Oversize 12x18 Oriental Agra Rug | Soltanabad Design | Hand-Knotted Wool on Cotton | 180 to 220 KPSI

A handsome oversize 12 by 18 hand-knotted Oriental Agra rug, woven in the classic Soltanabad all-over palmette design on a soft golden camel ground. Hand-knotted in 100 percent wool pile on a cotton foundation at approximately 180 to 220 KPSI, this is a versatile, designer-favorite oversize that works beautifully in great rooms, large living rooms, formal dining rooms, and library or lobby settings.

Design and Motifs

The composition is a classic all-over Soltanabad layout with no central medallion. Instead, the entire field is covered with a graceful, mirrored repeat of large stylized palmettes, lotus flowers, curling acanthus leaves, and serrated saw-tooth leaves connected by a relaxed flowering vine system. The Soltanabad pattern is descended from 19th century Persian master designs originally produced in the Arak and Soltanabad region for European and American clients, and is sometimes called the Ziegler design after the Manchester firm that popularized it. The hallmark of the style is open spacing and large-scale drawing, which lets the field breathe even at oversize dimensions and gives the rug its famous calm, formal presence. The main border carries a row of large floral palmettes alternating with curled serrated leaves on an ivory ground, framed by narrow striped guard borders and outer saw-tooth and floral chevron stripes that lock the composition together.

Colors and Placement

The palette is the signature Soltanabad combination that decorators have been specifying for over a century: a warm soft camel gold field is the dominant ground color, giving the entire rug its glow. The large palmettes and acanthus leaves across the field are drawn in deep olive green, charcoal brown, and aged terracotta, with secondary scrolling vines and serrated leaves picked out in soft sage green, dusty pink, and ivory. Small flower heads are scattered throughout in cream and pale rose, lifting the field without ever overwhelming it. The main border sits on a clean ivory ground that frames the gold field beautifully, with palmettes in olive, terracotta, and sage. The narrow guard stripes use small saw-tooth chevrons in charcoal and ivory, plus a soft pink-and-gold floral stripe that ties the border back into the field. Overall the rug reads as gold and ivory at first glance, with sage green, soft pink, and terracotta emerging on closer look. This palette is famously easy to place: it works with antique furniture, modern furniture, traditional decor, transitional decor, and almost any wood tone or upholstery color.

Agra Soltanabad Rugs and Construction

Agra is one of India's most important rug-weaving cities, with a rug-making tradition that goes back to the Mughal court in the 16th century. Today Agra workshops are the leading producers of new Soltanabad-design rugs, faithfully reproducing the classic 19th century cartoons in fine hand-spun wool. This piece is hand-knotted in 100 percent wool pile on a strong cotton foundation at approximately 180 to 220 KPSI, which is the appropriate density for a decorator-grade oversize Soltanabad piece, allowing the large palmettes to read clearly without making the rug feel stiff or over-tight. The 0.4 inch (10 mm) wool pile is plush and soft underfoot while still being durable enough for heavy-traffic rooms. The cotton foundation gives the rug the structural integrity needed to keep an oversize 12 by 18 piece flat and square over many years of use. Agra Soltanabads are widely specified by interior designers because they deliver the exact look of antique Persian Soltanabads at a fraction of the cost of true antiques. For more on related styles, browse our full collection of Oriental rugs.