Rugs

Rugs have been used in the American home since the seventeenth century. The oriental rug of that time was often used on a table, not on the floor. Tongue rugs were made with small tongue-shaped pieces of cloth that overlapped and were sewn to a backing. Rag rugs, hooked rugs, and braided rugs were made by housewives from scraps of material. For more information, explore our identification guides for rugs and other textiles.