Cream Suzani Afghan Rug
This cream Suzani Afghan rug was double hand knotted in Afghanistan from wool and measures 230 x 180 cm, which is about 4.1 square metres. Our records note vegetable dyes. Its ground is a grey-brown taupe rather than a true cream, with large red flower heads and pale blue and green blossoms spread across it.
The cream Suzani Afghan rug up close
The field centres on a red and cream diamond, with pairs of large red flower heads placed above and below it. Sprays of pale blue, sage green and cream blossoms fill the spaces between them, and fine red and blue tendrils curl through the ground. Cream leaves and buds sit along the branches.
The border is a sand-coloured band, with small flowers in red, blue and green on vines that run around the rug. A narrower band of small motifs separates it from the field, so the edge stays busy without competing with the centre. The shades across the ground are soft.
Suzani rugs and their motifs
Suzani rugs borrow their large floral motifs from Central Asian embroidery, and this cream Suzani Afghan rug follows that floral style. Our Afghan collection ranges from bold tribal designs to calm, contemporary pieces, and this one sits toward the softer, decorative end.
How Afghan rugs are made
Afghan rugs are hand knotted on a loom, one knot at a time. Some use wool that is spun by hand and coloured with natural dyes from plants such as madder, which gives the deep reds Afghan rugs are known for. A room-size rug can take a small team of weavers many months, and the slight variations in colour make each rug individual.
At 4.1 square metres, this rug is a smaller piece than a room-size rug, and it is made in the same way: one knot at a time, with the pile tied by hand.
Sizing it for your room
This 230 x 180 rug covers about 4.1 square metres, so it suits a seating area, a hallway or a dining room with a smaller table. In front of a 2.2 m sofa, the front legs of the sofa and two armchairs can rest on it around a coffee table.
In a dining room, a table of 180 x 90 cm for six would leave only about 25 cm of rug at each end and 45 cm along each side, so the chairs would sit partly off it. A smaller table suits this rug better. Cream and sand tones sit well with timber floors and soft neutral walls.
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
If you are looking for Afghan area rugs, our North Willoughby showroom is where you can compare this cream Suzani Afghan rug in person.
Visit our showroom at 307 Penshurst St, North Willoughby, open every day from 11 am to 4:30 pm, to see this cream Suzani Afghan 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 Afghan Rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about suzani textiles.
