Home > Carpet Making > Oriental Rugs Glossary

Eastern Turkestan: An area of western China in the southwestern part of Xinjiang province. Rugs from this region are sometimes referred to as Samarkand. Common sizes are 4x8 or 4x9 and popular designs include three medallions, pots with flowers and thirdly all over geometric elements throughout the field.

Embossed: A process of carving around a design or symbol to enhance the look of the rug. Commonly done in some Chinese and Tibet rugs.

Endless Knot: A buddhist emblem symbolizing long duration, often used with other symbols.

Erivan: Armenian rug centre.

Ersari: A large sub-tribe of the Turkmen distributed along the Amu Darya valley and in northwest Afghanistan. Recently, many Ersari have settled in Pakistan.

Eyerlyk: saddle rug

Ensi (engsi): Used to cover the entrance to a tent, in other words a woven 'door'. Because of the mihrab-like design of many ensis, some writers have assumed that they were also used as prayer rugs; there appears to be no evidence of this usage and a number of authorities have specifically excluded it.

Ezine: European Turkey Town noted for elegant simple small rugs.

Elem: (Turkmen) additional border in pile rugs, situated at the ends of a main rug or at the bottom of a mafrash, torba or chvual.

Ersari: A large sub-tribe of the Turkmen distributed along the Amu Darya valley and in northwest Afghanistan. Recently, many Ersari have settled in Pakistan.

Eshik tysh: door hanging or rug used by the Kirghiz, a Kirghiz word.

Eyer: (Turkmen) saddle.