A History of Tufted Rugs

Gallery

Rugs, tools, machines, photographs and documents from the research, oldest first. Choose a picture to see its record and the sources behind it.

Pazyryk felt appliqué hangings and furnishings (Altai burial mounds) Pazyryk felt appliqué hangings and furnishings (Altai burial mounds) 5th–3rd century BCE (dating disputed) · State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg Permission pending The Pazyryk carpet: oldest known hand-knotted pile carpet (5th–4th century BCE) The Pazyryk carpet: oldest known hand-knotted pile carpet (5th–4th century BCE) 5th–4th century BCE (radiocarbon); barrow later dated 252–238 BCE by the Hermitage listing · State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg Permission pending Grande Galerie carpet with landscapes (Savonnerie, after Charles Le Brun), 1680 Grande Galerie carpet with landscapes (Savonnerie, after Charles Le Brun), 1680 1680 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art How cutting the loops made Wilton: the bladed or grooved wire and the 'travat' knife How cutting the loops made Wilton: the bladed or grooved wire and the 'travat' knife 18th century (exact date disputed) Permission pending Brussels carpet sample woven in 1980 after a design by Anna Maria Garthwaite dated 1753 Brussels carpet sample woven in 1980 after a design by Anna Maria Garthwaite dated 1753 1980 (design dated 1753) · Victoria and Albert Museum Permission pending Axminster carpet attributed to Thomas Whitty, ca. 1765 (Met 2025.725) Axminster carpet attributed to Thomas Whitty, ca. 1765 (Met 2025.725) ca. 1765 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bed rug (bedcover) inscribed "Mary Foot AD 1778" Bed rug (bedcover) inscribed "Mary Foot AD 1778" 1778 · Winterthur Museum Permission pending Yarn-sewn hearth rug, 1800–1820 (Connecticut Historical Society 2010.409.0) Yarn-sewn hearth rug, 1800–1820 (Connecticut Historical Society 2010.409.0) 1800–1820 · Connecticut Historical Society Permission pending Bed rug marked "C/1819" Bed rug marked "C/1819" 1819 · Winterthur Museum Permission pending Dated candlewick bed coverings (Peck 1824, Courtney 1825, Stanton 1820) Dated candlewick bed coverings (Peck 1824, Courtney 1825, Stanton 1820) 1820–1825 · Connecticut Historical Society Permission pending Embroidered Carpet (the "Caswell carpet") Embroidered Carpet (the "Caswell carpet") 1832–35 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art Chenille Axminster: James Templeton and William Quiglay's chenille patent (Glasgow, 1839); V&A Templeton sample Chenille Axminster: James Templeton and William Quiglay's chenille patent (Glasgow, 1839); V&A Templeton sample patent July 1839; sample late 19th century · Victoria and Albert Museum Permission pending Sample of Kidderminster carpeting, double cloth (Dove & Co., Leeds, mid-19th century) Sample of Kidderminster carpeting, double cloth (Dove & Co., Leeds, mid-19th century) mid-19th century · Victoria and Albert Museum Permission pending Bigelow Carpet Mill, Clinton, Massachusetts Bigelow Carpet Mill, Clinton, Massachusetts 1848 Permission pending Pinton (Ateliers Pinton) Pinton (Ateliers Pinton) founded 1867; hand-tufting specialism from the early 1990s · Pinton (Ateliers Pinton) Permission pending Cotton dhurrie, North India, late 19th century (Penn Museum 29-96-81) Cotton dhurrie, North India, late 19th century (Penn Museum 29-96-81) late 19th century · Penn Museum (University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology) Permission pending “Jewel” rug-hooking tool, patented 1886 (Auckland Museum 1932.212.1) “Jewel” rug-hooking tool, patented 1886 (Auckland Museum 1932.212.1) by 1930 (patent 1886, per the museum's record) · Auckland War Memorial Museum (via Wikimedia Commons) Permission pending Kasthall Kasthall founded 1889; Kinna factory 1901 · Kasthall Permission pending Victoria PLC (Victoria Carpets) Victoria PLC (Victoria Carpets) founded 1895 · Victoria PLC (Victoria Carpets) Permission pending All Steel Shuttle Needle All Steel Shuttle Needle undated (probably 1920s–1930s) · Tuft the World (own collection) Bhadohi's "traditional" hand-knotted industry was built by Europeans in the late 