Rugsville Sultanabad Persian Black Ivory Wool Carpet 10' x 14'

A black and ivory rug is a difficult composition to bring off because the contrast is absolute. There is no halfway between deep charcoal and undyed wool, which means the drawing has to carry the whole weight of the design. The Sultanabad floral works in this palette because the original pattern was built for tonal rather than chromatic interest, and translating it into black on ivory clarifies the geometry rather than flattening it.

This 10' x 14' (305 x 427 cm) field was tied by three to four weavers across roughly seven months on a vertical loom. The pile is hand-spun wool, drawn for its longer staple and its ability to hold deep dye without losing the slight irregularity that gives older wool its patina. The foundation is cotton, warped on a vertical beam and tensioned by hand. Each knot was set by feel against the warp using the Persian asymmetric tie and combed down with a metal beater.

The composition

An ivory ground carries scrolling vine work, palmettes, and small blossoms in deep charcoal black with occasional accents of soft grey. The drawing breathes; there is open ivory between every motif rather than a dense allover repeat. Black on ivory is a graphic combination that reads from across a room and reveals fine drawing on approach. The hand-spun wool gives both colours a faint heather, so neither is flat.

What you are buying

Comparable Sultanabad and Ziegler weavings at this scale and density trade through Western dealers in the range of three to six lakh when they carry a workshop attribution. The MSRP set against this rug acknowledges that comparable. The asked price is well below it because the carpet is sold direct from the loom. Hand-knotted wool on a cotton foundation appreciates with use rather than depreciating, and a black-and-ivory composition is among the more sought-after Sultanabad palettes for contemporary interiors.

The piece in a room

10' x 14' (305 x 427 cm) is the working scale for a generous formal living or dining room. The black-and-ivory palette pairs with almost any wall colour, with walnut, oak, brushed steel, brass, and restrained modern furniture. The carpet sits especially well in rooms with strong architectural detail because the high-contrast drawing competes with neither colour nor pattern in the surrounding fabric. Mid-tone or cream walls hold the field best.

Conservation

Rotate the rug a half turn each spring and autumn to balance light exposure and foot traffic. Vacuum weekly with the beater bar off and only the suction nozzle in contact with the pile. Blot any spill with a clean dry cotton cloth, never rub. Schedule a wool hand-wash by a trained conservator every five years. Treated this way the carpet runs eighty years and longer and develops the soft patina that older Sultanabad weavings are valued for.

Reference

• Medium: hand-knotted wool on cotton foundation
• Dimensions: 305 x 427 cm (10' x 14')
• Construction: Persian asymmetric knot
• Hands: 3 to 4 weavers, ~7 months
• Pile: under 6 mm, hand-spun wool
• Origin: India

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