Indigo Bamboo Silk Rug
This indigo bamboo silk rug is a hand knotted piece made in India from wool and bamboo silk, and it measures 360 x 276 cm. A deep indigo ground carries a pale peach and tan pattern across the whole field, framed by several borders in the same muted palette. Our records note vegetable dyes.
The design up close
The field is covered in a close, repeating lattice of arabesques and small leafy shapes, drawn in peach and tan on the indigo. The motifs stack in vertical columns, so the eye runs up and down this indigo bamboo silk rug more than across it. In places the peach thins out and the indigo shows through in patches, which gives the field a mottled, washed look.
The main border is built from several bands. The outer band repeats cream scrolls on indigo, a band of small tan motifs sits inside it, and a narrow stripe separates the border from the field. Short fringe finishes the top and bottom ends, while the long sides run straight to the edge with no fringe.
This indigo bamboo silk rug reads clearly from across a room because the ground is so deep.
Indian weaving and bamboo silk
India has a long hand-knotted rug tradition. Agra has been a carpet-weaving centre since at least the 17th century, and the Bhadohi and Mirzapur area of Uttar Pradesh is the largest carpet-making region in India. Indian workshops weave many modern and abstract designs, often to order, in a wide range of colours and sizes.
Bamboo silk is a viscose fibre, also called rayon, made from bamboo cellulose. It has a silk-like sheen, but it is softer and less resilient than wool, so it suits rooms with lighter foot traffic.
How an indigo bamboo silk rug is made
This indigo bamboo silk rug combines wool with bamboo silk, so the surface mixes a matt wool finish with the sheen of the bamboo silk. Weavers tie each knot by hand on a loom, row after row, then trim the pile level.
Sizing it for your room
At 360 x 276 cm, this indigo bamboo silk rug covers about 9.9 square metres. A rug this size suits a full lounge setting: under a three-seat sofa of around 2.2 m it runs about 70 cm past each end, so the front legs of the sofa and two armchairs can rest on it around a coffee table.
Under a dining table of about 240 x 100 cm, it leaves roughly 60 cm at each end and 88 cm along each side, enough room for the chairs to slide back. Pale timber floors and cream or grey walls give the indigo a calm setting.
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.
Rubbing spills can dull bamboo silk, and it needs a cleaner who handles that fibre by hand.
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 indigo bamboo silk 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 Indian Rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about rugs and carpets.
