The design is a double-sided kilim, or flat tapestry-woven rug, which simplifies the designs and updates the use of colour on Iranian carpets.
“I very occasionally come across a type of cotton double-sided kilim with striking and simple designs that I loved, but whose origins mystified me,” says Lumley, who, after further research discovered that these traditional cotton rugs were made in the city of Yazd for summer use and were often placed on top of wool carpets when temperatures were at their highest
“I thought the fact that you could turn them over would give them an added interest among my clients. I was right,” Lumley adds.
He recalls that the three examples he brought to a recent Decorative Antiques & Textiles Fair several years ago sold within the first minutes of the doors opening. But examples were hard to find and Lumley decided to produce his own examples.
Lumley, formerly from Sotheby’s, has traded in rugs since 2004 and launched Joshua Lumley Contemporary, which produces a range of rugs, in 2014. The pieces are handmade in Inda, Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The kilims are handmade and retail for £400 for smaller versions or £800 for room-sized versions.
