Afghan Fil Pai Mat with 2 octagon motifs on a rust field, with brown and beige border.
A traditional rectangular wool Afghan Fil Pai small rug with a rust-red field, two large central medallions, and a patterned border. The medallions feature beige, blue, and red geometric motifs.
A rectangular hand-woven Afghan Fil Pai Mat with a traditional geometric pattern, featuring a red field, dark brown borders, and beige central panels with blue accents, shown on a plain white background.
A close-up of a traditional patterned Afghan Fil Pai Mat featuring a deep red field with two large beige medallions, accented by blue and brown geometric motifs and borders.
A close-up of a traditional patterned Fil Pai small rug with a deep red field, beige geometric motifs, and a dark brown border with cream and blue details.
Close-up of a patterned Ersari design small rug corner showing a red field, cream and burgundy geometric border, and fringed edge.
Close-up of the hand-knotted weave of a patterned Afghan Fil Pai small rug with a dark metal L-shaped ruler placed over it for scale of the knotting, showing a red, beige, and brown woven design.

Vendor:The Oriental Rug Merchant Ltd

Afghan Fil Pai Mat

£149.00

Rug Size: 89 x 61cm

Underlay to match the size of this rug

Buy Foxi Rug Underlay by rug size

Size: 90 x 60cm

£9.00

Ideal for numerous places around your home this cosy Afghan Fil Pai mat will be a joy to look at wherever you lay it.  

It's a useful size too, you can use this small rug as a door mat, place it at the bottom of the stairs, or pop it in front of a hearth as a small hearth rug. So many possibilities. 

The colours and design of this Afghan Fil Pai Mat

This small handmade Afghan rug has beautiful warm colours. It boasts a red field colour with brown border which is a little purple at one end. It also contains numerous other colours including orange, beige and blue. 

"Fil Pai" relates to the design of this Afghan mat. The two prominent octagonal motifs that we can see in the field of the rug are called "guls". Gul means flower, and traditionally Afghan/Turkoman rug design featured field patterns covered in repeating gul motifs. The Fil Pai gul is synonymous with the emblem of the Ersari tribe. This motif might sometimes be referred to as the elephant's foot gul because of it's shape. 

Learn what this handmade Afghan mat is made from

This charming 3x2 Afghan rug is made from wool and cotton. 

The wool is the pile of the rug; it is superb colours. It is hand-spun and naturally dyed. This type of Afghan rug is often known as "Chobi". This term is derived from the word "wood", and it is the name sometimes applied to vegetable dyed Afghan rugs. Hand-spinning the wool also has benefits: as the yarn can be spun much tighter by hand it allows for a stronger fibre. 

The cotton in this rug is the warp threads. This are the tassels that we can see at each end. Each of these tassels actually runs all the way through the rug and out the other end. The warps are thus what the knots are tied onto. 

How was this Fil Pai design small rug made?

This Afghan mat was traditionally handmade by time-honoured methods. 

It was meticulously crafted by hand-knotting the woollen pile onto the cotton warp threads. 

Key details: 

  • Country of origin: Afghanistan
  • Size: 89×61cm / 2’11″x2’0″
  • Thickness: 8mm
  • Pile: Wool, hand-knotted
  • Warp: Cotton
  • Age: New

 

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Frequently asked questions about Afghan rugs

Oriental rugs are renowned for their longevity and can often last for generations. 

I’d like to buy it, is the rug shown the rug I’ll get? 

Yes, all of our rugs are handmade and the vast majority are one-of-a-kind. This is the exact rug you will receive. No substitutions.

I’m interested in this rug, but would like to see it before I decide – can I come and see it at your shop? 

Of course! All of the rugs displayed and shown as in stock on our website are available to view and buy in-store.

How quickly will I receive my rug and how much does delivery cost? 

We aim to dispatch our Rugs as quickly as possible. Deliveries in the UK are generally achieved in 2-3 working days. Within the UK there is no carriage charge for rugs.

I’m not located in the UK, will you send it to destinations outside of the UK?

Please contact us, referencing which rug you would like to buy and your delivery address to find out shipping costs.

How long will my rug last? 

Hand-knotted Rugs and Handwoven Rugs are extremely long-lasting items. If properly looked after Oriental Rugs can outlive their owner and maybe even last for generations. In many cases rugs improve with age.

Will the colours of my rug fade? 

Handmade Oriental rugs will soften in colour over time. Of course, like any textile, if the rug is used in an area of strong sunlight, such as in a Conservatory for instance, the fading process will be more rapid. During days of strong sunshine, it is good practice to draw the curtains or blinds to keep your Oriental rug looking at its best.

Will the colours transfer onto the flooring underneath? 

This is a tricky one to answer! If only we had a crystal ball! There is a risk. Our rugs are all handmade and made with artisan dyes. All of our rugs are thoroughly washed prior to export and any excess dye should come out in the washing process. However, on the odd occasion, the dye can still sometimes transfer. This phenomenon is increased by humidity and temperature, and is regrettably irreversible. If you are concerned about this possibility, perhaps consider using an Underlay to put a barrier between the rug and the flooring/fitted carpet underneath.

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How do I care for my Afghan Rug

They are easy to care for, but here’s a few helpful pointers to keep your new Afghan rug looking great: 

Vacuum

Hoover it regularly – perhaps once a week. This is good practice as tiny dirt particles can cause premature wear. Vacuum it with just the nozzle suction, as rotating brushes can be abrasive. Try to keep the vacuum cleaner away from the fringes as this is probably the weakest point on an Oriental rug; fringes and vacuum cleaners don’t mix!

Rotate 

It is a good idea to rotate your Afghan rug on occasion. This will help prevent areas of concentrated wear. Foot shuffling when watching the TV is a prime culprit! Rotating your rug will also help to even-out any incremental changes in colour from exposure to sunlight.

Blot

Any spills should be blotted immediately: blot with kitchen towel or clean un-dyed absorbent cloth; avoid rubbing or scrubbing which can spread the spill or push the spill deeper into the rug.

Use a Rug Underlay

A good rug underlay will keep the rug in place, thereby preventing uneven wear and will help the rug keep from going out of shape.

Professional Cleaning

This is something that is required infrequently, perhaps every 3-5 years depending on use. Please contact us if you would like to have your rug cleaned as we offer a Rug Cleaning Service.