| Rug Hooking began in America and Canada in the mid 1800's. Our ancestors tore up their clothing, went into the barn and found a feedbag sack and began to "hook" rugs out of necessity. Their makers used their imaginativeness and a love for families and home to create rugs for their exposed chilly floors.
A lot of the antique rugs had fabrics "hooked" in them other than wool - their makers used what they had. Blankets, shawls, petticoats, cotton nightshirts, socks and decorative ribbon all were "hooked" to give the early rugs an indescribable feel of charm, texture, and warmth, and color to the Early American floor.
Cottage-industry antique hooked rugs are gaining well-deserved recognition as documents of American folk art. Hooked rugs embellished with charming rural houses, striking geometric designs, or pretty floral sprays seem to turn up at every American antiques show and auction. Collectors view hooked rugs as valuable documents of a movement in the American textile history.
Hand-hooked rugs appreciate with time. Several ads have appeared in the local papers to document this statement:
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Hooked Rug, Wool on Linen - Flowers in red, rose, white and blue; blue-and white scrolled border; Circa 1870, 31 x 53 $3,800. |
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Hooked Rug, black horse on pale-blue ground, tan-and-red oak leaf on border, Circa 1900, 24 x 38, $1,295. |
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Burlap Hooked Rug, Eskimo walking with his dog, moonlit night, cabin, blue, green, red, tan, brown; Grenfell, Labrador Industries, 24 x 17, $1,645.
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