Walter Nichols Rugs

What is a Walter Nichols rug?

A Walter Nichols rug is a hand-knotted Chinese Art Deco carpet made between 1924 and 1939 in the Tianjin workshops of Walter Nichols, known for heavy, lustrous "Super Yarn" wool, deep hand carving and bold, asymmetric designs. Collectors and dealers often call them "Super Rugs", and "Nichols" has become shorthand for the finest Chinese Art Deco rugs.

Nichols was an American who moved to China in the early 20th century and worked as a wool grader, sorting raw fleece by fineness, length, strength and color. That trade explains his rugs. Instead of the coarse carpet wool most workshops used, he chose long, strong, white fleece that could take clean, deep dyes and be woven densely without breaking or shedding.

In 1924 he founded Nichols Super Yarn and Carpets and kept every stage under his own control: scouring, spinning, dyeing, weaving and washing. He described owning every building, loom and tool, and even every rice bowl, in his factories. Production ended in 1939, so no new Nichols rugs have been made since. For the full story, read the Walter Nichols story.

How do you identify an authentic Walter Nichols rug?

Check five things: the weight and stiffness, the luster of the wool, the depth of the carving, the color, and any marks the factory left behind. No single sign proves a rug is a Nichols, but together they separate a genuine piece from a "Nichols-style" rug made by another workshop.

• The "plank" handle. Lift a corner. A Nichols rug is famously heavy and stiff, thanks to its dense construction and machine-spun wool. A rug that feels floppy or folds like fabric is more likely a Fette rug or a later piece.
• A silk-like sheen. The Super Yarn reflects light with a shimmer that can look almost like silk, especially after washing.
• Deep carving. Run a hand along the flowers and motifs. You should feel a clear channel cut into the pile, giving the design a molded, three-dimensional look.
• Color that did not fade. Nichols used chrome dyes, so hot pink, acid green and lapis blue stay as saturated today as when they were woven, instead of mellowing to peach and tan.
• The fringe stamp. Turn the rug over and look along the back of the cotton fringe for "Made in China by Nichols", often in blue ink. A faded or partial stamp still counts.
• The label. Some rugs keep a cotton or fabric label on the back reading "Walter Nichols, Tientsin". Many were removed over the years, but stitch marks where one sat are also a good sign.
• Red ink on the warps. Designs were traced onto the white cotton warps in red ink before weaving. On a worn rug where the foundation shows, faint red or pink traces can be read as a fingerprint of the Nichols method.

Our listings state origin, approximate age and materials for every rug, and you can ask for close-ups of the back and fringe or a condition report before you buy.

What palettes and series did Walter Nichols make?

Nichols was a colorist first, and his rugs fall into a few recognizable palette families. Working with chemists, he developed a very large range of chrome-dyed colors, and our current collection spreads almost evenly across reds, golds, blues, corals, purples and greens.

The designs carry Chinese meaning. Nichols used a botanical calendar of seasonal flowers, peach blossom for spring, lotus for summer, chrysanthemum for autumn and narcissus for winter, alongside dragons, phoenixes, cranes, deer, bats, pagodas, bridges and boats. Our guide to antique Chinese rug symbols explains what many of these mean.

How do you decorate with a Walter Nichols rug?

Use a Nichols rug as the foundation of the room: its open field and corner flowers give modern furniture room to breathe while supplying all the color the space needs. The rugs were designed for Western homes of the 1920s and 1930s, and they sit just as well in today's.

• Mid-century furniture. Clean-lined pieces from the Eames, Knoll or Saarinen tradition stand out against the organic, trailing flowers.
• Dining rooms. Because the flowers sit in the corners and along the sides, they stay visible around the table, and the dense, rigid construction lets chairs slide easily without bunching.
• Entries and halls. The dense, long-staple wool handles foot traffic and hides soil well, and a Nichols Blue or emerald rug makes a strong first impression.
• Bedrooms. Under soft lamplight the luster of the wool glows. Place the rug so the corner flowers show at the foot of the bed.
• Maximalist rooms. A jewel-toned Nichols can anchor bold wallpaper, brass and mixed textures without the room feeling cluttered.

Designers sourcing Nichols rugs for a client can use our trade program.

How do you care for a Walter Nichols rug?

Nichols built his rugs to last and said so: his own care advice encouraged strong vacuuming and simple cleaning. A century later, gentle routine care and a specialist wash keep the luster and carving at their best.

• Vacuum regularly. Routine vacuuming keeps the pile aerated and clean and is the best everyday defense against moths. Keep the fringe away from the brush roll.
• Fringes and cornmeal. Nichols recommended brushing cotton fringes with dry cornmeal, which lifts soil and oils and is then brushed or vacuumed away without wetting the rug.
• Spot cleaning. Blot spills at once. Nichols rugs went through a strong chemical wash at the factory and tolerate water well, but test any cleaner on a hidden spot first.
• Professional washing. Our rug cleaning service in Manhattan washes hand-knotted rugs with a pH-balanced process after checking for old repairs and fragile areas.
• Moth protection. The factory wash was promoted as a moth repellent, but a century later that is not protection enough, especially under furniture. Our moth-proofing service washes the rug first and then treats the fibers.
• Keep the evidence. Never trim a stamped fringe or remove a label, and keep your purchase records. They support future appraisals.

Glossary of Walter Nichols rug terms

Super Rug

The collector's name for a Walter Nichols rug, taken from Nichols Super Yarn and Carpets, the company he founded in 1924.

Wool grader

A specialist who sorts raw fleece by fineness, length, strength and color. It was Nichols's original trade and the root of his rugs' quality.

Nichols Blue

His signature deep indigo navy, dyed in the wool for an even color with no streaks.

"Nude" rugs

A rarer minimalist group in camel, champagne and taupe, with tonal accents and carving in place of strong color.

Falling flowers

Sprays of blossoms or lucky symbols that trail from the corners into an open field, in place of a central medallion.

Red ink trace

The red ink used to draw each design onto the cotton warps before weaving. Faint traces on worn areas are read as a sign of a Nichols workshop piece.

Luster wash

The strong chemical wash every rug received at the factory. It brought up the silky sheen, and Nichols treated it as a test that colors and pile had to pass.

Vertical integration

Nichols's policy of controlling every step, from scouring and spinning to dyeing, weaving and washing, under one roof for a consistent standard.

Palace Factory

Nichols's Beijing weaving establishment in the former palace of a Manchu prince, whose old audience hall served as his showroom.