Very fine handmade Suzani rug

Add some eastern flair to your room with this very fine handmade Suzani rug from Afghanistan! It measures 203x149cm which is approximately 7x5. 

This handwoven Afghan rug has an exquisite colour scheme featuring a deep amber field and border colour, along with design detailing in navy blue, blue, and rust-red. The design oozes traditional style with a classy floral Suzani theme.

What is this very fine handmade Suzani rug made from?

This superb Afghan rug was handmade from wool and cotton. 

Wool was used for making the pile. Afghan wool is notable for it's quality and durability. Additionally the woollen yarn was hand-spun. This hand-spinning forms a much tighter twist to the woollen thread, thus forming a stronger fibre. 

Cotton was used for the foundation materials of this rug. The foundation threads are known as the warps. 

The warp threads run longitudinally along the length of the rug. These are the strings that are tightly strung onto the loom before the weaving can begin. Did you know that on the completed rug the warp threads poke out as the rug's fringes? Cotton is an excellent warp fibre because of its strength and it keeps its shape well in most conditions. 

This Afghan rug is handmade, but how?

Oriental rugs are still made today by age-old techniques. These methods are largely unchanged over thousands of years.

A 7x5 rug like this would have been made by two weavers working side-by-side.

This Afghan Suzani rug was handcrafted by a method of hand-knotting.

Hand-knotted rugs are made by the weaver securing tufts of yarn onto pairs of warp threads. Each tuft forms the pile (as well as the design) and this is known as a knot. Hence the term "hand-knotted". These knots are tied in rows across the width of the rug and once the row is completed, weft threads are woven between the warps parallel to the knot row. The wefts are then firmly beaten against the knots and then the next row is ready to be knotted. 

A rug like this will contain hundreds of thousands of knots, so you can really appreciate the weavers skill and dedication. 

What is a Suzani?

This rug takes the design inspiration of a Suzani, but it is not a Suzani.

Suzanis emanate from central Asia. A Suzani is a type of tribal embroidered weaving made of cotton or silk needled onto a fabric base (of either cotton or silk). In yesteryear these were made as part of the dowry to be presented to the groom. Typically the patterns were floral. 

Sounds perfect, where can I use it?

Oriental rugs have long been known for their durability. This handmade Suzani rug was made with long lasting, hard wearing natural fibres of wool and cotton. 

Where the 2x1.5m size is suitable, you can use this Afghan rug in a living room, entrance hall, in a bedroom or perhaps a study. It's one of those useful sizes that you will always be able to find a place for.

Key details: 

• Country of origin: Afghanistan
• Dimensions: 203x149cm / 6’8”x4’11”
• Thickness: 7mm
• Pile: Wool
• Warp: Cotton
• Age: New