Parts of an Area Rug: Field, Border, Fringe & More Explained

Arsh's Rug Library · Materials

Full view of a red and blue traditional rug showing field, medallion and borders — Field, medallion, corners and borders on Lavastone Catherin, 9'1" x 13'3"

Knowing the parts of a rug makes it much easier to compare rugs, read descriptions and spot quality. Here is a simple map, from the top down.

The design

Field: the large central area inside the borders. It holds the main design.
Medallion: a large central motif in the field, often round, oval or star-shaped. Rugs without one have an all-over design.
Corner pieces (spandrels): partial motifs in the field's corners that echo the medallion.
Main border: the widest band framing the field. See what borders tell you.
Guard stripes: the narrow bands on either side of the main border.

Close-up of a main border with guard stripes on each side — Up close: a main border framed by guard stripes, and motifs in the field.

Close-up of field motifs — Up close: a main border framed by guard stripes, and motifs in the field.

The structure

Warp: the threads that run the length of the rug, strung on the loom before weaving.
Weft: the threads woven across the warp between rows of knots to lock them in place.
Pile: the wool or silk knots, trimmed to make the surface you walk on.
Foundation: the warp and weft together, usually cotton or wool.
Selvedge: the long sides, wrapped with yarn to stop them fraying.
Fringe: the ends of the warp threads. On a hand-knotted rug the fringe is part of the rug, not sewn on, which is one way to tell a handmade rug.

Why it matters

The back of the rug shows the knots, so it tells you the knot density and whether the rug is hand-knotted. The sides and fringe show how carefully it was finished, and they are the first places to wear, which is why we check them on every rug and repair them when needed. For more terms, see our Rug Encyclopedia A–Z.

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