Abrash

Meaning mottled (from the Persian), the term refers to uneven coloration within monochrome areas, for example, on a solid-color central field of a Persian or Turkish carpet. Abrash may sometimes be an accidental effect of a weaver’s process-using yarns of the same color dyed in different dyebaths-but it was often used deliberately as an aesthetic choice: it creates a lively and variegated plane of color, adding depth and visual interest.

Elena Phipps, Looking at Textiles: A Guide to the Technical Terms. Los Angeles, Calif: The J. Paul Getty Museum, 2011.

Abrash (Pout) (1995), 20×20″, oil on canvas
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