9'1" x 11'11" Oriental Qum Design Rug | Ivory All-Over Floral with Black Border | Made in China
Light, airy and quietly formal, this 9'1" x 11'11" Oriental rug takes its drawing from the classic Qum design. An ivory field covered in fine scrolling vines carries sage green cartouches and garlands of coral and rose blossoms, all held inside a deep black border. It was hand-knotted in China in wool on a cotton foundation at 240 to 260 knots per square inch, so the vines stay thin and the small flowers stay crisp. It is brand new and has never been used, with a full, even pile and clean ivory fringe, and it comes with our certificate of authenticity.
Design and Motifs
There is no central medallion. Instead, the whole field is a lattice of hairline vines curling into large circles, studded with small brown and ivory star flowers and tiny leaves, so the ivory ground reads like fine lace. Placed on top of that lattice are 8 sage green cartouches, each lobed and edged in a serrated chocolate frame, holding a small palmette in rose and coral. One sits at the center of each end and 2 run down each side, and each corner holds a larger quarter cartouche wrapped in a burgundy garland. Long, curving floral sprays of coral, brick red and navy blossoms sweep between them, a small bouquet marks the very center, and the whole layout is mirrored in all 4 directions. The main border is black, filled with sage and ivory acanthus leaves, rose and coral palmettes, small brown rosettes and sage cartouches of its own. On either side, a guard border of mauve grey and sand carries chains of tiny pink flowers and olive scrolls, and a plain ivory band runs around the outer edge.
The Colors: Ivory, Black and Sage Green
The field is a soft ivory with a slight warm cast, light enough to open up a room. The fine vines are drawn in a muted taupe-brown, so they add texture without crowding the ground. Black is the strongest color in the rug, a true deep black in the main border that frames the field sharply and stops the pale center from feeling washed out. Sage green, a calm grey-leaning green, fills the cartouches and the acanthus leaves in the border and ties the two areas together. The floral accents bring the warmth: coral and salmon, rose and blush pink, brick red and a deeper burgundy in the corner garlands, with touches of navy in the sprays and olive in the leaves. The guard borders combine a dusty mauve grey with a warm sand yellow, a soft transition between the black and the ivory. The cotton fringe is natural ivory.
Made in China, Drawn in the Qum Style
This rug was hand-knotted in China, where workshops have woven classic floral designs for export for decades. The Qum design it follows is known for delicate drawing: all-over vine work, small cartouches and a light, almost lace-like field instead of one heavy medallion. That style only works at a good knot count, and at 240 to 260 knots per square inch this rug has enough knots for clean, thin vines and well-defined blossoms. Wool on a cotton foundation keeps it flat, square and practical for everyday living. Among 9x12 Oriental rugs, a brand new ivory and black floral at this weave works equally well under a dining table or anchoring a living room seating area.
