Lilac Vintage Persian Rug
This lilac vintage Persian rug is hand knotted in Iran from wool and measures 387 x 280 cm, or about 10.8 square metres. A pale lilac field is covered in gold and tan florals, with a navy border running along one long side.
The design up close
A stepped medallion sits at the centre of the field, in gold and tan with a small navy centre. Around it the lilac ground shows through in soft, uneven patches, some paler and some deeper, so the surface looks lightly worn and weathered rather than flat. Small flowers, leaves and curling stems in navy, tan and rust spread out from the medallion across the whole field.
Gold spandrels fill the corners of this lilac vintage Persian rug and echo the colour of the medallion. Narrow bands of navy and cream separate the field from the main border, which holds palmette flowers and scrolling vines in tan, rust and blue on a lilac and rose-brown ground.
One long side finishes in a deep navy outer border with cream and rust vines and flowers. The ends are lilac, with short fringe.
About Persian rugs
Every Persian rug is woven in Iran. It is made one knot at a time on a loom, and a room-size piece can take a weaver many months, which is why no two are alike. “Persian rug” and “Persian carpet” mean the same thing: a rug hand knotted in Iran.
How a lilac vintage Persian rug is made
Each knot in a lilac vintage Persian rug is tied by hand on a loom, row after row, and the pile is then trimmed level. The pile here is wool. As a hand knotted rug, every knot is tied by hand, so the rows carry small differences in spacing and tone, and turning the rug over shows the design clearly on the back in a softer lilac-grey.
Colour in your room
Lilac is a cool, soft colour, and the gold and tan in the medallion warm it up. This rug suits cream, white or pale grey walls and timber floors, and it looks good with navy, charcoal or warm brass accents in the furniture. In a room with plain walls it can set the whole palette, so choose cushions and curtains from the gold, navy and tan in the pattern.
Sizing it for your room
At 387 x 280 cm, this lilac vintage Persian rug covers about 10.8 square metres. A three-seat sofa of about 2.2 m leaves roughly 84 cm of rug showing past each end, and a sofa and two armchairs can all rest their front legs on it around a coffee table.
Under a dining table of about 240 x 100 cm, it leaves about 74 cm at each end and 90 cm along each side. Chairs can slide back and stay on the rug.
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 10 am to 4:30 pm, to see this lilac vintage Persian rug in person. If you would rather judge it in your own room, with your own light and furniture, book a home trial and we will bring a selection to you.
Browse more Traditional rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about Persian carpets.
