Cream Afghan Suzani Rug
This cream Afghan Suzani rug was double hand-knotted in Afghanistan from lamb’s wool and measures 265 x 170 cm, about 4.5 square metres. Its pale ground carries a field of flowers and vines in red, rust, orange, teal and gold, inside a wide floral border.
The design up close
The ground is a pale cream with a faint grey-green cast. Tall, curving stems and vines cross it, and each stem carries large flower heads in red, rust, orange and teal. The stems divide the field into loose columns, so the eye moves up and down the rug as well as across it.
Near the centre sits a dark navy rosette ringed with small red and cream blossoms. Below it, a mirrored pair of gold palmette shapes with teal tips rises from the lower centre, and a red and cream flower head tops the design at the upper centre.
The main border is wide and busy. It repeats small flowers, leaves and stems in red, teal, cream and green on a pale ground, with narrow guard bands of tiny triangles between the border and the field. In this cream Afghan Suzani rug the border holds the most small detail, while the field stays open.
Suzani rugs and where the design comes from
Suzani rugs borrow their designs from the embroidered textiles of Central Asia, which carry large, bold floral medallions. Those embroideries come from the area around Bukhara and Samarkand in today’s Uzbekistan, where women traditionally made them as part of a bride’s dowry. The large rosettes and flowering vines translate well into a knotted rug, and this cream Afghan Suzani rug keeps that bold floral look in wool.
How it is made
Weavers in Afghanistan tie each knot by hand on a loom, one knot at a time, and build the flowers and vines row by row. This cream Afghan Suzani rug is double hand-knotted in lamb’s wool, and the red, orange and teal flowers sit clearly on the pale ground because each colour is tied into its own patch of the design.
Sizing a cream Afghan Suzani rug for your room
At 265 x 170 cm, the rug is long enough for a three-seat sofa of about 2.2 m. Set under a coffee table in front of that sofa, about 22.5 cm of rug shows past each end, which is half of the 45 cm by which the rug is longer than the sofa. The front legs of the sofa and two armchairs can rest on it as well.
The cream ground suits pale timber floors, white walls and blue or grey furnishings. The area is about 4.5 square metres, so it can anchor a living room without covering the whole floor. The cream Afghan Suzani rug works best where the flowers have space to show.
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 this cream Afghan Suzani 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 Suzani Rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about suzani textiles.
