Red Suzani Rug
This red Suzani rug was hand knotted in Afghanistan in lamb’s wool and measures 229 x 131 cm. The ground is red throughout, with rows of cream flower heads outlined in blue grey, and a wide cream border carries red and blue green blossoms.
Its flowers sit across the field in an even spread, so the rug reads as one pattern.
The design up close
Rows of large cream flower heads cover the red field, each one outlined in blue grey and joined to its neighbours by curving stems in tan and grey green. Small cream and pale blue florets fill the gaps, so the field reads as an open pattern with the flowers spaced at regular intervals.
This red Suzani rug keeps its strongest contrast in the field, where the cream blooms stand out against the red. The border is wide and cream, with red and blue green blossoms set along each side. A narrow guard stripe in red and cream separates the border from the field, and a thin red edge runs along the outside.
The stems curve between the blooms in both directions, so the field has movement without a single focal point.
The red ground covers most of the rug, so it sets the tone for the whole piece.
Where Suzani designs come from
Suzani designs are borrowed from embroidered textiles of Central Asia, especially the region around Bukhara and Samarkand in today’s Uzbekistan. Those embroideries were traditionally made by women as part of a bride’s dowry. Their large rosettes, sun-like discs and flowering vines translate into a knotted rug, and the flower heads on this red Suzani rug follow that tradition.
How it is made
Unlike the embroidered originals, this rug is knotted in wool, so it is made to be walked on. Hand knotting in Afghanistan is how this red Suzani rug is made, one knot at a time on a loom. Each flower is formed from knots, with no stitching on top.
Cream, blue grey and red are knotted into the pile, so each colour edge follows a row of knots.
Sizing your Red Suzani Rug
At 229 x 131 cm the rug covers about 3.0 square metres. In a living room it suits a spot in front of a sofa. At the foot of a queen bed, 153 cm wide, its 229 cm length runs across the bed and reaches about 38 cm past each side.
At the foot of a king bed, 183 cm wide, the rug’s length runs about 23 cm past each side.
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 Suzani 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 Suzani Rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about suzani textiles.
