A Small Size American Antique Hooked Area Rug, Weaving Origin: United States, Rug Date: 1920’s — Antique American hooked rugs are a part of the traditional Arts and Crafts movement. This beautiful rug uses a simplistic patterns and was made around the 1920’s. Rug hooking was a craft that was popular before the 1830’s when it was a way to use scrap fabric and pieces that had been discarded by fabric mills. Poorer members of society would make these captivating antique rugs that were sold to wealthier clientele at that time. In the 1830’s, manufactured carpets became popular among affluent clients, and the craft died out, except for those who kept it alive by making rugs for their own homes out of scraps.
The Arts and Crafts movement in America was a return to simpler times and a rejection of mass-manufactured items for the home. During that time, some of the older crafts began to be revived, and people began to produce hooked rugs once again. Now, hooked American rugs were no longer for the poor, but were enjoyed by people of all classes.
Many times, the rugs were pictorial, but this example uses an all-over pattern that is designed to cover an ample space. The antique folk art carpet is designed so that it looks like a quilt type design and weave pattern. These pieces were made specifically to complement Arts and Crafts and American Colonial style homes. They were often found on the floors of kit houses, such as those offered by the Sears and Roebuck, Co. They were designed to complement the rich wood floors and architectural elements of the style.
The colors are often subdued to create a serene and harmonious feeling within the space. This will be the perfect area rug if you happen to own a kit house or Arts and Craft style house from the period. However, its linear inspired design would also make it an excellent complement to a contemporary design too. It has a modern feeling and the encroaching border motifs are designed in a way that reflects the Art Deco style as well. This artist of this antique American Hooked rug seemed to combine several different artistic ideas that were going on at the time to create a unique piece that is an expression of their creative style.