Flokati rug

A flokati rug is a woven wool rug. They are shaggy in appearance, and are thick and soft. Modern wool or synthetic rugs may be purchased in a variety of colours.

close-up of a flokati rug

Name

The word comes from the Aromanian floc, from Latin floccus.[1] Another name for a similar style of rug is βελέντζα /vel'endza/ < Turkish velense, possibly via Albanian velentse.[1]

History
Flokati are often made from wool.

Flokati were popular in the 1970s.[2] The word first appeared in English in 1967.[3] The term was created by the Greek Ministries of Finance, Industry, and Commerce to apply to a rug with certain specifications: hand woven in Greece, made of 100% wool (warp, weft, and pile), with total weight of at least 1800 grams of wool per square meter. The rug must also be "subjected to the water friction process" to create the unique pile.[4]

Gagalis Co. imported flokati from Greece starting in 1970 and sold them as "a new look in casual floor coverings."[5][6]

In the October 2005 Cosmo Girl, designer Mark Montano suggested a flokati rug as a solution to the question, "What if my dormmate is the complete opposite of me?!"[7]

Trivia
  • Flokati rugs were offered as prizes on the 1980s game show Press Your Luck (and often joked about when won).[8]
  • They were recommended as being a good home furnishing choice in the 1977 May 52/1 issue of Bon Appétit.

References
  1. Λεξικό της Νέας Ελληνικής Γλώσσας (Babiniotis Dictionary), (Λεξικό Μπαμπινιώτη), 1998, s.v.
  2. "History of Flokati Rugs". www.flokati.com. Retrieved 2019-02-23.
  3. American Import & Export Bulletin 58-59:672
  4. Mazarakis, Steve. "Flokati Rugs: A Part of Greek History". RugNews.com. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  5. "Helen Gagalis, Tastemaker of Throws, Dies". Home Textiles Today. 2006.
  6. "Vintage Rugs Guide". Saturday, 23 January 2021
  7. Greene, Lauren (2005). "'What if My Dormmate is the Complete Opposite of Me?!' Designer Mark Montano Solves All Your Room Problems". Retrieved 2019-02-23.
  8. "Roll that Board!". gscentral.net. Archived from the original on 21 July 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2015.


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