Cream Chobi Afghan Runner
This cream Chobi Afghan runner is hand double knotted in Afghanistan from Gazney wool and measures 298 x 76 cm. The ground is a soft ivory cream, with tan and rust flowers and blue-grey accents across the field. It is a hand knotted runner with a calm palette that suits both traditional and contemporary rooms, and its long, narrow shape suits a hallway or galley kitchen.
The design up close
The cream field runs the full length of the runner. Down the centre, flower heads in blue-grey and tan repeat at regular intervals, with pairs of rust and tan blossoms between them on thin, curving stems. Sage green leaves fill the spaces.
The border is a deeper tan, with small flowers and buds in rust, blue-grey and cream repeating within a band. A narrow line of tan separates it from the field, and short fringes finish both ends.
Up close, the blossoms are not all identical. Small differences from one column to the next are what you would expect from a rug tied entirely by hand, and they give this cream Chobi Afghan runner its handmade character.
Chobi rugs and their designs
The name Chobi means wood, a nod to the soft, natural tones these rugs are known for. Many follow Ziegler designs: soft-toned, large-scale patterns first made in the Sultanabad district from the 1880s for European and American buyers.
Chobi rugs often come in ivory, sand, soft green, rust and blue, and are often washed after weaving to soften the colours further. The ivory and sand ground of this runner sits squarely in that range.
How a cream Chobi Afghan runner is made
Our records note vegetable dyes. Natural dyes give gentle variation in shade, called abrash, which is valued as a sign of handwork rather than a fault. Look for soft shifts of shade across the field when you see the runner in daylight.
Hand knotting means a weaver ties each knot by hand on a loom, row after row. The back of a hand knotted rug should show the design clearly, knot by knot.
Sizing it for your room
At 298 x 76 cm the runner covers about 2.3 square metres. Its width suits a hallway about 1 metre wide, since the runner plus 10 to 20 cm of floor on each side gives 96 to 116 cm. At nearly 3 metres long, a cream Chobi Afghan runner suits a long hallway or a galley kitchen where the floor runs straight.
It also suits the side of a bed, where it can sit beside the mattress and take the first steps out of bed. Pale furniture and timber floors show its ivory ground well.
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.
A cream Chobi Afghan runner in a hallway takes more foot traffic than one in a quiet room, so vacuum it more often. Pale grounds show marks sooner, so blot spills straight away.
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 Chobi Afghan runner 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 Chobi Rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about Afghan rugs.
