7'2" x 9'10" Persian Sarouk Rug | Wool | Navy Blue and Red

A hand-knotted Sarouk from Persia, measuring 7'2" x 9'10" with a 3/8" wool pile. The field is navy blue, almost black where the pile lies away from the light, and it is covered edge to edge with small floral sprays in red, cream, pink and light blue. A wide red main border runs around it between two light blue guard stripes. At this size it reads as a dark, densely patterned rectangle from across a room, with the detail only coming forward close up.

Design

There is no medallion. The field is laid out as rows of detached flower sprays, each one a bouquet of curled leaves and open blossoms on a short stem, alternating with larger palmette clusters so that the rows stagger rather than line up squarely. The spacing leaves visible navy ground between the motifs, which is what keeps the pattern legible instead of crowded. The main border carries a meandering vine with rosettes and serrated leaves, interrupted at intervals by a larger fan-shaped palmette, and the inner and outer guards repeat a small flowerhead and leaf on light blue. The corners are resolved properly, the border drawing turning the angle without a break in the vine.

Colour

The ground is a deep navy blue with a faint slate cast in the raking light of the close-up photographs. Against it the flowers run through madder red, a softer rose pink, cream and clear ivory, with light blue leaves and a dry ochre orange appearing in the smaller elements. Dark green shows in the stems and in some of the leaf outlines. The main border is a strong cochineal red with the same ochre and light blue repeated in the vine, so the range of colours in the border answers the field rather than contrasting with it. Cream outlining around the blossoms separates them from the dark ground.

Making

Hand-knotted in Persia in the 1990's, in wool on a cotton foundation, with a 3/8" pile. The back, shown folded in two of the photographs, is evenly knotted with the design clear through to the reverse. Condition is given as excellent: full pile, intact selvedges and plain ivory fringe at both ends. It sits with our other semi-antique pieces, and more of the stock can be seen across the full collection.