Oriental Rugs Today, Pakistani Rugs

Pakistani Bokhara Rugs (Bokara or Bukhara)

Bokharas are a type of handmade Pakistani rug; also known as Bukharas or Bokaras, they predate the rug renaissance.

A typical Pakistani Bhokara, although red is a more common color.

Though Pakistani Bokharas are scorned by collectors, they have turned out to be honest rugs. Most are based on Turkmen prototypes called Tekkes, with repeating octagonal figures called guls, usually on fields of burgundy red, gray blue, or sometimes green.

One line of these rugs is thick and of average weave, and they are known as 9/16 doubles, meaning that they have 144 knots per square inch. They are quite inexpensive, and luxurious feeling because of their thick, soft wool imported from either Australia or New Zealand.

A Pakistani Bokhara, though not the most common kind. This piece, characterized by the two-panel field and what appear to be (but are not) prayer niches at one end of the rug, is known as a Hachlu.

The standard Bokhara, known in the trade as 10/20, is woven with a nominal 200 knots per square inch. A less often seen grade is known as 11/22 and has 242 knots per inch. This grade costs more, but I recommend paying the difference and buying it.

A variant of the Tekke gul Bokharas is the Hachlu, usually available only in a 10/20 weave. These rugs are based on a Turkmen rug known as an ‘engsi’, and are recognizable by what appears to be (but is not) a series of prayer niches along one end and a field that is divided into quarters.

6 Comments

• On 01.04.10 MARY wrote:

  question, what is a “multani” rug?, and what type of price would a 9×12 cost?

• On 01.22.10 Jose wrote:

  I was offered for 5 pieces:
  1 piece of 9×6
  3 pieces of 4×7
  1 piece of 3×5
  Red and Greyish Color @ $ 3,000.00
  Type: Bokara
  Country of Origin: Pakistan

  Can you let us know if this is a good deal or is this too much?

• On 04.26.10 coral berke wrote:

  I am wanting to buy a Pakastani Bukara rug 9X12 the person wants $1000.00 is is worth the price
  thanks

• On 03.27.11 swed wrote:

  Another fine article… Yezz! Yezz! I knew it! Althoug I never had any doubpts about the quality of modern Pakistani rug production… others around me had and still have. When u, a man of integrity and a sound knowledge of these matters (my Guru) say that The Pakistani makes “honest rugs”, u just made my day. BTW I have em’ in black, dark blue (navy), dark camel with the guls in cream and a nice brownish shade with the guls in dark brown.
  Growing more and more popular here in sweden.

• On 11.15.11 amanda_yearling@yahoo.com wrote:

  I have three red rugs.. one is huge and looks indian like the herts rugs abother is half the size looks indian colors go right through both rugs and it almost looks like they are hand done. both have red cobalt blue i will send a picture soon

• On 11.15.11 amanda_yearling@yahoo.com wrote:

  i would like to find out what they are, some dealer offered me quite a bit of money for them i want to know what they are first. they are beautiful

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