Red Bokhara Tribal Runner
This red Bokhara tribal runner is made in Pakistan from handspun New Zealand wool. It measures 479 x 79 cm, about 3.8 square metres, and runs almost five metres from end to end. A candy red field carries a column of octagonal motifs down its length, framed by a dense border of small rosettes.
The design up close
The octagonal guls are cream, black and ivory, each with a dark centre and a pale outline, and they repeat at even intervals down the field. Small dark motifs sit between them, which keeps the field lively without breaking up the column. The guls sit close together, so the column reads as one continuous band of pattern from end to end.
The red ground of this red Bokhara tribal runner is solid and even, with no secondary pattern, so the column of guls draws the eye along its length.
The border is narrow and busy. Rows of small rosettes in black, cream and red run along each long edge, with stripes between them and the field. Along the long edges the rosettes form a continuous row, which gives the runner a strong frame. The short end carries a band of small geometric motifs in cream and red, and a fringe finishes the end.
Bokhara designs and their origins
Bokhara designs are built from rows of octagonal motifs called guls, taken from Turkmen tribal rugs. These rugs are often called Bokhara rugs after the old trading city, and the design is most often woven on a red ground, as this red Bokhara tribal runner is.
Rug making grew quickly in Pakistan after independence in 1947, with Lahore among the early centres. Bokhara designs are among the classic patterns woven there, and a Bokhara runner suits a long, narrow format well.
Sizing this red Bokhara tribal runner for a long hallway
At 479 x 79 cm this runner covers about 3.8 square metres. This Bokhara runner suits a long hallway or corridor with room for it to run nearly its full length. Lay it so the guls run the length of the corridor, not across it.
A hallway about 99 to 119 cm wide gives the runner 10 to 20 cm of floor showing on each side. The red brings colour to plain timber or tiled floors, and it sits well against pale walls and neutral furnishings. Red and cream sit well together, and the warm tone makes a long, plain corridor feel more lived in.
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 pile. 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 11 am to 4:30 pm, to see red Bokhara tribal 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 Tribal, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about Bokhara rugs.
