A Nepal-Made Designer Rug, Knotted by Hand

This piece belongs to the Djoharian Design Collection — Executive line, hand-knotted at 150 knots per square inch (~232,500 knots per m²) on a cotton warp and weft. The pile is a deliberate blend: 60% Matka silk from China and 40% Tibetan highland wool.

Matka silk is a hand-reeled silk made from broken cocoons of the silkworm, which gives it a slightly nubbly, irregular texture and a soft, deep lustre — quite different from the glassy shine of standard reeled silk. Tibetan highland wool, harvested from sheep that live at altitude, brings length, lanolin, and remarkable resilience to the pile. The combination is what gives this rug its hand: soft, substantial, and quietly luminous.

One of the signatures of our Nepalese workshops is the use of hand-spun yarn. The slight irregularity in yarn thickness that hand-spinning produces gives the surface its living quality — the soft variation in colour saturation that machine-spun yarn cannot match.

The pile is 9–12 mm high, and the design plays with that: the wool areas are sheared shorter, while the silk motifs are left taller. The result is a subtle three-dimensional surface — the gold silk ornament rises in slight relief against the matte black wool ground, catching the light and adding depth that flat-pile rugs cannot achieve.

Design: Maharaja Ornament, Reimagined

The composition is an opulent allover Maharaja-style pattern — large oval medallion cartouches, pearl-edged arches, stylised vases, and crown- or diadem-like ornaments laid out across the field with the kind of jewelled density found in Indian court textiles. The name Kohinoor refers to the legendary diamond once owned by Mughal emperors and Persian shahs — and the rug is conceived in the same spirit: dense, precious, theatrical.

The palette is built on a single bold contrast:

• Deep black to ink: the dominant ground, theatrical and rare in carpet design; it sets every other colour ablaze
• Antique gold and honey gold: worked in silk for maximum lustre, forming the medallion structures and curling vines
• Matte mustard and olive gold: a second gold tonality in the wool areas, contrasting with the lustrous silk gold
• Coral and terracotta, old rose and pink, powder blue and turquoise, ivory and cream, pale green and pistachio: jewel-tone accents in pearl strings, flower centres, leaf veins and rosettes

Presence in the Room

At 373 × 275 cm (10.3 m², approx. 9 × 12 ft) the Kohinoor is built for rooms that want to be noticed:

• Art Deco, Hollywood Regency, Versace-style interiors: the black ground reads as drama; the gold silk reads as wealth.
• Glamorous dining room or bedroom: the high-low surface gives the piece a sculptural presence under chandelier light.
• Modern architectural rooms as a counterpoint: in otherwise restrained contemporary architecture, its intensity becomes a focal point against neutral walls and modern furniture.

Bespoke — Made to Your Architecture

This rug is part of our made-to-order Djoharian Design Collection. Every aspect can be adapted to your project:

• Size: 373 × 275 cm shown — we can produce this design in any custom size up to 1000 × 600 cm
• Colour palette: the black-and-gold scheme is one of many; we work with the Pantone and RAL colour systems and over 1,200 yarn shades to match your interior, your samples, or your architect's specification
• Material mix: the silk-to-wool ratio can shift toward more silk (more lustre, softer hand) or more wool (more matte, more robust)
• Design density: the medallion and ornament can be redrawn at different scales
• Production time: typically 4–6 months from order confirmation, depending on size

Custom rugs & bespoke commissions → Interior designers and architects welcome.

Specifications

Responsible Sourcing

Djoharian is a Label STEP certified dealer for fair-trade knotted rugs — a commitment to fair wages, dignified working conditions and against child labour in rug production. For new production this means your rug has a verifiable, ethical supply chain. Visit the Label STEP entry for Djoharian Teppiche →

Djoharian — Five Decades of Persian Rug Expertise

With roots in the Grand Carpet Bazaar of Tehran and more than five decades of experience in the international rug trade, Djoharian has specialised in fine Persian, antique and designer rugs since 1967. The family knowledge, passed down through generations from the heart of the Persian rug world, anchors every piece in our collection.

Service and Delivery

Secure and fast worldwide shipping, fully insured, included in the price for EU destinations and available on quote elsewhere. For made-to-order pieces, we provide design samples, colour swatches, and detailed renderings before production begins. Personal consultation in our Lohr am Main showroom is welcome by appointment.

Djoharian — Antique and Bespoke Oriental Rugs since 1967.