Mehrab Sareki One-OF-A-Kind-Afghan Rug

A Mazar-e-Sharif Sareki carpet of rare teal-turquoise ground — a colour achieved through the patient layering of indigo and natural yellows — and among the most visually arresting pieces in the collection.
The teal ground of this carpet is not a happy accident. Achieved through the combination of indigo — the blue that has dyed textiles across Central Asia for millennia — with natural plant-source yellows in a process requiring precise timing and a weaver with an intimate knowledge of the dye, it is a colour that most Afghan workshop production never attempts. Against this clear turquoise field, the large octagonal gul medallions of the Ersari Turkmen tradition — rendered in deep navy and crimson — read with a freshness and visual authority quite different from anything the red-dominant Afghan palette produces. The Turkmen craftspeople of Mazar-e-Sharif have maintained the formal vocabulary of their Central Asian heritage while allowing this exceptional ground colour to announce something new. Knotted in wool on a cotton foundation at approximately 110 knots per square inch.
A hand-knotted rug is an investment piece. With proper care it will last a lifetime and become a cherished heirloom. Each knot in this collection is tied by hand by nomadic tribesmen, making every piece entirely one of a kind.
Variations in colour and tone — known as abrash — are a hallmark of authentic handmade rugs, particularly tribal and vintage pieces. Wear and age only add to their beauty.