The moroccan diamond lattice survives because it does nothing showy. It works because nothing competes with it. The same logic appears in marble jali screens of the Mughal courts, in Wiener Werkstätte grids of early twentieth-century Vienna, and in the floor-cloths of early modernist apartments. A pattern this restrained relies on the wool to do the heavy carrying, and the wool here is selected to do exactly that.

Tufted by hand in India over two to three weeks. Two tufters share the canvas; a finisher carves the surface down to bring the pattern into relief. The pile is wool; the foundation is cotton; the bonding is natural latex with a scrim back. The whole construction is wool above and cotton below, with no synthetic fibres in the wear surface.

The composition

A single saturated field of natural earth tones with the figure carved through it by sheared relief. The surface holds two depths: the higher pile reads as ground, the lower as figure. The effect is closer to plaster bas-relief than to a printed pattern. From a standing height the design is graphic; from a seated position the surface texture takes over and the geometry softens.

The piece in a room

3' x 5' (91 × 152 cm) is the accent scale: under a coffee table, in a foyer, at the foot of a bed. Use it where the floor needs a single considered note rather than a full carpeted ground. The natural earth tones palette sits well against mid-tone walls and warm wood floors. Mid-saturation upholstery in linen, cotton, or undyed wool reads cleanly against the field; deeper tones in leather and walnut anchor the room from above.

Care

Vacuum weekly, beater bar off. Blot accidents with clean cotton cloth and water; avoid soaking the latex back. Light shedding is expected during the break-in period and resolves once the loose fibres have worked themselves out. Plan a professional dry clean every three years to keep the pile lifted and the colour clean. Rotate the rug end to end annually so wear and light age the surface evenly.

Reference

• Medium: hand-tufted wool, latex bonded, cotton scrim back
• Dimensions: 91 × 152 cm (3' x 5')
• Hands: 2 tufters and 1 finisher, two to three weeks
• Pile: 12 mm wool
• Origin: India

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