Black Gold Bamboo Silk Rug
This black gold bamboo silk rug was hand knotted in India from wool and bamboo silk, and it measures 300 x 247 cm, or about 7.4 square metres. Its charcoal ground carries the pattern in rust, burnt orange, gold and muted rose, with a faint sheen across the field. It keeps a traditional flower and vine layout on a modern dark ground.
The design up close
Thin stems with branching sprigs rise through the field in vertical rows. Near the top and in the middle the flower heads grow larger and sit in loose clusters, while the lower half has smaller sprigs spread further apart, so the field looks more open toward the foot of the rug. On this black gold bamboo silk rug, the vines are drawn in the same warm colours as the blossoms, so the pattern holds together from edge to edge.
A border of scrolling leaves in gold and orange runs along the foot, and a narrower line of curls follows the top edge. Short fringe finishes both short ends.
Against the dark ground the warm colours stand out, so the pattern reads clearly from across the room. Up close, the bamboo silk catches the light where it falls across the pile at an angle.
Weaving in India and bamboo silk
India has a long hand knotting tradition, with weaving centres including Agra and the Bhadohi and Mirzapur area of Uttar Pradesh. Bamboo silk is a viscose (rayon) fibre made from bamboo cellulose, with a silk-like sheen. It looks beautiful but is softer and less resilient than wool, so it suits lower-traffic rooms best.
How a black gold bamboo silk rug is made
Each knot of this black gold bamboo silk rug is tied by hand on a loom, row after row, and the pattern builds up as the rows grow. Turn it over and the design shows on the back, with the small irregularities that only hand knotting leaves. The pile combines wool and bamboo silk, and the bamboo silk fibre gives a sheen that wool alone does not have.
Sizing it for your room
At 300 x 247 cm, this black gold bamboo silk rug covers about 7.4 square metres. Its three-metre length suits a three-seat sofa of around 2.2 m, which leaves about 40 cm of rug showing past each end, and armchairs facing the sofa can rest their front legs on the rug. In a dining room, a table of about 180 x 90 cm fits with roughly 60 cm of rug at each end and more than 75 cm along each side, so the chairs can slide back without leaving the rug.
The charcoal ground of this black gold bamboo silk rug suits pale timber floors and light walls, where the gold and rust tones stand out.
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.
Rubbing spills can dull bamboo silk, and it needs a cleaner who handles that fibre by hand.
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 black gold bamboo 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 kilims.
