Burgundy Oushak Hand-Knotted Wool Rug

Eight to ten months at the loom, one knot at a time. A hand-knotted Oushak rug with a deep burgundy field and beige and gold-yellow along its edges, wool over a Manchester cotton foundation, woven in India at a high knot density.

01Where the Border comes from

It is a large piece and there is one of it. Oushak is the western Anatolian pattern family that Europe collected for four centuries, and this version keeps its proportions: an open burgundy center that takes the weight, and borders where beige and gold do the work of lighting it.

02The tone of the ground

The yellow and cream passages give off enough brightness to lift the room around them. A dark-fielded rug usually makes a room darker; this one does the opposite. Walnut and gray furnishings take it without argument. The foundation is Manchester cotton — a long-staple yarn, brighter and stronger than the standard grade, used here for the warps.

03From ground to pile

Wool goes into the wefts and the pile. High knot density is what allows classical drawing to stay sharp, and it is what makes eight to ten months a realistic figure rather than a boast. Weaving of this kind moved from Türkiye to India as Anatolian hand-knotting contracted.

04Coming off the loom

Keep chemicals away from it, keep it out of direct sun, and leave the cleaning to a specialist. Hand-knotted in India, at a high knot count. Manchester cotton warps; wool wefts and pile. Deep burgundy field with beige and gold-yellow borders. Eight to ten months at the loom. Large enough for a salon, a hotel entrance or the floor beneath a piano. Classical Oushak drawing, the pattern Europe collected for four centuries. Away from direct sun, no chemicals, specialist cleaning. What is Manchester cotton? A long-staple cotton yarn of higher grade than standard cotton, with more shine and more strength.

05From the hand of the weaver

In a hand-knotted rug it goes into the warps, where the foundation has to hold the tension of tens of thousands of knots without stretching. How long does a rug like this take to weave? Between eight and ten months for a piece of this size and density. Every knot is tied individually, and the knot count governs the time — a looser rug of the same dimensions would come off the loom in a fraction of it. Why is an Oushak design woven in India? Because Anatolian hand-knotting has contracted sharply.

06At the loom in in India

Designs once woven in Türkiye moved east, and India is now among the largest producers of high-grade wool and cotton hand-knotted rugs. Put it under a bed and it runs out on three sides; put it under a grand piano and it is doing the job it was drawn for.