Aubergine (4'7" x 7'10") – Authentic Vintage Moroccan Rug

A ground of deep aubergine — not the bright madder red of most Moroccan rugs, but something darker and more purple, closer to wine. Down the centre runs a column of three medallions linked by scrolling stems, so they read less as three separate shapes and more as a single vine growing up the length of the rug. Each opens into curling burnt-orange arms closing on an ivory cartouche, with one small point of blue at the very heart.

Around them, the ground is dusted with small florets, stars and crosses in ivory and orange — evenly spaced, delicate, filling the space without ever crowding it. The border answers with a crisp repeating cross-and-hook motif that runs true the whole way round.

This is a more formal, more finely-drawn rug than most of what survives from this period. The curling arabesque work and the disciplined, even fill point to a weaver working from a refined design tradition rather than pure freehand village weaving. It is tightly knotted — it had to be, to hold detail this small — and the result is a piece that reads as considered and elegant rather than bold and graphic.

We buy rugs like this because we would rather sell one honest, irregular, human-made piece than a hundred flawless machine copies. It was hand-knotted in Morocco decades ago, it has already lived a life, and there is not another one anywhere.

Details

• Rug Number: IC-2469
• Size: 4'7" x 7'10" (1.40m x 2.39m)
• Construction: Hand-knotted on a traditional loom in Morocco — no machine work at any stage
• Style: Vintage Moroccan rug, Middle Atlas — three linked curvilinear medallions on a dusted field with a formal border
• Colours: Deep aubergine ground with burnt orange, ivory, pink, black and a touch of blue
• Pile: Medium, finely and tightly worked
• Fringe: Original wine-red fringe at both ends
• Authenticity: A genuine one-of-a-kind vintage piece. Slight variation between the medallions, drift in the border repeat and gentle wear are inherent to a hand-woven rug of this age — they are the evidence it is real
• Availability: One of one. Once this rug sells, it cannot be reordered or reproduced
• Care: Professionally washed before dispatch and ready to use on arrival

Where it works

At 4'7" x 7'10" this is a mid-size rug, and its formality makes it suit more tailored rooms than most vintage Moroccan pieces.

• Living room: Anchors a compact seating group with the front legs of sofa and chairs on the rug
• Bedroom: Runs across the foot of a king, or alongside a queen with room to stand
• Formal or traditional interiors: Its real strength. The curvilinear medallions and disciplined border suit a room with antiques, panelling or classic furniture, where a bold tribal rug would look out of place
• Study or library: The deep aubergine and fine detail suit a considered, quieter room
• Wide hallway: Broad enough to hold a console and read as generous

Palette notes: Aubergine is a jewel tone and a warm one. It sits richly with walnut and mahogany, brass, deep greens and creams, and it reads as more sophisticated than a bright red. In a pale, modern room it becomes a deliberate hit of colour and depth; in a traditional one it belongs completely.

Questions about this piece

This is a single vintage rug, so what you see is what exists — it cannot be remade, resized or reordered. If you would like additional photographs, detail shots of the weave or medallions, or a closer look at condition before you buy, we are happy to send them. Trade enquiries are always welcome.

Write to us at Info@illuminatecollectiverugs.com.

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