The technique of making a soumak involves wrapping wefts over four warps before drawing them back under the last two warps. The process is repeated from selvedge to selvedge. Soumaks tend to be finely woven, and although not as durable as piled carpets, they are stronger than kilims.
This exceptional Antique Shirvan Runner, woven in the renowned Shirvan district of the Eastern Caucasus around 1890, is a fine example of the region's celebrated craftsmanship.