19th century Bhadohi's "traditional" hand-knotted industry was built by Europeans in the late 19th century late 19th century–1920 Permission pending Ye "Susan Burr" Hooked Rug Machine Ye "Susan Burr" Hooked Rug Machine c. 1920s–1930s · Tuft the World (own collection) Chenille bedspreads: line-tufted tulips, dot-tufted florals and diamond lattice Chenille bedspreads: line-tufted tulips, dot-tufted florals and diamond lattice undated (mid-20th century style) · Shaw Floors / Bandy art center, Dalton, Georgia Fan-tailed peacock in rows of cut tufts on a yellow ground, scalloped tufted edge Two peacock chenille bedspreads (yellow ground; white ground with pink peacock) undated; peacock spreads are associated with the 1930s–1950s roadside trade · Shaw Floors / Bandy art center, Dalton, Georgia Mrs. J. A. Green and son Allen Burton making tufted bedspreads on U.S. Highway 41 Mrs. J. A. Green and son Allen Burton making tufted bedspreads on U.S. Highway 41 1933 · Georgia Archives (Vanishing Georgia) Permission pending Edward Fields Edward Fields founded 1935 · Edward Fields Permission pending Yamagata Dantsu (Oriental Carpet Mills) Yamagata Dantsu (Oriental Carpet Mills) founded 1935; hand-tufting from 1965 · Yamagata Dantsu (Oriental Carpet Mills) Permission pending Chenille Rug, Gift to Henry Ford, 1936 Chenille Rug, Gift to Henry Ford, 1936 1936 · The Henry Ford Permission pending Orville A. Carroll, Shaker Tufted Wool Rug, c. 1938 (Index of American Design) Orville A. Carroll, Shaker Tufted Wool Rug, c. 1938 (Index of American Design) c. 1938 · National Gallery of Art, Index of American Design (via Wikimedia Commons) Sims Textile Co., "The Chenille Center," Dalton, Ga.: Electric Chenille Machine sheet, yarn price list and "Miscellaneous Information" Sims Textile Co., "The Chenille Center," Dalton, Ga.: Electric Chenille Machine sheet, yarn price list and "Miscellaneous Information" after 1945 (the company was founded in 1945) · Bandy Heritage Center, Dalton State College The Nylon Suite at the Hotel DuPont The Nylon Suite at the Hotel DuPont 1945 (year approximate) · Hagley Museum and Library Permission pending Nylon hooked rug made by Nancy du Pont Reynolds Cooch (Mrs. Edward W. Cooch Jr.) Nylon hooked rug made by Nancy du Pont Reynolds Cooch (Mrs. Edward W. Cooch Jr.) 1950 · Hagley Museum and Library Permission pending Nylon carpeting [Nye-Wait "Splendante" and "Cirque" carpet] Nylon carpeting [Nye-Wait "Splendante" and "Cirque" carpet] 1955 (year approximate) · Hagley Museum and Library Permission pending Nylon carpeting [tufted nylon bath mat and lid cover] Nylon carpeting [tufted nylon bath mat and lid cover] 1955 (year approximate) · Hagley Museum and Library Permission pending 1957 Annual Report, Mohasco Industries, Inc. 1957 Annual Report, Mohasco Industries, Inc. 1957 · Hagley Museum and Library Permission pending DuPont Carpet Nylon DuPont Carpet Nylon 1960 · Hagley Museum and Library Permission pending Nylon: The First 25 Years Nylon: The First 25 Years 1963 · Hagley Museum and Library Permission pending A Houseful of Value ... All '501' A Houseful of Value ... All '501' 1965 · Hagley Museum and Library Permission pending Ronco "Speed-Tufting Kit" (#1500), 1975 Ronco "Speed-Tufting Kit" (#1500), 1975 © 1975 · Tuft the World (own collection) Tuft the World's electric tufting guns: AK-I, AK-II, KRD-I, the Duo and AK5 (2018–2026) Tuft the World's electric tufting guns: AK-I, AK-II, KRD-I, the Duo and AK5 (2018–2026) product records created 2018–2024; the Duo and AK5 on sale Oct 2026 Owen Trueblood's robot-arm tufting system: a hacked tufting gun on a UR5 (2022) Owen Trueblood's robot-arm tufting system: a hacked tufting gun on a UR5 (2022) Feb–Mar 2022; exhibited Apr 2023 · Hackaday.io Permission pending Chenille Bedspreads Chenille Bedspreads Permission pending K. K. Goswami, Advances in Carpet Manufacture, 2nd ed., chapters 12–13 (handmade carpets) K. K. Goswami, Advances in Carpet Manufacture, 2nd ed., chapters 12–13 (handmade carpets) Permission pending Langhorne Carpet, Pennsylvania: one of the last American Wilton mills, now closed Langhorne Carpet, Pennsylvania: one of the last American Wilton mills, now closed Werk Werk Werk