Multicolor Anatolian Hand-Knotted Wool Rug, Mihman Series

Afghanistan and Pakistan are where this one was tied, by hand, in a tradition both countries have carried for generations: a multicolor Anatolian rug, hand-knotted in wool, from the Mihman series — 161 × 216 cm (5'3" × 7'1"), its Anatolian motifs set out in strong color on a wool surface over a cotton foundation. One of these was woven.

Color is the subject here rather than any single motif. The Anatolian figures belong to the same family the series uses throughout, but they are laid out in a livelier palette and at a scale that carries across a room, which makes this a piece for an entrance or a sitting room rather than a quiet corner. Nothing has been faded and nothing has been muted. Under a ceiling light the tones separate cleanly; by evening they close up and read as one warm surface.

Density is what the series is built on, which is why a rug of this size runs to months at the loom, not weeks. Wool covers the entire face. Cotton makes almost all of the structure beneath, with a trace of recycled synthetic thread included for wear and named here for accuracy. Vacuum it as often as you like. Washing is another matter, and belongs to somebody who does it for a living.

• Knotted by hand in Afghanistan and Pakistan, in the Mihman series.
• Anatolian motifs worked in a bright palette across the whole field.
• Wool face, cotton frame, and a trace of recycled synthetic yarn for durability.
• Months at the loom go into a rug of this density.
• 161 × 216 cm (5'3" × 7'1") — enough to hold a seating group or fill an entrance.
• Strong color is a commitment; it will set the palette of whatever room it lands in.
• Professional washing, with vacuuming in between.

Rugs like this were made to be looked at from the doorway, and it repays being given the space to be seen from one.