Vintage Overdyed Persian Rug
This vintage overdyed Persian rug was hand knotted in Iran from wool and measures 359 x 242 cm, or about 8.7 square metres. Taupe, khaki and faded gold make up its ground, with grey blue washed over much of the surface, so the rug reads as one muted, weathered colour from across a room. It is double knotted, and the pile is wool.
The design up close
A central medallion sits in the middle of the field. Its outline is blurred by the wash, but pale motifs and small pointed shapes still show around its edge, and the palest grey blue falls in the centre. Across the rest of the field, small scattered motifs appear in darker taupe, so the ground looks mottled rather than plain.
Along the outer edges a border of small leafy motifs runs in the same faded colours. It is clearest at the top corners and down the right side, where the motifs curve back towards the field. Broad, soft patches of grey blue run across the lower half, while the top half is browner, so the two halves of this vintage overdyed Persian rug look different in tone.
How over-dyeing changes the colour
Over-dyeing puts a new colour over the rug’s earlier one, so the original pattern shows through unevenly, most clearly where the pile is thinner or worn. On this vintage overdyed Persian rug that is why some corners look darker and browner while the centre is cooler and lighter. No two areas match exactly, and the colour shifts a little depending on where the light falls.
The grey and taupe palette suits pale floors and neutral furniture, and it blends with timber and linen. Vintage rugs in muted tones like this one work well with other soft colours in a room.
How a Persian rug is made
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 sometimes silk, and a room-size piece can take a weaver many months. Wool is soft, resilient and easy to live with, which suits a rug that gets daily use. This method applies to our vintage rugs as well as newer pieces.
Sizing your vintage overdyed Persian rug
At 359 x 242 cm this rug is large enough to anchor a living room or dining room. A three-seat sofa of about 2.2 m sits on it with roughly 70 cm of rug past each end. In a dining room, a table of about 180 x 90 cm leaves roughly 90 cm of rug at each end and 76 cm along each side. A table of 240 x 100 cm, for eight, leaves about 60 cm at each end and 71 cm along each side.
Looking after your vintage overdyed Persian 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 vintage overdyed Persian 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 Vintage, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about Persian carpets.
