In 1928, history was made as American retailer and textile manufacturer Marshall Field built a loom capable of recreating the detailed craftsmanship and luxurious look of a hand-woven rug. From the moment the first Karastan rug came off the loom (2:02 p.m., April 8, 1928 to be exact), our name became synonymous with elegant machine-made rugs that rivaled their handmade counterparts.
So far advanced was Marshall Field’s new manufacturing process that the trade press referred to the first Karastan rugs as “Mystery Rugs.” To share the “mystery” of these rugs with the public, Karastan created a large version of its Kirman pattern for the 1933-34 World’s Fair in Chicago. But instead of putting it on display so visitors could simply admire its beauty, Karastan did the unthinkable. We invited the world to walk on it. And so the world did!
