Turquoise Vintage Overdyed Rug
This turquoise vintage overdyed rug is a hand knotted Persian rug made in Iran from wool, measuring 381 x 298 cm, or about 11.4 square metres. Bright turquoise and deep blue fill the field around a sand and olive star medallion, and a wide navy border carries sand paisley shapes.
The design up close
The field is mottled turquoise over deep blue, so it looks like water catching the light. At the centre a star-shaped medallion in sand and olive holds a navy flower, with a pale ring around its edge. Pointed pendants extend from it up and down the field, and sprays of small sand flowers and leaves are spread around them.
The turquoise stands out most in the open parts of the field. Sand and light blue spandrels with scalloped edges fill the corners, and a narrow sand band separates the field from the border. The pattern on this turquoise vintage overdyed rug is crisp near the medallion and softer toward the edges.
The main border is navy, filled with sand paisley shapes, flowers and leaves, with a scrolling sand band and thin stripes on either side. Turquoise shows through between the shapes. Light turquoise fringe finishes each end, and the outer edge is a plain navy.
About Persian rugs
A Persian rug is hand knotted in Iran. Each knot is tied one at a time on a loom, usually in hand-spun wool, and a room-size piece can take a weaver many months. That is why no two are alike. The terms Persian rug and Persian carpet mean the same thing: a rug hand knotted in Iran.
How a turquoise vintage overdyed rug is made
Weavers tie each knot by hand on a loom, row after row, and trim the pile level. Wool forms the pile. On this rug the colour was dyed over an older rug, which softens the old pattern into the turquoise and the tones you see now. Because the knots are hand tied, the rows carry small differences in spacing and tone that mark it as handwork.
Colour in your room
Turquoise and navy work well with white or sand walls, pale timber floors and natural linen. A turquoise vintage overdyed rug like this makes a clear colour choice for a living room, and cushions in sand or cream pick up the medallion.
Sizing it for your room
At 381 x 298 cm, this turquoise vintage overdyed rug covers about 11.4 square metres. A three-seat sofa of about 2.2 m leaves roughly 81 cm of rug showing past each end, and two armchairs can rest their front legs on it around a coffee table.
Under a dining table of about 240 x 100 cm, the rug leaves about 71 cm at each end and 99 cm along each side. That is enough room for chairs to slide back while staying on 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 turquoise 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.
