Akari 150 x 240cm Jute & Cotton Rug - Natural

A flatwoven rug, 150 by 240cm, in jute and cotton. The field is plain, a warm straw colour with the weave running in fine lines across it, and each of the two short ends carries a band of pattern in rust red on cream, a repeating geometric figure in the traditional Indian style. Each end then finishes in a cream fringe.

At 150 by 240cm this is the larger of the two Akari rugs, big enough to sit under the front legs of a three-piece suite or to run the length of a dining table with the chairs still drawn up. Jute is a hard fibre and the weave is flat, so it takes traffic in a hall or a living room rather than giving underfoot the way a deep pile does. The pattern falls at the two short ends only, so the rug reads along its length, and at 5.8kg it lies flat without needing to be weighted down.

The rug is jute with cotton, woven on a handloom. Jute is a rain-fed crop that needs little fertiliser or pesticide and spins into a strong, hard-wearing thread; the cotton is what softens it. Each one is woven, braided and stitched by hand. The Akari is also made as a smaller 120 by 180cm rug and as a 66 by 200cm runner.

What sizes is it made in?

This 150 by 240cm, a smaller 120 by 180cm, and a 66 by 200cm runner.

Does it shed?

A little, at first. Both fibres are natural and some shedding is to be expected.

How should it be vacuumed?

Carefully, and not with a rotating brush head, which will damage the fibres.

What do I do about a spill?

Blot it straight away with a sponge or a cloth. It can be professionally cleaned if it needs more than that.

Will it fade?

In direct sunlight, yes. The colours will go over time if it sits in a strong light.