Antique Perepedil | 198 x 139 cm | Nr. Z-339

Geometric antique Perepedil, dark blue with border

Origin	Caucasus
Dimensions	198 cm x 139 cm (= 2.75 m²)
Construction	hand-knotted
Material	Pile: wool (hand-spun, natural dyes) Weft & Warp: wool
knots per m²2	350.000
Pile height	3mm
Year of manufacture	1890
Colour	Dark blue, rust red
Edition	one-of-a-kind piece

Origin

Perepedil rugs belong to the family of Kuba rugs. Kuba rugs (also called Kuba Schirwan or Kuba Shirvan) are knotted by hand in the town of Kuba and the surrounding area in the eastern Caucasus, in the Shirvan region. So the name element Kuba has nothing to do with the country of Cuba – contrary to what you might assume. Shirvan rugs are as a rule knotted from exceptionally fine wool and have a low pile. Old Shirvans are highly prized among European collectors and command high valuations. Not infrequently they reach a knot count of up to 300,000 knots per m².

What distinguishes Perepedil rugs is their imaginative geometric pattern. The field of Perepedil rugs is typically framed by a wide border. A broad main stripe is flanked by 2 – 6 secondary stripes. In terms of colour, these rugs are often marked by blue knotting, but also by red and ivory. This antique Perepedil is a collector's piece. It is around 130 years old, and that alone makes it a truly special piece. Antique rugs like this Perepedil are as sought after as ever and fetch top prices at renowned auction houses.

Pattern

The edge of the rug is graced by a surround (border). The border forms a wonderful contrast to the centre.

The abstract, geometric composition is what gives this Perepedil its understated elegance. The pattern flatters the design of the room without stealing attention from the furniture, the décor and the architectural details. It settles beautifully into any setting and complements a room's furnishings in a subtle way.

The background of this Perepedil is dark blue. The border is worked in rust red, dark blue and cream white.

Condition

This Perepedil has had admirers before you. The pile has grown a little thinner in places over the years. It was hand-knotted around 1890. We have cleaned it thoroughly and restored it with great care. Despite its age, it is therefore in very good condition.

Material

The technique used to make the materials for this Perepedil's pile is over 200 years old. The wool was dyed with natural colours and spun by hand. Dyeing with natural or plant-based colours is more complicated, more expensive and more time-consuming than dyeing with chemical ones. For a luminous red, for instance, you need around one kilo of ground madder root as dye for every kilo of wool. For a strong yellow that is not too pale it even takes two kilograms of weld dye per kilo of wool. Spinning the wool is labour-intensive and takes time too. On top of that, fewer and fewer people still know how to spin wool by hand.

But the effort is worth it: dyed with natural colours, the high-quality wool keeps its natural lanolin content. Wool dyed with natural dyes and spun by hand produces fascinating, shifting patterns. The charm of hand-spun wool, with its slight irregularities and natural shades, comes into its own as a contrast in modern interiors, but equally in rooms furnished in a more traditional or country style. The foundation (weft and warp threads) of this Perepedil is made of new wool.