Silver Black Wool Silk Rug
This silver black wool silk rug is hand knotted in India from wool and bamboo silk and measures 355 x 274 cm. A pale silver ground carries a repeated pattern in black and charcoal, and the motifs have soft, blurred edges that give the surface a woven look.
The design up close
The rug is built from columns. Down its length run stacked diamond medallions, each with a lighter centre and a charcoal outline, and narrow stepped motifs link one row to the next. Across the top the diamonds are larger, with small points around their edges, while the lower sections switch to rows of small arches and hooks.
Looking across the rows, the medallions repeat at an even spacing, so the pattern feels orderly even where the motifs blur. The silver ground stays pale throughout, so the black and charcoal motifs stand out as clear shapes from across the room. Each motif has a soft edge, as if the colour has spread slightly into the ground, and this is most visible in the middle rows. Short white fringe finishes both ends of this silver black wool silk rug.
Indian rugs and their weaving centres
India has a long hand-knotted rug tradition, with weaving centres including Agra and the Bhadohi and Mirzapur area of Uttar Pradesh. Agra has been a carpet-weaving centre since at least the 17th century, and the Bhadohi and Mirzapur area is the largest carpet-making region in India. Indian workshops weave many contemporary wool rugs, often in wool and silk blends, and often to order. This silver black wool silk rug fits that contemporary line.
How it is made
Each knot is tied by hand on a loom, and the pile is then cut level. Our records note vegetable dyes. This silver black wool silk rug is made from wool and bamboo silk. Bamboo silk is a viscose (rayon) fibre made from bamboo cellulose, with a silk-like sheen, and it is softer and less resilient than wool, so it suits lower-traffic rooms.
Sizing this silver black wool silk rug
At 355 x 274 cm the rug covers about 9.7 square metres. A three-seat sofa of around 2.2 m leaves about 67.5 cm of rug showing past each end, so the whole sofa and a coffee table can sit on it. Under a dining table of about 240 x 100 cm, the rug leaves roughly 57.5 cm at each end and 87 cm along each side. The silver and black tones suit grey or white walls, timber floors and charcoal 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 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. Rubbing spills can dull bamboo silk, so when it needs a full clean, choose a cleaner who washes handmade rugs by hand and handles that fibre with care.
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 silver black wool silk 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 Indian Rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about rugs and carpets.
