Agra carpets earned their reputation in the courts of the late Mughals for fineness of knotting and a quiet elegance of drawing. The tradition migrated to the village loom and survives in pieces like this one, hand-knotted in India.

A single weaver carried the work through about three months. Hand-spun wool on a cotton foundation, knotted at the speed a careful hand can sustain, roughly ten thousand knots a day per weaver. The finish was sheared close enough to read the drawing without losing the body of the pile, then washed twice and stretched to dry.

The composition

Beige and red carries the field, with a Agra pattern layered over it in tones a few shades darker. The eye moves across the rug rather than landing in one place. There is no single focal incident, which is what lets the piece sit comfortably under the rest of the furniture in a working room.

What you are buying

What you are paying for is the weeks of weaver-time, the hand-spun wool, the dye work, and the design lineage. Comparable antique pieces in good condition trade well above this price in the international market. The rug appreciates with careful use rather than depreciating.

The piece in a room

4' Round (122 cm diameter) is the working scale for an entry, a bedside layer, or a small reading nook. The beige and red ground reads against warm chalk, oat, or the deeper terracotta walls a neutral rug needs, and the geometry holds at viewing distance from a sofa or dining chair. Pairs with walnut, oak, linen upholstery, leather. Direct sunlight on the rug deepens the colour relationships; the piece is built to be lived on, not protected.

Conservation

Treat the rug as a long-lived object. Rotate seasonally to even out light and footfall. Vacuum weekly with suction only. Spot-clean spills with a damp cotton cloth. Schedule a professional hand wash every five to seven years. The rug outlasts the room it was bought for.

Reference

• Medium: hand-knotted wool on cotton foundation
• Dimensions: 122 × 122 cm (4' Round)
• Construction: Persian asymmetric knot
• Knot density: ~81 KPSI
• Total knot count: ~186k
• Hands: a single weaver, about three months
• Pile: hand-spun wool, sheared close
• Dye: colour-fast wool
• Origin: India

Free UK delivery. 14-day returns. Authentic hand-knotted craftsmanship.