About This Rug
This hand-knotted Armenian Karachov wool rug dates to circa the 1950s. A bold golden-yellow octagon anchors the composition within an ivory field. Contrasting red, blue, green, and navy details give the design a bright, strongly graphic character.
The central octagon contains small geometric ornaments and hooked forms arranged around a red inner panel. Two contrasting square ornaments extend along its central axis. Their interlocking shapes repeat elements found elsewhere in the design.
A Balanced Geometric Composition
Four yellow square motifs occupy the corners of the ivory field. Branching red outlines extend from their edges, while smaller dark forms fill their interiors. Tiny scattered ornaments provide detail within the surrounding pale ground.
A rectangular sequence of ornamental panels frames the yellow centre. Alternating ivory, navy, red, green, and yellow grounds carry curling, hooked motifs. Their repeated outlines create rhythm without making every panel identical.
Dark triangular sections fill the spaces between the octagon and its rectangular frame. These areas contain closely repeated small marks in contrasting colours. The change in pattern scale adds texture around the larger central forms.
Navy Border and Bright Guard Bands
The broad navy outer border carries angular multicoloured motifs spaced along its length. Red, green, ivory, and blue details stand clearly against the dark ground. Narrow yellow-and-red guard bands frame this border on both sides.
These repeated colours link the outer frame to the yellow centre and corner ornaments. The result is a balanced composition with several distinct layers of geometric pattern.
Hand-Knotted Wool Construction
The rug is handmade and hand-knotted in wool. A folded-corner photograph shows the reverse weave beside the patterned face. The surface retains visible wool pile, with variations in height and shading across the design.
Measuring approximately 170.2 × 223.5 cm, it offers a broad rectangular format. Its central octagon and four corner ornaments remain clearly readable from a distance, while smaller details reward closer examination.
Condition
Good overall vintage condition, with light surface wear and variations in pile height. Shading and colour variation are visible across the wool surface. The side edges show minor wear.
Brown fringe remnants are uneven, with some loose fibres and irregular end sections. Please examine the detailed photographs of the field, borders, corners, ends, and reverse before purchasing.
Key Details
Origin: Armenia
Type: Karachov
Period: Circa 1950s
Material: Wool
Technique: Handmade, hand-knotted
Dimensions: Approximately 170.2 × 223.5 cm
Imperial dimensions: Approximately 5 ft 7 in × 7 ft 4 in
Decimal feet: Approximately 5.58 × 7.33 ft
Design: Central octagon, hooked forms, square corner ornaments and panelled inner border
Colours: Ivory, golden yellow, navy, brick red, burgundy, green and blue
Condition: Light surface wear, uneven pile height, shading, minor edge wear and uneven brown fringe remnants
SKU: 1B1031
Why It’s Special
The golden-yellow centre gives this rug a particularly lively presence. Its contrasting panelled frame and navy border create a strong setting for the interlocking geometric details.
