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Arts & Crafts by William Morris Runner Rug 8'3" x 2'8"
Overview
Materials & Craftsmanship:
This fine, diligently hand-knotted area rug contains a perfect blend of 80% pure silk and 20% pure wool. Persian & Oriental rugs made from a high percentage of silk are intricate and are often the most valuable of all handmade carpets. The silk fibers in this piece create a beautiful sheen throughout the field and borders, providing an ultra luxurious feel. The use of silk ensures a precise rendering of the decorative design patterns since strong silk fibers permit skilled weavers to weave more knots per square inch (KPSI) than those of wool carpets.
A typical Persian or Oriental rug made from wool might have between 100 and 300 KPSI – a typical 80% silk rug contains between 200 to 500 KPSI. As a result, weaving the rug will require roughly three times the amount of work, and this is one of the main reasons that silk rugs cost two to three times more than wool rugs. The detailing of this piece also contains wool, which increases its durability.
Finishing:
The finishing of this carpet was done using centuries old traditional techniques. Once its laborious hand-knotting was completed, it was rolled and entirely submerged in a sanitizing bath where its fibers fully absorbed all cleaning liquid. After which it was laid flat on the ground where a team of cleaners used wooden oar-like paddles to push the water through its fibers and draw out impurities. Oar strokes were done in sync to prevent the carpet from getting torn. Each stroke tightened the knots even further. No machines were involved in its washing or drying.
"Arts & Crafts" by William Morris
William Morris was one of the most influential voices in Victorian art and architecture, and his influence spread far into the 20th century in the form of the Arts and Crafts Movement that he helped spawn. In 1859 Morris was annoyed that he could find no good textiles and furniture to decorate his new home, so he decided to design them himself. It was a momentous decision.
With friends Burne-Jones, Rosetti, and Webb he formed a small firm, later called Morris and Company, to sell the products they designed. There was a profound social philosophy behind Morris' designing. He was a committed socialist and medievalist who was horrified by increasing mechanization and mass-production in the arts, and he dreamed of reestablishing the values of traditional craftsmanship and simplicity of design.
His slogan was that art should be "by the people, for the people". Under Morris' leadership the company made a name for itself as a high quality producer of such diverse items as stained glass, wallpaper, textiles, and furniture, often with a floral or foliage motif. To learn more about English rugs, we invite you to read our English Rugs section.
Sources and inspiration: Bérinstain, Valérie, et al. L'art du tapis dans le monde (The art of carpets in the world). Paris: Mengès, 1996. Print.; Jerrehian Jr., Aram K.A. Oriental Rug Primer. Philadelphia: Running Press, 1980. Print.; Herbert, Janice Summers. Oriental Rugs, New York: Macmillan, 1982. Print.; Hackmack, Adolf. Chinese Carpets and Rugs, Rutland and Tokyo: Tuttle, 1980. Print. ; De Moubray, Amicia, and David Black. Carpets for the home, London: Laurence King Publishing, 1999. Print.; Jacobsen, Charles. Oriental Rugs A Complete Guide, Rutland and Tokyo: Tuttle, 1962. Print.; Bashir, S. (n.d.). Personal interview.; Web site sources and dates of consultation vary (to be confirmed). Without prejudice to official usage.
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