Antique Bakhtiar Tribal Rug
This antique Bakhtiar tribal rug measures 239 x 155 cm and is a Persian rug made of wool. Its deep red field holds a square central medallion in cream, gold, navy and red, and a band of navy panels runs around the outer field, each filled with large flowers. It is hand knotted, and its blocky motifs give the rug a bold, pixelated look.
The design up close
The centre of this antique Bakhtiar tribal rug is a square medallion with a stepped outline. Cream and gold shapes sit inside it, with navy and red accents, and small arms reach out from its corners into the red field. Corner pieces in navy and cream echo the medallion.
Around the medallion the field is scattered with flowers in red, cream and pink, set among small navy and cream motifs. Along the outer field, navy panels hold large blossoms in red, cream and yellow, one after another, so the edge reads like a row of framed flowers.
The border is red with small flowers and yellow dots, and a narrow navy guard runs along the outside edge. Between the medallion and the outer panels, small cream and navy diamonds break up the red ground, so the middle of the rug stays busy even where the flowers thin out.
Reading the pattern
Seen from across the room, this antique Bakhtiar tribal rug looks busy and balanced. Up close, each flower is drawn with a few strong colours, and the stepped shapes sit in straight rows, which gives the rug a structured look. As an antique Persian carpet, it rewards a close look at the panels and the way each motif is built.
How an antique Bakhtiar tribal rug is made
Our records note that this rug is hand knotted, with each knot tied by hand. The rug is made of wool, and its panels and medallion are set in clear, straight lines.
Sizing it for your room
At 239 x 155 cm this antique Bakhtiar tribal rug covers about 3.7 square metres. At just under 2.4 m long, it is a rug where the front legs of a sofa and two armchairs can rest on it around a coffee table. Beside a queen bed, which is 153 cm wide in Australia, the length of the rug runs down one side.
In a dining room, a table of about 180 x 90 cm leaves roughly 30 cm of rug at each end and 33 cm along each side, which is tight for chairs to slide back, so this rug suits a living room better than a dining room.
Looking after your rug
Vacuum it on a suction-only setting, or with the beater bar switched off, so the brush does not pull at the knots. Turn it around every six to twelve months so sun and foot traffic wear it evenly. Blot spills with a clean white cloth and cold water rather than rubbing them in. When it needs a full clean, choose a cleaner who washes handmade rugs by hand.
Put a good underlay beneath it. It stops the rug sliding on timber or tiles, adds cushioning and takes some of the wear off the pile. Moths like wool in dark, quiet spots, such as the part of a rug under a sofa, so vacuum those areas often and lift the furniture now and then.
See it before you buy
Visit our showroom at 307 Penshurst St, North Willoughby, open every day from 11 am to 4:30 pm, to see the antique bakhtiar tribal rug in person. If you would rather judge it in your own room, with your own light and furniture, book an in-home viewing and we will bring a selection to you.
Browse more Tribal, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about Persian carpets.
