The Agra carpet weaving tradition was developed in the 17th century under the Mughal court, where Persian master weavers were brought into India and asked to translate their floral and trellis vocabulary into something distinctly Indian. The result, over two hundred years, became its own school. Looser composition than the Persian originals, deeper saturation in the indigo and madder, and a scale of the floral motifs that suits Indian rooms with high ceilings and stone floors. The pattern in this carpet sits inside that lineage.

Two weavers in India shared the vertical loom for close to five months. Roughly 2.3 million hand-tied knots, every one set against a cotton warp by feel. The wool is long-staple New Zealand stock, hand-spun and dyed in lots small enough to leave subtle abrash through the field. The finishing wash was repeated three times after the carpet came off the loom, which is the step that gives Agra carpets their characteristic soft sheen.

The composition

A beige ground carries the floral and vine repeat in sage, soft rose, and ivory. The corner work and central medallion are drawn from the classical Agra repertoire, with the proportions opened slightly for a contemporary room. Sage is the colour the eye reads first, threading through the field as the connecting tissue between the warmer accents. The border is a single vine band rather than the layered borders of the Persian classical school, which is what keeps this carpet quiet rather than busy.

What you are buying

Antique Agra carpets of comparable scale and condition trade at international auction in the range of $20,000 to $50,000 when they appear. This is a new weaving in the same tradition, on the same kind of loom, in the same fibre, at a fraction of the cost. The carpet appreciates rather than depreciates with use. A hand-knotted Agra in undyed-warp wool is one of the few floor pieces that gains value over a generation.

The piece in a room

8' x 10' (244 x 305 cm) is the working scale for a formal living room with a sofa and two flanking armchairs, or a dining room under a six-seater. The Agra palette pairs naturally with traditional Indian wood furniture in rosewood and teak, with stone walls, and with brass or copper accents. Lime-washed or pale terracotta walls let the rug carry the warmth of the room.

Conservation

Rotate every six months so light and footfall wear the pile evenly. Vacuum weekly with suction only, beater bar off. Address spills within thirty minutes by blotting with cold water and a clean cotton cloth. A professional wool wash every five to seven years removes ground-in dust the vacuum cannot reach. With this care the carpet outlives several rooms of furniture.

Reference

• Medium: hand-knotted wool on cotton foundation
• Dimensions: 244 x 305 cm (8' x 10')
• Construction: Persian asymmetric knot
• Hands: 2 weavers, ~5 months
• Pile: 10 mm
• Origin: India

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