Kumkapus were the successors of the Herekes. At the beginning of the twentieth century when production at Hereke ceased, Armenian weavers under the master weaver Zare-Aga of Istambul began to create silk rugs with gold and silver threads. These were embossed, but this time did not have pile of different heights. Here the rugs were made partly of pile, which stood out in strong relief against a background of gold or silver warps and wefts without pile. The designs used were those of the great period of Persia; also there were intricate prayer rugs woven with verses from the Koran in the borders, carried out in intaglio with gold or silver warp threads which gave a subdued refulgence to the sacred words. These pieces were some of the finest ever woven and today command high prices in world markets.
So far, only Persia and Turkey have been discussed. The other weaving areas, apart from the Caucasus, contribute little to the overall historical picture, although individual items are, of course, preserved in museums and collections from all the known areas. The Caucasus, however, must rank in importance with Turkey, for it is possible that Turkey might not have reached the artistic heights which she did without Armenian influence.
Some of the early pieces now attributed to Turkey most probably came either from the Caucasus or from Armenian looms in Turkey, as it was only when Europeans and Americans took an interest in techniques and history of Oriental rugs that geographical divisions were made. These have been handicapped over the centuries by the numerous political changes in the countries of the Middles East. It is significant that some of the rugs depicted in early European paintings were undoubtedly Caucasian in design and were not Turkish at all, although all Oriental carpets, at least in England in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, were described as “Turkish” and even pieces made in England at that time were known as “Turkish carpets of English making”.
Stanley Reed “Oriental rugs and carpets” 1967