9' x 12' Serapi Chobi Peshawar Rug | Burgundy Field, Black Star Medallion | Handspun Wool, New

This is a new, never used 9' x 12' hand-knotted Serapi Chobi woven in Peshawar, and it is the kind of piece that reads as an heirloom the moment it is unrolled. The field is a deep rust burgundy, the medallion is a black 8 point star, and the drawing across the whole rug is done in handspun wool that takes dye unevenly on purpose, giving the red field a soft striated movement instead of a flat printed look. At 108" x 144" it covers a standard large room with furniture legs on, and the pile is thick enough to feel substantial underfoot without being shaggy. Every rug we sell ships with a certificate of authenticity confirming the weave, materials and origin, and this Oriental rug is exactly what it appears to be: a fully hand-knotted wool piece on a cotton foundation, in perfect condition.

Design and Motifs

The centerpiece is a black 8 point star medallion holding an ivory inner cartouche with a single rose and green rosette at the very center, framed by pointed lobes filled with feathered leaves and split palmettes. Around it the burgundy field carries an open lattice of thin gold vines that swing out into serrated leaves, lotus heads and small clustered blossoms, each one drawn with a dark outline so the motif stays legible from across the room. Four large ivory spandrels close the corners, each filled with its own vinework, curled black leaf forms and a small ivory boteh style motif, and the wide black main border repeats an alternating sequence of ivory rondels and burgundy palmettes linked by scrolling gold stems. Two narrow ivory guard borders run inside and outside that band, carrying a repeating rosette and cross flower chain, and the outer edge finishes in a solid burgundy selvage with hand-tied ivory fringe at both ends. It is a classic Serapi layout: one strong medallion, a generous field, and borders that frame rather than compete.

Color Palette: Rust Burgundy, Black, Ivory and Green

The field is a rust burgundy that shifts as you walk around it, running from a wine red in the open ground to a lighter brick tone where the light catches the pile, the natural result of handspun yarn and small dye lot variation rather than any flaw. Against that the black of the medallion and the main border is a true deep black, not a navy substitute, and it gives the rug the graphic weight that makes the ivory elements jump forward. The ivory itself is warm rather than white, closer to a soft cream with an antique gold cast in the spandrels and guard bands. Secondary colors are used sparingly and to real effect: sage and olive green in the leaf tips and rondel centers, a muted salmon pink in the palmettes and border flowers, and a clear golden yellow in the vine tracery and a handful of single blossoms. The overall reading is warm and deep, and the palette sits comfortably with dark wood, leather, brass and antique furniture, while the black border gives it enough contrast to work in a contemporary room as well.

Peshawar Weaving and Chobi Quality

Peshawar in northwest Pakistan is one of the few places still producing hand-knotted rugs at this level of finish in commercial sizes, and the Chobi workshops there built their reputation on handspun wool and natural dyeing. You can see the evidence in the photographs: the back shows an even, tightly packed knot line with crisp motif definition, the wool has a natural sheen rather than a chemical gloss, and the selvages are wrapped by hand. The pile is dense and springy, which is what makes a rug of this size hold up to years of traffic in a living room or under a dining table. Buyers shopping 9x12 rugs usually have one room in mind and one chance to get it right, and a piece like this, brand new and in perfect condition, arrives without the wear, repairs or restoration questions that come with an older weave. Browse more hand-knotted Oriental rugs if you want to compare weaves side by side.