Hand Knotted Ivory Abstract Rug
The Ivory Sands rug is an ivory abstract rug, hand knotted in India from wool and silk, in a design of sand and white that reads like a weathered landscape. It measures 457 x 366 cm and covers about 16.7 square metres.
The design up close
Across this ivory abstract rug, wheat and sand make up most of the field, with ivory and white worked over it in broken, irregular patches. The white is densest along the top edge, down the right side and across the lower corners, where the texture looks weathered. A pale streak runs across the middle from left to right, and smaller flecks of white scatter through the centre and along the left side.
There is no medallion, no border and no repeating motif. The pattern comes from the changing tones and the textured surface, so this ivory abstract rug looks different as the light moves across it. The white marks thicken towards the edges and simply fade out at the outer edge of the field.
Indian weaving and this rug
India has a long hand-knotted rug tradition, with weaving centres including Agra and the Bhadohi and Mirzapur area of Uttar Pradesh. Indian workshops weave many modern and abstract designs, often to order, in a wide range of colours and sizes. Wool is the most common pile, and some rugs mix wool with silk, as this one does.
How this ivory abstract rug is made
Our records note that it is hand knotted in India using the Nepali knot. Three weavers take about six months to make each rug. The pile is then carved by hand to give the design its raised look, which takes the same three people about three more weeks.
Our records note German dyes for the colours, and the sand and white tones stay close together across the whole field.
Sizing it for your room
At 457 x 366 cm, this ivory abstract rug is large enough for a full lounge setting. A three-seat sofa of around 2.2 m leaves about 118 cm of rug showing at each end, and armchairs placed facing the sofa can rest their front legs on the rug around a coffee table.
In a dining room, a table of about 240 x 100 cm, which seats eight, leaves roughly 108 cm of rug at each end and 133 cm along each side. That is enough room for the chairs to slide back without leaving the rug. Its sand and white tones suit timber floors, linen and natural stone.
Looking after your ivory abstract 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 silk, so this rug 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 ivory abstract 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.
Available in 457 x 366 cm and custom made, in the size and colour you choose.
