Rugsville Ikat Light Blue Sari Silk Carpet 6' x 9'

Ikat is a resist-dye tradition older than most weaving vocabularies, in which the warp and weft are bound and dyed before the loom is dressed. The blurred edges of the resulting motifs are not a flaw of the process but the signature of it, and the form has migrated from Central Asian silks to Indonesian cottons to the floor coverings on the loom in front of you. The light blue field in this carpet reads the ikat language through recycled sari silk, which gives the motifs both the soft edge of the original tradition and a tonal complexity printed pattern cannot replicate.

Two to three weavers shared the loom for close to five months. The pile is hand-spun recycled sari silk on a cotton foundation, tied with the Persian asymmetric knot. The fibre arrives in colour, drawn from the unpicked source garments, so the light blue carries flecks of pale grey, ivory, and an occasional accent of warmer tone that the weaver kept rather than removed. The carpet was sheared close after weaving so the ikat softness sits flat against the field.

The composition

Light blue dominates with cream-edged ikat motifs running through the field in a loose vertical drift. The silk lustre catches light at oblique angles, which means the carpet reads paler in raking light and deeper in flat overhead light. The blurred motif edges are characteristic of resist dye and they keep the pattern from feeling rigid. Over the first five years the blue will deepen by a half tone and the silk will gain a softer surface sheen.

What you are buying

Hand-knotted silk carpets of this scale and density typically sell at the European silk dealers in the ten to eighteen thousand dollar range. This is a freshly woven piece in the same construction with the recycled fibre offering a more sustainable provenance than virgin silk. A silk carpet of this density appreciates with use rather than depreciating, and the colour will hold its character through generations of ownership.

The piece in a room

6' x 9' (183 x 274 cm) suits a smaller drawing room, a primary bedroom under the foot of the bed, or a formal dining area with a six-seat table. The light blue lifts rooms with low natural light and pairs cleanly with brass, pale oak, walnut, and white-painted plaster. Avoid placing under direct hot sunlight, which silk pile registers more sharply than wool.

Conservation

Rotate the carpet by a half turn every six months. Vacuum weekly with the beater bar disengaged; silk is fibre-bursting under aggressive mechanical contact. Blot spills with a clean cotton cloth and cool water immediately, never rub. A silk-trained conservator should hand-wash the carpet with a pH-neutral wash every six to eight years.

Reference

• Medium: hand-knotted recycled sari silk on cotton foundation
• Dimensions: 183 x 274 cm (6' x 9')
• Construction: Persian asymmetric knot
• Hands: 2-3 weavers, ~5 months
• Pile: hand-spun recycled silk
• Origin: India

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