8'3" x 11' Wool and Silk Mahi Tabriz Rug | Burgundy Herati Field | Brand New

This piece has never been laid on a floor. It is a brand new hand-knotted Oriental rug made in India in the Mahi, or fish, pattern, woven in wool with silk picking out the medallion outlines and the fine lattice of the field. The knotting sits on a cotton foundation, and the back seen in the last photograph shows how tightly the rows are packed for a rug of this scale. At 8'3" x 11' it is a true room-size piece, and buyers shopping the 8 x 11 size will find this one unusually fine for the format. Every rug we ship travels with a certificate of authenticity.

Design and Motifs

The whole field is drawn in the herati, or fish, lattice: a diamond grid with a rosette at each intersection and 4 curved leaves turning outward like fish around it, repeated thousands of times across both the burgundy center and the ivory outer field. Over that grid sits a large scalloped cartouche in burgundy, edged with a fine ivory outline, and inside it a second ivory diamond carries the medallion. The medallion itself is a 4 lobed form outlined in near black, with a taupe interior filled with small rosettes, palmettes and curling vine work in rose, sage and cream. Slender pendants rise and fall from the top and bottom points of the medallion, each one a small ivory palmette anchored on the burgundy ground. The corners of the field are left in ivory so that the scalloped outline reads clearly, a device that makes the drawing look larger than the rug. Framing everything is a wide ivory main border of serrated leaves and shield palmettes, flanked by taupe guard bands of small stylized flowers and a narrow burgundy outer stripe that finishes the edge.

The Burgundy, Ivory and Brown Palette

The dominant color is a deep burgundy, closer to wine than to fire red, and it holds the center of the 8'3" x 11' field. Against it the ivory lattice lines read almost white where the silk catches light and settle to warm cream where the wool takes over. The outer field reverses the relationship: ivory ground with the burgundy lattice drawn on top, so the rug moves from dark center to light frame without a hard break. Brown and taupe do the quiet work, filling the guard borders and the interior of the medallion with a soft mushroom tone that keeps the red from turning loud. Scattered through the drawing are small hits of sage green, slate blue, rose and a chalk white that give the lattice its sparkle at close range. The selvages are finished in burgundy and the fringe is plain white cotton. In a room the overall impression is warm and formal rather than bright, and the palette sits comfortably with dark wood, brass and cream upholstery.

Made in India: Weave and Workshop Quality

India is where most of the world's good contemporary hand-knotted work is now made, and this rug is a clear example of why. The Mahi design demands accuracy above all else, because a herati lattice that drifts even slightly shows up immediately across a field this large, and here the grid stays true from selvage to selvage. The back, photographed with a tape measure, shows small tight knots in even rows with no packing gaps, which is what allows the fine outlines and the narrow pendant stems to be drawn cleanly. Wool carries the body of the pile and takes the burgundy dye with depth, while the silk is used sparingly for highlights, so the rug has sheen without becoming slippery underfoot. The pile has been clipped low, which suits the density and keeps every rosette in the lattice legible. For a buyer who wants the look of a classic fine city weave at a realistic price, in a size that covers a dining table or anchors a full seating group, this is a lot of rug for the money.