Home | Rugs ON SALE | Check Cart | Rug Search |
|
|
"Tea Washed" Rugs ON SALE! |
| At many times and in many places over the hundreds and hundreds of years that Oriental rugs have been woven there have been attempts to change the crisp, clear, bright colors of new rugs into the softer, more muted, more quiet colors that sometimes develop as rugs age. In India in the 1980's weavers developed a vegetable wash designed to do just this. There actually was a preparation of leaves, nuts, and other vegetable materials that was applied to new rugs to soften and mute their colors. The wash itself looked like pea soup in color and texture! In the market these carpets were usually referred to as "veg washed" or "tea washed." The "tea washed" label was probably the most commonly used (even though these rugs were never actually washed with tea). After a few years weavers adjusted their color schemes so that new rugs could be made in the same muted colors but without the need to actually subject the rug to a separate vegetable wash (the problem with the veg wash was that results were unpredictable: a perfectly good rug could become unsaleable in color if the wash turned out badly). Today the "tea washed"/"veg washed" category is well established. Most of these rugs have floral, Persian designs, and most have gold, green, rust, navy, or dark red color schemes. Almost none use cream or bone accents; lighter tones are old ivories, soft golds, or muted beige, peach, or tan. The idea is to keep contrasts low, so as to produce a rich but quiet and subtle look. Colors are often abrashed (strongly varigated), and most of these rugs and carpets have thick wool pile. Sometimes Arts & Crafts rugs will share the same soft colors as tea washed carpets. There are also new rugs in antique colors which can be more varied in design and color family than tea washed rugs. New additions to this list are highlighted in RED. |
| Click on the rug's photo (at left) for a larger picture (photos are .JPGs of 90-150k each). For more information about any of these rugs, email us with the rug number(s) and your specific questions, or call us at 315-422-7832. |
Home | Rugs ON SALE | Check Cart | Rug Search© JACOBSEN Oriental Rugs, Inc. |