Samarkand Handwoven Transitional Rug, J69967

This Indian rug features a transitional Samarkand design with a pewter-colored background and a blonde border, with the main color being grey. It is composed of wool on a cotton foundation. This is a newer rug, recently woven, with its final washing and multiple finishing processes completed in Jaipur. Chromium dyes are utilized for their color accuracy, light fastness, and consistency. The rug undergoes an extra antique finishing process to enhance its appearance. The production of these rugs involves smaller contractors who distribute designs along with pre-dyed and hand-spun wools to various villages, primarily outside Jaipur and as far out as Bikaner. These cottage industry rugs are often woven by weavers in their homes and are paid by the square meter. Wider rugs, exceeding 10 feet, are typically handled by villages equipped with stationary horizontal looms. The weaving technique used involves asymmetrical Persian knots, contributing to the rug's textured, ribbed surface. The wool used is a blend of Ghazni wool from Afghanistan and wool from South Africa. The foundation of the rug features a dense, double-weft construction. The bottom weft is thick, with up to 10 plies of dense cotton, while the upper weft consists of a finer, white denier that becomes apparent once the rug is sheared down, mimicking the wear patterns of antique rugs. The rug design is inspired by antique Persian and Khotanese carpets with both traditional and modern colorations. It has a knots per square inch (KPSI) of 104, totaling approximately 1,201,545 individually hand-tied knots. Visually, the rug presents a complex and detailed design featuring an exotic, floral, and abstract pattern. The motifs include swirling, organic curves and geometric shapes. These elements include abstract figures reminiscent of floral petals, foliage, and cloud-like formations, contributing to an intricate appearance. The color palette is soft and neutral, including shades of cream, beige, soft yellow, pastel pink, muted blue, and grey. These colors have a pastel quality, giving the rug a soothing and understated look. The border is defined and features smaller geometric and floral motifs, harmonizing with the central design's color scheme. The rug's design is not strictly symmetrical, boasting an organic layout with varying shapes and sizes of motifs scattered randomly. The pattern density is moderately sparse, allowing the neutral background color to show through and giving a sense of openness. The sizeable motifs are dispersed with negative space between them, ensuring the design does not appear overly cluttered.