Red Contemporary Agra Rug
This red contemporary Agra rug was double hand knotted in India from New Zealand wool and measures 241 x 166 cm. Its garnet-red field shifts between brighter red and deeper plum in soft horizontal bands, with fine textured rows of short dashes running across it. It has no border and no central motif, so the colour and texture carry the whole design.
The design up close
The field of this red contemporary Agra rug is a mottled garnet red, with flecks of lighter red and a dusky purple showing through. The colour is not flat, so the surface looks textured from across the room.
Every so often a band of short dashes, picked out in a slightly lighter red, breaks up the plain colour. Between these bands the ground shifts from brighter red to darker plum, so the bands read as soft stripes rather than hard lines. Look closely at the ends of the rug and the dashed rows run straight to the edge.
Because there is no border, the bands run right to each long edge, so the rug has no frame and no change of colour at the sides.
Agra and Indian weaving
India has a long hand-knotted rug tradition, and Agra, where this rug was made, has been a carpet-weaving centre since at least the 17th century. The Bhadohi and Mirzapur area of Uttar Pradesh is the largest carpet-making region in India. Indian workshops weave many designer rugs, often to order, in a wide range of sizes, and wool is the most common pile.
How it is made
Our records note vegetable dyes. This red contemporary Agra rug is double hand knotted, so each knot was tied by hand on the loom. The plain red field carries the small differences in tone that handwork leaves. The garnet and plum tones come from the dyed wool, and the pile is New Zealand wool.
Sizing this red contemporary Agra rug for your room
At 241 x 166 cm, this red contemporary Agra rug covers about 4.0 square metres. At just over 2.4 m long, it is the right size for the front legs of a sofa and two armchairs to rest on around a coffee table. Its plain red field suits neutral walls, timber floors and cream or grey furnishings. Under a dining table of about 180 x 90 cm, it leaves roughly 30 cm at each end and 38 cm along each side, so chairs pulled out from the table would sit partly off 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 11 am to 4:30 pm, to see this red contemporary Agra 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.
Browse more Contemporary, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about rugs and carpets.
