Burgundy Oushak-Pattern Handwoven Wool Runner, Mahal Series

Mahal Series Burgundy Oushak Runner: a handwoven wool runner on a cotton foundation, deep burgundy underneath, cream and earth-toned Oushak flowers over the top, made in Pakistan in two lengths — 79 × 291 cm and 83 × 304 cm. The narrow format is the point; it is drawn for a corridor, an entrance hall or the gap between two rooms. Burgundy is not one color on this rug.

01From the hand of the weaver

The yarn was dyed by hand in small lots, so the ground travels from something close to sour cherry at one end to a flat deep wine at the other, and the change is gradual enough that you notice it only by walking the length.

02The origin of the pattern

Against that, the cream florals read almost white in daylight and go ivory by lamplight. Oushak drawing gives them room to breathe — the field is not packed, and the flowers are allowed to sit apart. The weavers are in Pakistan, working a technique that came out of Anatolia, and the knotting is tight enough that the pattern edges stay clean at this width.

03What the yarn is

All the pile is wool; the warp and weft beneath it are cotton with a little synthetic yarn worked in, which the house declares rather than hides. The surface is firm — closer to canvas than to fleece — and that firmness means dust has less to settle into, and a weekly vacuum is enough. Handwoven in Pakistan, knotted densely enough to keep the drawing sharp at runner width. All-wool pile; cotton foundation carrying a trace of synthetic yarn. Burgundy ground shifting between cherry and deep wine, with cream and earth-toned Oushak flowers. Two lengths: 79 × 291 cm (2'7" × 9'7") and 83 × 304 cm (2'9" × 10'0"). Firm underfoot rather than soft, which is why it holds its shape in a passage. The low, tight surface gives dust little to settle into. Professional cleaning; nothing at home will get through a wool pile properly. Dark red on a floor is a commitment, and a hallway lets you make it without having to sit in it every evening.