Grey Vintage Overdyed Rug
This grey vintage overdyed rug was hand knotted in Iran from lamb’s wool and measures 377 x 286 cm. Its field has faded to a soft, mottled grey with hints of blue at the edges, and a darker grey patch sits in the centre. The whole rug is quiet and low in contrast, so it reads mainly as tone and texture.
The design up close
On this grey vintage overdyed rug the pattern is almost lost. A medallion can be traced faintly in the centre, its darker outline blurring into the field, and finer lighter lines show the drawing of a floral border on each side. Light and dark areas run in uneven clouds across the whole surface, so the grey field looks more like worn cloth than a set design.
Near the centre left, a thin rosy-brown streak runs down the field, and the grey around it shifts from cool blue to warm grey. The outer border is a pale grey-blue with a faint lattice of blossoms, and two narrow guard lines separate it from the field. Fine lines run the length of the rug, so the surface catches the light differently from different angles.
The lower half is slightly darker than the top, and a few paler marks sit near the bottom edge. Lighter bands of grey run across the width at intervals, which gives the rug a faded, layered look.
Persian rugs and how they are woven
A Persian rug is woven in Iran, and every rug in our Persian collection is hand knotted there. A Persian rug is made one knot at a time on a loom, usually from hand-spun wool, and a room-size piece can take a weaver many months. This grey vintage overdyed rug is one of our vintage rugs.
The pile and lamb’s wool
The pile of this grey vintage overdyed rug is lamb’s wool. Lamb’s wool comes from a young sheep’s first shearing and gives the pile a soft hand. Each knot is tied by hand, row after row, and the pile is then sheared level.
Sizing a grey vintage overdyed rug
At 377 x 286 cm the rug covers about 10.8 square metres. A three-seat sofa of about 2.2 m leaves about 79 cm of rug showing past each end, so the sofa and two armchairs can sit together around a coffee table. In a dining room, a table of about 240 x 100 cm leaves roughly 69 cm of rug at each end and 93 cm along each side. Its muted grey suits pale walls and timber floors, and a neutral sofa lets the rug’s tones carry the room.
Looking after your grey vintage overdyed 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 the grey vintage overdyed 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 Vintage, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about Persian carpets.
