs

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References

  1. 1 2 Λεξικό της Νέας Ελληνικής Γλώσσας (Babiniotis Dictionary), (Λεξικό Μπαμπινιώτη), 1998, s.v.
  2. "History of Flokati Rugs". www.flokati.com. Retrieved 2019-02-23.
  3. American Import & Export Bulletin58-59:672
  4. Mazarakis, Steve. "Flokati Rugs: A Part of Greek History". RugNews.com. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  5. "Helen Gagalis, Tastemaker of Throws, Dies". Home Textiles Today. 2006.
  6. Greene, Lauren (2005). "'What if My Dormmate is the Complete Opposite of Me?!' Designer Mark Montano Solves All Your Room Problems" . Retrieved 2019-02-23.
  7. "Roll that Board!". gscentral.net. Archived from the original on 21 July 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2015.