Guide To Kuba Rugs

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Kuba Rugs were considered the best rugs of the Caucasus when they were originally produced. Kuba as a Khanate was primarily populated by the 5 Lezgi peoples and the rugs appear to have been made by Lezgi (largest of the Lezgi Ethno-Linguistic group)and Tabassaran weavers. the Lezgi/Tabassaran weave is a denser than most Caucasian rugs, symmetrically knotted, ribbed back and tends towards blue selvages. It has been suggested to me that Lezgi sub-group of Lezgi run a supplementary weft several inch into the field at irregular intervals. I find this plausible but not provable... yet.

Kuba also Quebah, Cuba, Guba etc....

Kuba was a Khanate of Persia (a Khanate is equivalent to a state or region in the old Persian system. Kaffel dates the transfer of Kuba to the Czarist Russians to 1806. Kaffel, Caucasian Prayer Rugs page 30.

How old then is the city of Kuba? In Early Caucasian Rugs Charles Grant Ellis quotes the Encyclopedia of Islam that Kuba "did not exist until C, 1750. Early Caucasian Rugs page 10. I have heard the same from John Wertime discounting Kuba because it was not established until the mid 18th century. (Conversation at Hajji Baba meeting at Wendell Swan's house with Wertime) The problem with this is that the United States Embassy confirms the existence of a 16th-century fortress that dominates the city of Kuba. http://www.usembassybaku.org/post/city.htm Additionally in the Khanalyg suburb of Kuba there is a 9th century A.D. Zoroastrian temple. http://geo.ya.com/travelimages Quba.html Obviously Kuba was a population center well before 1750. How the Encyclopedia of Islam managed to be so wrong is an open question however since I just finished writing part of the Encyclopedia of Modern Asia (Scribners late 2002) I will note that any Encyclopedia is only as good as its authors and editors.

Kuba is the language of a subgroup of the Lezgians and Kuba (Quba) is a dialect that is rather distinct from Lezgi. Ethnologue: Azerbaijan.

Kuba Also Quba, and Quebah.
Kuba is both a city and an area and in previous times it was a Khanate. It is south of Derbend and the area takes in the lowland Azeri speakers.
Kuba also refers to those people who speak Kuba as their milk language.
QUBA
- "While a 16th-century fortress dominates this town, most people go to Quba to see the hundreds of apple orchards. In the spring, the area is fragrant with the scent of apple blossoms. The town is also a center of carpet making -- tour a plant or do some shopping (Azerbaijanis will tell you that Cuba rugs are the best in the region). Along with Sumgait, Quba is generally seen as part of a long day trip from Baku. 100 mi./165 km northwest of Baku. " http://www.usembassybaku.org/post/city.htm

Kuba Rugs: Konagkend Kuba Lattice Rug

Map adapted from www.calle.com

A few related examples:

Chichi - Chichi Rugs
I do not understand why the Chichi attribution is no longer taken seriously. Chichi is a real place; Chichi Azerbaijan see map above.

Latitude	41.2092	Longitude	48.6742	Altitude (feet)	2198

It is also exactly where you would expect to find it based on the rugs we see attributed to Chichi and the surrounding area.

Dense community of Southern Tats live in Chichi Azerbaijan. http://www.tooyoo.l.u-tokyo.ac.jp/Russia/bibl/Tat.html

Konagkend - Konagkend Rugs

about 20 miles south of Kuba, the rugs come in two primary styles. A cruciform medallion rug or a lattice repeat pattern.

Alpan - Alpan Rugs

The late Ulrich Schurmann wrote that Alpan rugs were a type of Kuba "probably woven in Sejshour" Caucasian Rugs page 113. Ian Bennett suggests that they are actually a type of Seichur. Of course he also places Seichur as a type of Kuba and that Alpans and Seichurs have the same construction. Oriental Rugs Volume 1 Caucasian pages 301 - 303.
The Keshishian Alpan Fragment
A Seychour Alpan rug lot 316
A semi antique Alpan Kuba rug

Four Harshang Derivative Village Rugs

Karagashli

Kuba Rugs: Guide to Karagashli and Gubpa Shirvan rugs
A village in Russian Daghestan south of Derbent but it's rugs are counted as Kubas since Karagashli was in the Persian Khanate of Kuba. I see some Karagashli as a degenerate form of the Harshang carpets of the 18th and 19th centuries. Karagashli are a slightly finer than average Kuba. As a group they average knot count 135 - 145 knots per square inch.
Stepped arch
Gubpa Medallion
- Kuba Rugs: Karagashli rug, lot 10
- Kuba Rugs: Karagashli Rug
Kuba Rugs: Karagashli Kuba Rug - Lesghi
Kuba Rugs: Karagashli Kuba Rug - Lesghi
Kuba Rugs: Almost too good to be true Baku
- Kuba Rugs: diagonal striped main border

Perepidil

Northern village in the old Kuba Khanate that had a distinctive rams horn design usually with kefir borders.
Kuba Rugs: Kuba Herati Rug
Kuba Rugs: Perepedil Related Kuba rug
Vurma (snake) Perepidil

Seichur

Kuba Rugs: Guide to Seychour Rugs

Zeijwa

Kuba Rugs: Zeijwa-Kuba rug, late 19th c.

Kuba Rugs: Bird and Rosette Chila Main border

Kuba Herati Rug

The Keshishian Alpan Fragment.

Karagashli Kuba Rug? _ Lesghi

Typical Kuba Structure

Structure: Symmetrical. averages averages of 113 kpsi and average size of 27 square feet. Oriental Rug Lexicon.

Yarn: Spin: Z.

Warp: Depressed alternate Warps . 2 ply warps wool white or tan. Some 3 ply in older rugs.

Weft: 2 shots of 2 ply wool or cotton. Cotton - white wool can be white to brown.

Pile: 2 Wool singles.

Ends: May have band of Sumac at either end. Dr, Murray Eiland Jr. does not expect loops at one end but rather both ends the same. Eiland and Eiland, pg. 284. Many examples have plainweave skirt and warp fringe.

Selvages: two warp unit reinforced white cotton selvage sometimes blue. One warp unit (cord) reinforced in very old examples. One reinforced warp unit in red wool is seen in Karagashli rugs.

Notes:

Kuba two cord white cotton selvage
2 shoots
May have band of Sumac at either end. Dr, Murray Eiland Jr. does not expect loops at one end but rather both ends the same. Eiland and Eiland, pg. 284
Notes: Pete Stone mentions averages of 113 kpsi and average size of 27 square feet. Oriental Rug Lexicon. He also notes that Karagashli Kubas average 144 kpsi and on average are small. Oriental Rug Lexicon
Zejwa Rugs
- Notes: Stone mentions that Zejwa are the largest of the Kuba rugs at about 40 square feet and average 90 kpsi. He also noted that they are usually all wool. Oriental Rug Lexicon page 258.