The shag pile descends from the Anatolian tulu, a pile-heavy yatak rug woven for warmth on the floors of Central Anatolian winter rooms. The form crossed into mid-century interior design through Scandinavia and California in the 1960s, and the long-pile rug has been a fixture of the modern living room ever since.

Two weavers at the loom for six to seven weeks. The structure was built up by feel against a charted plan, with the wool spun, dyed and packed in the same workshop. Every step of the work is by hand, which is why the surface carries the slow tonal drift that distinguishes a hand-made rug from anything industrial. The piece will continue to settle into itself for the first months of use.

The composition

The composition rests on a gray register. The figures move across the field at a measured density, with the negative space holding as much weight as the marked geometry. The colour will continue to settle across the first months of use, as the wool oxidises against ambient light and the dye finds its final saturation. The colour relationships in the field will tighten as the wool settles into the foundation across the first months of use.

The piece in a room

5' x 8' fits the conversation circle of a working living room or the foot of a queen-size bed. The rug becomes the visual ground of the arrangement; the architecture and the lighting are read against its palette rather than the other way round. The piece sits well across stone, timber, and engineered floors.

Care

Care for a flatweave is straightforward. Vacuum weekly on suction with the bar disengaged, and reverse the rug at the seasonal change to share the wear between both faces. Cool water and a mild detergent handle most spills if treated immediately and blotted from the outer edge inward. Professional cleaning at three-year intervals lifts the deeper dust the vacuum cannot reach.

Reference

• Medium: handmade synthetic yarn
• Dimensions: 5' x 8' (152 x 244 cm)
• Construction: hand-made on a vertical loom
• Hands: 2 makers, six to seven weeks
• Pile: medium pile, hand-spun yarn
• Origin: India

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