Vintage Patchwork Modern Overdyed Hand Knotted Area Carpet- Deep Plum 11074 8' x 10'

Deep plum is one of the harder overdyes to land because the bath must hold weight without going either purple-grey or red-brown. The colour belongs to the ripe Damson fruit and to old Burgundy wine, and a successful overdye in this tone reads as both. The varying densities of the underlying older wool absorb the dye at different rates, which is what gives the field its quiet movement.

Older hand-knotted carpet sections were recovered, sheared down, and washed clean of original colour. Two artisans worked the dye phase over close to four months, lowering each segment into a deep plum bath at controlled temperature. A finisher stitched the patches onto a cotton backing and gave the surface a final hand-shear to six millimetres.

The composition

A field of deep plum that holds tonal weight across the rug, varying from patch to patch between aubergine on one side and a warmer Damson red on the other. Underlying patterns ghost through as faint tonal shifts rather than visible figures. The seams between patches read as quiet boundaries. Under candlelight the plum settles into near-black velvet. Over two years the colour will deepen and the wool will gain the slight sheen older pile develops under foot.

What you are buying

European patchwork overdyes of this scale are routinely listed at four lakh and above through Western dealers. This piece is offered direct from the Indian workshop and represents fair value for the category. The constituent wool is older and denser than any new fibre, and the rug appreciates with use rather than depreciating.

The piece in a room

8' x 10' (244 x 305 cm) suits a sitting room with a low colour temperature, a bedroom that wants a strong floor, or a dining area arranged around a single dramatic table. The deep plum reads beautifully against cream plaster walls, against pale oak floors, and against jewel-toned upholstery in emerald or oxblood. Brass lighting picks up the warm undertone of the dye.

Conservation

Suction vacuum weekly. Rotate end to end each spring and autumn. Blot spills with a clean cotton cloth pressed gently against the pile. Avoid bleach and strong solvents. A wool conservator should hand-wash the rug every five years.

Reference

• Medium: hand-knotted wool patchwork, overdyed
• Dimensions: 244 x 305 cm (8' x 10')
• Construction: original Persian-asymmetric knot, re-stitched
• Hands: 2 artisans and 1 finisher, ~4 months
• Pile: 6 mm
• Colour: deep plum
• Origin: India

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