Red Mamluk Mosaic Rug
This red Mamluk mosaic rug was hand knotted in India in soft wool, and it measures 302 x 247 cm. Its centre is a large star and octagon medallion in brick red and deep blue, framed by a wide border of rosettes in slate blue.
The design up close
The medallion is built from nested, stepped star points around an octagonal centre, with thin lines in gold, cream and blue. Across the red Mamluk mosaic rug, the field around it is divided into panels of small blue and gold rosettes, and each corner of the red field holds a smaller medallion of the same motifs.
The border is the busiest part of the rug. A band of slate blue ground holds rows of rosettes in red, gold and cream, with a thin guard stripe on either side. Short fringe finishes both short ends.
Seen from across the room, the medallion reads first, then the blue border, and the small rosettes show only up close. The busier field draws the eye outward from the medallion. The rosettes in the border repeat the red, gold and cream of the medallion, so the colours carry from the centre to the edge.
How it is made
Our records note vegetable dyes. This rug is hand knotted in India in soft wool, and each knot is tied by hand on a loom. Wool is the most common pile in Indian rugs, and this red Mamluk mosaic rug is wool throughout. The red, slate and gold tones sit together across the whole field. The stepped outlines of the star points are made up of many small steps, which is easiest to see up close.
Its red and blue palette suits a formal dining room or a living room with dark timber furniture, where the medallion can sit at the centre of the space. Light cream walls keep the strong border from closing in, and warm cushions in gold or rust echo the rosettes.
Sizing a red Mamluk mosaic rug for your room
At 302 x 247 cm the rug covers about 7.5 square metres. A three-seat sofa of about 2.2 m leaves about 41 cm of rug past each end, so the front legs of the sofa and two armchairs can rest on it around a coffee table. Under a dining table of about 240 x 100 cm, this red Mamluk mosaic rug leaves roughly 31 cm at each end and 73.5 cm along each side.
A smaller dining table of about 180 x 90 cm would leave about 61 cm at each end and 78.5 cm along each side. Its red tones suit warm timber floors, cream walls and neutral furnishings.
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 this red Mamluk mosaic rug. 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 Mamluk mosaic 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 Traditional, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about Mamluk carpets.
