Ivory and blue is the colour pairing that defined the most prized of the antique Persian floral carpets. Indigo holds against an undyed or lightly bleached wool ground in a way that no other colour combination quite matches, the cool blue reading deeper against the warm cream than it would against a coloured ground. The Sultanabad workshops of the nineteenth century used that pairing repeatedly, and the piece in front of you is a direct continuation of that visual language.

Two to three weavers in India spent close to five months on the loom. Hand-spun wool was knotted across a cotton warp and weft to a density that holds the floral detail without locking the drawing into rigid edges. The indigo was prepared in cold dye baths over two weeks of fermentation, the wool dipped twice to set the saturation to the depth the Sultanabad palette needs. The ivory was left close to undyed.

The composition

An ivory field holds blue floral repeats distributed across the surface. The vinework runs corner to corner with the slight irregularity that vegetable indigo always produces, no two motifs identical, the drawing softening where the dye took stronger and sharpening where it took lighter. As the carpet ages the indigo will deepen and the ivory will warm into bone, the contrast holding rather than diminishing because the two colours sit in different families on the dye spectrum.

What you are buying

Antique Sultanabad-pattern carpets in ivory and blue, in 6' x 9' with vegetable dye and condition grading, sell at Christie's and Sotheby's at twenty-five to forty-five thousand US dollars when they appear. This is a new weaving on the same draw and density, in hand-spun wool, dyed by the same vegetable processes, made in India. The Western dealer markup on equivalent new goods is three to four times the source price. The carpet appreciates with use rather than depreciating.

The piece in a room

6' x 9' (183 x 274 cm) sits under a primary bed, anchors a study with a desk and reading chair, or grounds a small living arrangement around a two-seater sofa. The ivory ground bounces light and the blue reads as a quiet anchor against any wall colour from chalk through to deep navy. Pairs with oak, walnut, brass, raw linen, and natural leather. Particularly effective in light-filled rooms where the ivory ground takes on the colour of the surrounding architecture.

Conservation

Rotate a half turn each spring and autumn so light and foot traffic distribute evenly across the field. Vacuum weekly with the beater bar disengaged, suction only. Blot spills immediately with a clean cotton cloth, never rub. A wool-trained conservator should hand-wash the rug every five to seven years. With this care, the carpet runs eighty to a hundred years and the dye work continues to develop.

Reference

• Medium: hand-knotted wool on cotton foundation
• Dimensions: 183 x 274 cm (6' x 9')
• Construction: Persian asymmetric knot
• Hands: 2-3 weavers, ~5 months
• Pile: 9 mm hand-spun wool
• Dye: vegetable (indigo, madder)
• Origin: India

Free shipping across India. Cash on delivery available. 7-day exchange. The rug arrives crated and the crate doubles as long-term storage.