Blue Bamboo Silk Rug
This blue bamboo silk rug is hand loomed in India and measures 231 x 150 cm, or about 3.5 square metres. Blue, slate and cream mix in a mottled pattern with no border, which gives this blue bamboo silk rug a soft, painterly look.
The design up close
Patches of deep blue and dusky slate sit across the upper left and the lower centre, while cream and pale grey open up on the right side. There is no centre motif, so the eye moves across the whole surface.
The edges of the blue areas are blurred and broken, with fine speckles and dry-brush marks where the colour thins out. Faint brown and taupe show in the spaces between the blues.
Vertical streaks run down through the mottled blue, which gives the surface a slight sense of movement. From a distance this blue bamboo silk rug reads as a soft wash of colour rather than a pattern you can follow. Along the lower edge the blue thickens into dark streaks, while the cream above it thins into a pale haze. Fine pale threads run down between the streaks, which is part of the streaked look.
Weaving centres in India
Agra has been a carpet weaving centre since at least the 17th century. The Bhadohi and Mirzapur area of Uttar Pradesh is the largest carpet making region in India, and Indian workshops weave many modern and abstract designs, often to order, in a wide range of colours and sizes. A rug in this blue belongs to that contemporary group.
How a blue bamboo silk rug is made
This blue bamboo silk rug is hand loomed, so it was woven on a loom by hand. Hand loom work leaves small differences in the blue patches, and no two areas of the surface look exactly the same.
Bamboo silk is a viscose fibre made from bamboo cellulose, with a silk-like sheen. It is softer and less resilient than wool, so it suits rooms with lighter foot traffic.
Sizing it for your room
At 231 x 150 cm this blue bamboo silk rug covers about 3.5 square metres. Its 2.3 m length suits a coffee table setting, where the front legs of a sofa and two armchairs can rest on it around the table.
Under a dining table of about 180 x 90 cm, which seats six, it leaves roughly 26 cm at each end and 30 cm along each side. A room with cream walls lets the pale patches show, while darker timber or charcoal furnishings bring out the deep blue. Its soft colour also sits well beside blue or grey upholstery, and the cream patches lift a darker timber floor.
Looking after your rug
Vacuum it on a suction-only setting, or with the beater bar switched off, so the brush does not catch the surface. 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 surface. Rubbing spills can dull bamboo silk, and it needs a cleaner who handles that fibre by hand. Lift the furniture now and then and vacuum the spots under it.
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 this blue bamboo silk 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 Indian Rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about rugs and carpets.
