Slate Vintage Overdyed Rug
This slate vintage overdyed rug is a Persian wool rug, hand knotted in Iran and measuring 393 x 296 cm. It covers about 11.6 square metres, enough for a large living room or a dining room.
The design up close
A diamond-shaped medallion sits at the centre, its pile worn back to a pale silvery grey in ribbed bands, with a dark charcoal heart inside it and a small pointed shape at each end. Where the dye has left the surface, the weave shows as fine pale lines, which gives the centre a soft, moonlit glow against the dark ground.
The field around the medallion is charcoal and black, mottled and darker toward the corners. The old pattern is hard to read, and only a few faint motifs show through. In this slate vintage overdyed rug the contrast comes from the pale centre rather than from drawn detail.
The narrow border is dark navy and grey, with small octagonal motifs and thin stripes that you see best in side light. The edge is bound in grey, and the ends finish in a cream overcast edge, which is the lightest line on the whole rug.
About Persian rugs
Every rug in our Persian collection is hand knotted in Iran. A Persian rug is made one knot at a time on a loom, usually from hand-spun wool, and a room-size piece can take a weaver many months. That is why no two are alike. Sarabi’s Fine Rugs is a family-owned business with over 40 years of experience in handmade rugs.
How a slate vintage overdyed rug is made
Each knot of this slate vintage overdyed rug was tied by hand on a loom, and the pile is wool. The dark colour was dyed over an older rug, which softens the old pattern almost completely. The pale centre is where the wool has worn lighter, and the old design shows faintly in the corners and the border.
Colour in your room
A charcoal rug grounds a room. It suits white, grey or deep green walls, timber or concrete floors and leather, linen or boucle furniture. The pale centre lifts a dark room, so a coffee table or a pair of low chairs sits well on it.
Sizing it for your room
At 393 x 296 cm, a three-seat sofa of about 2.2 m leaves about 86 cm of rug past each end, so the sofa and a pair of armchairs can all sit with their front legs on the rug.
Under a dining table of 240 x 100 cm, the rug extends about 76 cm past each end and 98 cm along each side. Chairs can be pulled out without leaving 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 10 am to 4:30 pm, to see this slate vintage overdyed rug in person. If you would rather judge it in your own room, with your own light and furniture, book a home trial and we will bring a selection to you.
Browse more Traditional rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about Persian carpets.
