Kyrgyz carpets are made on a dukon or horizontal loom similar to that used by the Uzbeks and Turkmen. It consists of two poles, the length of which slightly exceeds the width of the base, and of three sticks serving to create the gullet, to open it and change the base threads. The weft and fleecy tied knots are compressed by a wooden hammer with cogs; stray fleecy threads are cut with a knife and the pile is trimmed with scissors. The pile is usually 5 to 7 cm in thickness; the knot is sesquilateral and is bound manually. The density of the Kyrgyz carpet is 900-1000 knots per square decimeter in average. The carpets are made of sheep's wool, but the foundation and selvedges are often strengthened with camel and goat wool. Soft marena red and indigo blue colors prevail in knotted carpets, although they were complemented by shades of brown, black and yellow, with occasional uses of green and white. The oldest Kyrgyz rugs were made with all vegetal dyes, but since the late 19th century the use of more convenient aniline dyes has sometimes compromised the quality of the carpets. Kyrgyz carpets have a border along the perimeter of the central ground. The patterns on the border are different from those on the central ground and the composition of the carpet pattern usually has several variants. In this particular rug, three evenly spaced cruciform elements bestride the red field with their attendant ram's horn hooked motifs. The corner spandrels and filler elements are geometrically rendered blossoms in a checkerboard pattern of alternating colors.