Antique Turkish Ushak Rug

A remarkable antique Turkish Ushak rug of exceptional scale, measuring 950 x 650cm. Hand-knotted in Ushak, Turkey, it was acquired by Little-Persia from the Reading Room of the Faculty of Advocates in Edinburgh, where a rug of this size would have carried both decorative and architectural presence. Following acquisition, it spent well over a year in Iran undergoing professional restoration, preserving its character while preparing it for use in another significant interior.

The design is expansive and richly balanced, with a deep teal field carrying an all-over arrangement of diamond forms, star-like motifs, stylised florals and mirrored geometric detail. Burnt orange, mustard, ivory, muted brown and touches of soft pink bring warmth and movement to the composition, while the broad orange border gives the rug a strong sense of enclosure. Across such a large surface, the pattern has a natural rhythm: detailed enough to reward close viewing, but broad enough to hold a room with confidence.

Woven with a wool pile on a wool foundation, the rug has the substance and softened presence associated with antique Ushak weaving. Its approximate 50 KPSI construction gives the design a bold, decorative clarity rather than a tightly compressed workshop fineness, allowing the motifs and colour relationships to read beautifully at scale.

This is a rug for a room with proportion, history and intent. In a private library, formal drawing room, dining hall, gallery-like interior or restored period property, it would do more than furnish the floor: it would define the atmosphere of the space. Its scale invites considered placement, with furniture arranged around it rather than simply placed upon it.

The professional restoration carried out in Iran is part of the rug’s continuing life. Antique pieces of this age and size are rarely static objects; they survive through careful stewardship, sensitive repair and renewed use. Here, the restoration allows the rug to retain the individuality, softened colour and historic surface that give antique carpets their appeal, while making it suitable for a new setting.

Please note that some images show the rug before restoration. They have been retained to provide a fuller record of the piece. We would be pleased to discuss its present condition, restoration work, provenance, delivery requirements and suitability for a particular space by private appointment or video consultation.