Brown Bokhara Runner
This brown Bokhara runner was made in Pakistan in wool and measures 313 x 79 cm. A column of rust and brown lozenge medallions runs down a golden ochre field, with thin stems and small blossoms linking one medallion to the next. A deep brown border with rows of small flowers frames the whole runner.
The design up close
The medallions are lozenge shaped, each with a pink and rust outline around a dark brown centre. Small leaf sprigs and flowers in green, cream and rust fill the gold ground beside them, so the field reads as one pattern from end to end.
Seen from the end of the runner, the medallions stack into a single column, and the gold ground gives the whole piece a warm, even glow.
In this brown Bokhara runner the ochre ground does most of the work, and the brown tones sit in the medallions and the border. A wide brown band carries rows of small cream and rust flowers, set between narrow dark stripes, and an inner band of tiny motifs runs along the edge of the field.
The brown border is the frame of the whole runner. Its stripes run the full length on both sides, and the inner band keeps the edge from competing with the medallions.
Bokhara designs and Pakistani weaving
Pakistan is known for finely knotted wool rugs, and Bokhara is one of its classic designs. The layout takes its rows of octagonal motifs, called guls, from Turkmen tribal rugs, where they usually sit on a red ground. These are often called Bokhara rugs, after the old trading city.
This brown Bokhara runner keeps the Bokhara name, but its medallions sit on a golden ochre field instead of the red ground the classic guls usually use. Hand-knotted rug making grew rapidly in Pakistan after independence in 1947, with Lahore among the early centres.
Sizing this brown Bokhara runner
At 313 x 79 cm the runner covers about 2.5 square metres. It is a runner, so it suits a hallway, a kitchen galley or the floor beside a bed.
For a hallway, allow about 99 to 119 cm of width, which is the runner width plus 10 to 20 cm of floor on each side. At 3.13 m long, this brown Bokhara runner suits a hallway of about that length. Its golden ground stands out on darker timber, and the brown border suits pale walls.
Place the runner so the medallions run in the direction you walk, so the column of lozenges leads the eye along the hallway.
Looking after this runner
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 end to end every six to twelve months so foot traffic wears 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 runner sliding on timber or tiles, adds cushioning and takes some of the wear off the pile. Moths like wool in dark, quiet spots, so lift this brown Bokhara runner now and then and vacuum the floor beneath it.
Turn the runner over now and then to check that the fringe at each end stays even, and tidy any loose threads gently with your fingers rather than cutting them.
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 brown Bokhara runner 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 Runners, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about Bokhara rugs.
