Exceptional Folk Art
Pictorial Hooked Rug  

American, likely Pennsylvania, ca. 1880.
Hooked wool on a burlap foundation, its elongated proportions suggesting it may have been intended for an over-mantel or table.
Boldly composed with a stylized flower rising from a vase set against a vibrant salmon-red ground. Cream-colored blossoms and muted olive-tan leaves spread across the central field, their freely drawn forms contrasting with the strong geometry of the surrounding border. Successive bands of dark sage, slate blue, cream, and black frame the floral panel, flanked at either end by narrow salmon-red reserves. The vase extends across the lower border, visually linking the central design with its frame. Rounded corners soften the outline, while the slightly projecting center panel lends a subtle sense of depth.
About 47 inches long x 19¾ inches high. Mounted and ready to hang.
Notable provenance includes Silver Spring Farm Antiques (Judy Lennett); authors and artists Helen and Steven Kellogg (Northeast Auctions, August 6, 2011); Olde Hope.