Selvedge (shirazeh) شیرازه

The selvedge is the finish along the two long sides of a rug; in Persian, shirazeh (شیرازه), a word that covers every kind of side finish. English books split it in two: overcasting, the simplest, wraps yarn around a single cord of warp yarn, while a selvedge proper wraps two or more cords or warps together (Iranica), though rug descriptions often say selvedge for both. The wrapping may be wool or another fibre: goat hair is favoured on coarser Baluch rugs. The Persian hashiyeh (حاشیه) means the border, not the selvedge.

Also selvage · side cord · side cords · side finish · kenarapich · overcasting

See also Fringe, Goat hair

Last reviewed November 2026