Rugsville Vintage Patchwork Overdyed Charcoal Wool Carpet 6' x 8'

Charcoal as an over-dye colour reads as the most contemporary of the over-dye palette options. Where the rust and brown over-dyes pull a faded floral field toward an earth-tone register, the charcoal over-dye lifts the rug into a graphic black-and-grey territory that pairs with modernist furniture. The Vintage Patchwork Charcoal takes that idea and applies it to a patchwork construction; multiple panels of older woven wool stitched together and then over-dyed in a single charcoal bath.

Two to three weavers shared this 6' x 8' (183 x 244 cm) loom in India over around four to five months to assemble and over-dye the patchwork. The panel stock is hand-spun wool worked over a cotton warp. After the patchwork was joined and reinforced, the rug went through an antique wash, was sheared close, and then immersed in a hand-mixed charcoal dye bath in copper vessels.

The composition

The patchwork grid is irregular; some panels are wider, some are taller, joined along seams that do not always line up. The charcoal over-dye unifies the field into a single dark grey reading at distance and resolves into the tonal variation of the underlying panels on approach. Older panels drink the charcoal more deeply; newer panels hold the colour closer to the surface. The effect is closer to a Brice Marden grey field than to a traditional carpet.

What you are buying

Hand-assembled patchwork over-dyed wool rugs at this size price at two to three times this MSRP at design dealers in Western markets. The patchwork is hand-stitched; the over-dye is a hand-mixed immersion bath. The piece is a contemporary work in a thirty-year-old tradition; it appreciates with use as the wool gains lustre and the over-dye settles.

The piece in a room

6' x 8' (183 x 244 cm) sits well under a low coffee table with a two-seat sofa, or as the floor element in a small primary bedroom against a queen bed. The charcoal palette pairs with white plaster walls, with limewashed white, with leather upholstery in cognac or tobacco, with brass and blackened steel lamps. The rug carries a deep contemporary register against modernist furniture.

Conservation

Rotate the rug each season for even wear. Vacuum weekly with the beater bar disengaged. Blot any spill immediately with a clean cotton cloth from the outside in. Hand-wash by a wool conservator every five to seven years. The patchwork seams are stronger than they appear and tolerate gentle hand-cleaning without distortion.

Reference

• Medium: hand-knotted wool patchwork on cotton foundation
• Dimensions: 183 x 244 cm (6' x 8')
• Construction: patchwork, over-dyed
• Hands: 2-3 weavers, ~4-5 months
• Pile: hand-spun wool
• Dye: antique wash and charcoal over-dye
• Origin: India

Free shipping across India. Cash on delivery available. 7-day exchange.