Cream Mamluk Rug
This cream Mamluk rug is hand knotted in Afghanistan from lamb’s wool. It measures 258 x 170 cm, or about 4.4 square metres, and our records note vegetable dyes. The main field is cream and sage green with a brick red border, and a central medallion in green and red gives the rug its kaleidoscopic look.
The design up close
A central medallion in teal green, with a deep red core, sits in a cream and green field of this cream Mamluk rug. Around it, small geometric panels in cream, sage and red repeat in neat blocks. Round medallions in green and cream sit at the middle of each side, and a larger medallion with green and red rings sits at both the top and bottom of the field, so the layout reads from end to end.
The red border of this cream Mamluk rug is wide and carries small cream and green motifs over its surface. A narrow inner band in green and cream separates it from the field. The cream ground keeps the red border and the green centre from crowding each other.
The brick red border is wide and holds a chain of small cream and green motifs, and the cream inner guard stripe keeps it from crowding the sage field.
Mamluk rugs and their history
Mamluk rugs reinterpret the geometric carpets made in the Mamluk era, with central medallions built from octagons and stars. The Mamluks ruled Egypt and Syria from 1250 to 1517, and the carpets woven in Cairo from the late 15th century, and into the 16th, are known for designs that fill the whole rug. Weavers in Afghanistan revive these designs today, and this rug belongs to that revival.
How this cream Mamluk rug is made
Hand knotting sets each medallion and border motif one knot at a time, so the pattern is built from the weaver’s hand. Thick wool and a patterned field also help hide everyday wear.
Sizing this cream Mamluk rug in your room
At 258 x 170 cm the rug covers about 4.4 square metres. Its length is just under 2.6 m, so a sofa of around 2.2 m can rest its front legs on it, with two armchairs doing the same around a coffee table. In a dining room it suits a table of about 180 x 90 cm, leaving 39 cm of rug past each end and 40 cm along each side. A cream Mamluk rug this size suits a dining room or a long living room where the central medallion can be seen from every seat.
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 cream Mamluk 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 Mamluk Rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about Mamluk carpets.
