A beautiful and extremely rare near-square format American rag rug from the late 1800s — the square proportion itself a rarity in the rag rug tradition, where horizontal runners and rectangular formats dominate. Created by joining two individually woven runners, this flatwoven rug shares the banded earth tone aesthetic of the great Scandinavian kilims of the same period, its palette of blue, brown, green, pink, red, ochre, purple, and yellow achieving a modern beauty rooted in the simple Amish and Shaker concept of beauty through honest material and honest making.
In excellent condition, this piece is ready to serve as the foundation of a mid-century modern, country, or minimalist interior design plan. Can be resized and custom finished with serged sides and bound ends. The American rag rug tradition is one of the most authentic and deeply rooted forms of folk textile art in North America — born from the Puritan ethic of thrift and the practical necessity of keeping nothing to waste. Woven on simple looms from strips of repurposed clothing, worn blankets, and household textiles, these rugs transformed discarded materials into objects of remarkable beauty. The tradition has its strongest roots in New England and the Amish and Shaker communities of Pennsylvania, where the ethic of upcycling and reuse was elevated to an art form.
