Navy Bokhara Rug
This navy Bokhara rug is hand knotted in Pakistan from wool with silk highlights, measuring 303 x 196 cm, or about 5.9 square metres. Cream guls and pale snowflake-shaped motifs stand out against a deep navy field.
The design up close
Seventeen rows of oval guls run down the field, four across, each in cream with tan and grey detailing. Between them, small cross-shaped motifs in pale grey and cream break up the navy ground, so the pattern has a light, regular rhythm.
The border begins with thin stripes in grey and cream, then a wide band of round rosettes in cream and gold on navy. At each end a lattice of small diamonds in cream and navy closes the rug, and a short white fringe finishes it.
On this navy Bokhara rug the contrast between cream and navy is strong, and the silk highlights catch the light at different angles, giving some of the pale motifs a faint sheen.
About Pakistani rugs and Bokhara designs
Bokhara designs are rows of octagonal motifs called guls, taken from Turkmen tribal rugs and usually set on a red ground. They are often called Bokhara rugs, after the old trading city.
Pakistan is known for finely knotted wool rugs in classic designs such as Bokhara and Jaldar, with repeating motifs that work in traditional and modern rooms alike. Hand-knotted rug making grew rapidly in Pakistan after independence in 1947, with Lahore among the early centres.
Many Pakistani rugs are washed after weaving, which gives the wool a soft sheen. Their fine knotting and repeating designs make them a good choice for dining rooms, studies and living rooms.
How a navy Bokhara rug is made
This rug is hand knotted on a loom, one knot at a time. Wool forms most of the pile and silk is used for highlights, which lifts the pale motifs. The pile is trimmed level once the weaving is done.
Colour in your room
A navy ground suits grey or white walls and pale timber floors, and it hides marks well under a dining table. Cream and tan furnishings pick up the guls, while a touch of brass or gold will echo the gold in the border.
Sizing it for your room
At 303 x 196 cm, this navy Bokhara rug covers about 5.9 square metres. In a living room, a three-seat sofa of about 2.2 m leaves roughly 42 cm of rug showing past each end, and the front legs of two armchairs can rest on it around a coffee table.
Under a dining table of about 180 x 90 cm, which seats six, the rug leaves about 62 cm at each end and 53 cm along each side. Chairs pulled back at the ends 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. Rubbing spills can dull silk, so this rug needs a cleaner who handles silk 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 navy Bokhara 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.
