Handmade Black and Ivory Grass Rug
The Constellation rug is a black and ivory grass rug, handmade in India from wool and viscose and measuring 305 x 236 cm. It covers about 7.2 square metres of floor.
The design up close
From a distance it reads as a near black rug with soft horizontal bands, some a shade deeper and some a touch lighter. Come closer and each band turns out to be a field of tiny ivory dots, little crosses and small open squares set on the black, packed tightly in some rows and spaced further apart in others. That change in spacing is what makes the bands, and it gives the surface a quiet movement without any bold motif.
Between the dotted rows run narrow strips of fine diagonal ticking, a little like ribbing, and they are what make it a grass rug. In a few places a faint deep red tint shows through the black. There is no border, so the pattern runs right out to the sides, which are finished with a dark overcast edge. Both ends carry a short ivory fringe.
As a modern rug it suits a room with pale timber floors, white walls or light upholstery, where the black gives the space some weight and the ivory flecks keep it from feeling heavy.
Indian weaving and this rug
India has a long rug weaving tradition, with centres including Agra and the Bhadohi and Mirzapur area of Uttar Pradesh. Indian workshops weave many modern and abstract designs, often to order, in a wide range of colours and sizes. Wool is the most common pile, and some rugs mix wool with other fibres, as this one does.
How this black and ivory grass rug is made
This black and ivory grass rug is handmade, with a pile that mixes wool and viscose. Walk around it and the bands catch the light differently, some soft and matte, others with a slight sheen. Wool is hard wearing and springy, so it helps the pile recover after it is walked on. Bamboo silk is a viscose (rayon) fibre made from bamboo cellulose, with a silk-like sheen. It is softer and less resilient than wool, so a rug with it suits rooms with lighter foot traffic.
Sizing it for your room
At 305 x 236 cm it suits a living room with a three seat sofa of about 2.2 m, leaving 42.5 cm of rug past each end of the sofa. Under a king bed, which is 183 cm wide, it leaves 26.5 cm each side, and under a queen bed, 153 cm wide, it leaves 41.5 cm each side.
For dining, a six seat table of 180 x 90 cm leaves 62.5 cm of grass rug at each end and 73 cm along each side, so chairs stay on the rug when they are tucked in.
Looking after your black and ivory grass rug
Vacuum it on a suction-only setting, or with the beater bar switched off, so the brush does not pull at the pile. 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. Rubbing spills can dull viscose, so this rug needs a cleaner who handles that fibre 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.
Visit our showroom at 307 Penshurst St, North Willoughby, open every day from 11 am to 4:30 pm, to see this black and ivory grass rug in person. If you would rather judge it in your own room, with your own light and furniture, book a home trial and we will bring a selection to you.
You can see this black and ivory grass rug in our showroom or at home. Browse more Contemporary rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about viscose.
