Style
Shag/High Pile
Every piece in this style, across all of our collections. Narrow them down by size and price.
- Under 6 x 9
- Runners
- 6 x 9
- 8 x 10
- 9 x 12
- 10 x 14
- 12 x 15
- Over 12 x 15
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Stories from the Shag/High Pile Archive
Essays, artist dialogues, and provenance notes drawn from Rug & Kilim’s editorial desk.
Rug of the Week: The Neoclassical 19th Century Oversized Savonnerie as a French Masterpiece
Every civilization that has reached a certain confidence has wanted to put its worldview on the floor. The Persians wove paradise gardens; the Chinese, the cosmos in miniature. France, under the Sun King, wove order itself. The Savonnerie, the royal carpet manufactory brought to its height under Louis XIV, the symmetry of the formal garden, the architecture of Versailles, the neoclassical grammar of acanthus and rosette and laurel that announced a culture certain of its own supremacy. A Savonnerie is a political philosophy you can stand on. All of which makes the four small creatures hidden in this particular example so delightfully subversive.
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Understanding Aubusson Rugs: French Heritage and Timeless Luxury
Among the great weaving traditions of Europe, few names carry the artistic prestige and cultural significance of Aubusson. For centuries, Aubusson rugs have represented the pinnacle of French decorative arts, embodying the refinement, sophistication, and creative ambition that defined some of Europe's most influential artistic movements. Their importance extends far beyond floor coverings; Aubusson rugs occupy a distinguished position within the histories of design, architecture, collecting, and luxury interiors. Originating from the historic weaving center of Aubusson in central France, these rugs emerged as part of a broader tapestry-making tradition that would ultimately influence aristocratic residences, royal palaces, cultural institutions, and significant architectural projects throughout Europe and beyond. Their graceful ornamentation, sophisticated color palettes, and exceptional craftsmanship established them among the most admired carpets ever produced.
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Signatures, Editions, and the Bolduc on Modern and Rare Tapestries: The Mark of the Masters and Artists
There is a particular pleasure, known to every serious collector, in turning an object over. The front of a great tapestry or carpet is what seduces; the back, and the edges, are what tell the truth. And on the finest modern tapestries, that truth is written in a specific and often misunderstood language, a language of signatures, edition numbers, and a small woven label the French call the bolduc. To read it fluently is to hold the difference between a decorative object and a documented work of art. It is the same literacy that governs the print room and the rare book library, where a collector learns to read a plate mark, a watermark, a colophon. The modern tapestry, elevated to the status of fine art by Jean Lurçat and his circle in the mid-twentieth century, borrowed the apparatus of the fine art edition precisely because it wished to be understood as fine art. To understand the apparatus is to understand the ambition.
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Ege Rya Rugs & Verner Panton’s Abstract Modernist Style
Ege Ryas are an important part of Scandinavian design. Like the Rya rugs of the 15th century, Ege ryas carry a high pile. This was mainly to keep people warm during the hostile cold weather. These rugs were usually small in size and machine made. While the vintage ege ryas were quite similar to other Nordic rugs in their shag/high pile texture, it’s interesting to note that their patterns were funky - unlike the clean, soothing, refreshing vibe that most Scandinavian rugs feature. This union of traditional texture and bold patterns redefined Swedish aesthetics in the mid 20th century and became a driving force behind most modern sense of abstract that we know today.
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A Love Letter to High-Pile Rugs: Shag, Shabby-Chic and Everything In-Between
A Shag/High Pile rug is easy to recognize. That's one of many beauties in both styles; their distinction from other rugs. There's a subtle difference between the terms, though, and the many gorgeous styles they comprise. High-pile rugs include any rug with a 1/2"-3/4" pile height (which measures the fibers on the rug's surface, or "nap"). Shag rugs, meanwhile, have similar or longer fibers, and in some cases their pile goes beyond the borders. It's much easier to see the difference and admire it, though, as it's more about the feeling and presence that dictates the difference. Many in our field believe shag rugs are the oldest hand-knotted rugs and carpets. Thick rugs were a notable source of bedding and comfort in tribal cultures all over the world, after all. Greek Flokati rugs are the oldest shag rug known (as early as 700 B.C.), and were made from goat hair for warmth. Moroccan rugs are a younger provenance since the Berber matriarchs began the practice circa 622 A.D., but they're one of the most widely recognized high-pile rug styles today.
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A Glossary of Handmade Rugs and Kilims: Understanding Terms, Types and Techniques Past and Present
Referring to the art style characterized by using shape and color withdrawn from traditional repetition or realism. Abstract rugs — sometimes referred to as art rugs — capture an expressive nature that reads as a very modern style, though many abstract rugs draw inspiration from works of the same art style in the mid-century. One of the more widely known mid-century lineages of this style is abstract expressionism, named for the literal "expressionists" of the 1950s. Some of the most notable names behind this style include Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko. Referring to a lineage of nomadic Persian rugs (sometimes referred to as “Avsar” in the alternate spelling). Afshar rugs hail from the eponymous tribe in the region of Northeastern Iran.
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