Antique Agra Rug

Myself (Stephen) Roderic and Kristian, (the team here at Farnham Antique Carpets), all have our favourite rugs and carpets, and this is definitely mine right now! A rare early Agra rug from northern India, around 130 years old, the beauty in the design with varying leaves and floral patterns can be seen on larger carpets from Agra or Amritsar.  It makes me wonder if this rug was commissioned to sit with an existing Agra carpet in a room, or woven as a large sample rug, as the central motif facing side on is rare to see.

The sandy, biscuit golden background, with abrash (dye change) at the top to a lighter colour is a great base colour and unusual dye.  The off white main border with pale blues, soft sage greens and purple dyes are classic colours used by Agra weavers and clearly composed and woven by an accomplished weaver.  A cartoon (drawing) would have been used to weave this rug, so the weaver knew how to complete the pattern with this symmetry.

Pile is medium high, with only a few lower areas of pile, the ends have been professionally restored, as there was a few centimetres missing.  A beautiful and collectable piece.

The Indian city of Agra in the late 19th century was an area where carpet weaving began to excel, as carpets and rugs were commissioned for the western market. Rug weaving as an activity has been well known in India since the 1500’s. Lots of their designs came from Persian motifs and patterns due to the fact that the designs of the Persians and the Indians are very similar. The Indians also got some of their influential ideas from parts of Asia. However, Indian rug weavers began to develop their own style. The most elaborate models got woven during the Mughal Empire between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries.

If you would like to view this rug up close, please organise a home visit or showroom visit.  You can choose an ideal day and time to see this amazing rug, we would be happy to help you.

Farnham Antique Carpets are specialists in antique decorative carpets, rugs and runners. Varying from antique tribal rugs woven in the Caucasus to classical Persian carpets dating from the mid 19th century to the early 20th century.

As members of the BADA - The British Antique Dealers Association and LAPADA - The Association of Art & Antique Dealers we adhere to strict guide lines as affiliated members and pride ourselves on maintaining its high standards. We exhibit at the BADA fair in Chelsea, London every March and the LAPADA Fair in Mayfair, London every September.