Antique Framed Hooked Rug in Cream With Horseshoe Pictorial - Rug & Kilim

Details

Description

This 2x3 antique hooked rug is an exceptional addition to Rug & Kilim's collection of rare and collectible American hooked … Read more This 2x3 antique hooked rug is an exceptional addition to Rug & Kilim's collection of rare and collectible American hooked rugs and folk art designs—a fabulous bucolic find of early 20th century talismanic design in its provenance, made with hand-hooked wool and originating within the United States circa 1920-1930.

On the Design:

This hooked rug captures a particular bucolic charm in its depiction of a horseshoe motif flanked by stylized handprints and fallen leaves. Admirers of the craft will appreciate the deliberate symbolic language at work in this design—the horseshoe, universally recognized as a token of good fortune, combined with hand imagery that suggests protection and blessing. This combination of symbols creates a powerful talismanic piece intended to bestow luck and safeguard the household. The colorway features a warm cream field providing the backdrop for the subtle gray horseshoe and outline-rendered hands. The four corner maple leaves in alternating rust-red and sage-green add seasonal reference and visual anchoring to the design, while the thin dark border provides clean definition to the overall design.

While pictorial rugs often featured animals, florals or landscapes, this example ventures into more abstract symbolic territory—representing concepts rather than tangible objects. The intentional placement of the horseshoe in the upright "U" position (rather than downward) follows the traditional belief that this orientation "holds the luck in" rather than allowing it to "spill out." This rug represents an important category in American textile history—pieces that expressed cultural beliefs and superstitions through visual shorthand.

Condition:

This antique hooked rug has been given a new canvas backing—exclusively for wall-hanging purposes as a tapestry, in its current state—and further enjoys an overall good condition with some mild wear consistent with its age and provenance. See less