Chapter Four



Chapter Five ... Persian Village & Tribal Rugs

The great plains and steppes of Iran and their apparently hostile mountains are home to enormous numbers of sheep and goats. Most settled villagers, and certainly all of Iran’s few remaining nomadic tribesmen, count their wealth in the numbers of these animals owned. It is impossible to overstate the importance of these humble animals to the overall wellbeing and economy of Iran. Although it is the villager and the nomad who graze the sheep and goats, their wool and hair are of equal importance to the rug producing city workshops.

The breeds of sheep found in Iran are much hardier than those common in the West. They have to be to survive the more extreme climatic conditions. The sheep found in these regions carry reserves of fat in their tails – hence fat-tailed sheep. Their fleece is strong and coarse, not particularly suited for the manufacture of clothing but ideal for the wearing qualities desired in rugs and floor coverings. Although some city rug producers do use imported merino-type wool in the finer works, the tough native wool has always been the staple used in the remoter villages and by the tribal peoples.

Village and tribal rugs often show considerable influence from outside the borders of modern Iran. This is hardly surprising since many of the tribes now settled in Iran were historically of Turkic origin and came in conquest, by forcible resettlement, or perhaps just in search of grazing from outside. For example many of the symbols which appear on the rugs of the Qashgai tribes, now based in south-western Iran, show clear links to the Caucasus and Central Asia.

In discussing Persian village and tribal works it is perhaps convenient to assign them the following groupings:

The (Iranian) Azerbaijan Region

Heriz

The usually largish Heriz rugs and carpets are made in some thirty villages in the vicinity of Tabriz in Azerbaijan on the slopes of Mt.Sabalan (Savalan in Azerbaijani). The most important of these are Heriz itself, Ghorovan, Bakshaish, Sarab, Mehriban and Ahar. The latter two are considered to produce the finest weaves of the group, while the Ghorovans are thought to be slightly inferior.

They all have an excellent reputation for being among the hardest-wearing rugs produced in Persia, and were often bought as being eminently suitable for use in commercial establishments such as hotels. The Heriz command quite high prices even though their designs are generally somewhat bolder and angular versions of the more curvilinear medallion rugs of Tabriz. The usual ground colour is a brick-red, with use of deep indigo blues, paler blues, greens, browns and ivory shades in the borders and minor designs. Construction is of good quality, thickly spun wool knotted onto a cotton foundation. ( Old, large silk pieces do exist, but are rarely found and very keenly sought by collectors and the trade ).

The designs of Heriz rugs stand out particularly well despite their heavy wool and rather low knot density (see under). This is because they use a technique of double-outlining of the design elements and minor motifs. Instead of delineating the motif in a single contrasting colour to the ground, the Heriz uses two separate coloured outlines. This makes the design stand out really crisply. Perhaps the majority of Heriz rugs coming onto the market stand out because of their striking, highly geometricised central medallion. This is a very large, very squared off form of an 8-cornered star, generally set within an hexagonal outer medallion.This design is frequently called the Serabi (or Serapi) Heriz.

The knot used is the symmetrical ghiordes, but surprisingly for such good heavy-duty pieces the knot density is generally lower than 100 to the square inch. Even though this knot count is low the rugs last well, and within the limitations of their relative scarcity and highish cost, they are well worth consideration for use in a large hallway or heavily trafficked rooms.

Old Serabi-medallioned Heriz 11ft 3ins x 8ft 6ins, c,80kpsi

Collection of Mrs J. King

Karaja (Karadja)

A town some 35 miles from Tabriz on the Ahar road, Karaj and its neighbouring villages produce a very distinctive type of narrow rug. This almost ilways uses a set, or sets, of highly geometric medallions placed lengthways along the central axis of the rug.The middle of these is often the largest, and is roughly diamond shaped with a latch-hook or running dog outline generally coloured light blue. The flanking medallions may be thought of as being squared-off versions of the eight-pointed star. Spaces between the medallions, and indeed the medallions themselves, are generously filled with geometric rosettes or stars.

When the longer runner or gallery format is made, these same medallions are still used, but perhaps in a slightly varied sequence. Although not as often found, Karaja rugs are also made in smaller, more rectangular shapes (eg. 12ft x 8ft) in which case the same basic medallions appear in an all-over pattern. Dyes used are synthetic but the colour combinations are pleasant enough, with the details picked out in an unusual light grey-blue, ivory, cream, deep green or yellow.

Karaja rugs are tied with the ghiordes knot at a density of about 80 to the square inch using good quality wool on a cotton foundation. They are single-wefted, reasonably compact and heavy and have medium to longish pile. The trade often refers to Karaja rugs as Karadagh. This should be not confused with the KaraBagh rugs of the northern Caucasus.

Detail of a Karaja central medallion

Attractive Karaja runner with stylised animal motifs,

about 11 ft x 3ft 9ins

Courtesy Sally & Thomas Koch

Ardebil

A name best known for its carpets of the classic Safavid era, a famous example of which is the mosque carpet now in London's Victoria and Albert Museum, Ardebil is a old town near the border with the Caucasus to the east of Tabriz. Regrettably, production of rugs has declined in modern times with most recent Ardebil rugs coming from the surrounding villages and based closely upon neighbouring Shirvan designs. These pieces, whilst copying the Caucasian designs, do not match the originals in quality or spontaneity. Colours tend to be vivid and contrasting, with much use of white grounds and details in reds, greens and dark natural wool. Materials are generally wool on wool, although cotton may be found in the foundation. The woollen pile is all too often inferior and lustreless.The knot used is the ghiordes, with a density ranging from about 60 to perhaps 150 knots to the square inch. Largish rugs of 9ft in length x 7ft in width are not uncommon, and small pieces of 4ft 6in x 3ft are also made.

Smallish modern Ardebil rug, c.80 kpsi

Courtesy Sally and Thomas Koch

Meshkin rugs are often marketed under the Ardebil name since they are neighbours. They can, however, be distinguished from the rather drab Ardebils by their generally better quality wool. Meshkins are very often found in long gallery (or runner) format or even as stair carpets, and mostly use strikingly bold geometric designs.

The Shahsavan

1 With origins traceable to the Qoz Turkmen, the name Shahsavan means "Friends,or protectors,of the king" and was given to this formerly nomadic tribe by Shah Abbas in the 17th century when they volunteered to aid the Safavid rulers guard Iran’s Azerbaijani frontier where Persia meets Russia and Turkey.

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3 Today the tribe is believed to number around 170,000 people, divided into clans and sub-tribes, who are loosely based around Ardebil and speak a form of Azeri Turkish. Some 5,000 of them still lead a nomadic life, ranging from their summer quarters on the slopes of Mount Savalan to their winter quarters on the eastern Moghan Plain near the River Aras some 150 kilometres away.

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5 The tribe mainly relies upon animal husbandry for its livelihood, with an important supplementary income deriving from the women's woven goods. Although the Iranian government has tried to support the Shahsavan, and other tribal groups, in their traditional way of life, the pressure of modern living has seen more and more of them settling into villages and towns.

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7 Although the Shahsavan are believed to have woven a small number of pile rugs using the symmetrical knot, they are, justifiably, best known for their flatweaves and for their very finely made and highly collectable khorjin or bags, which are made in a special technique called ‘Soumakh’ or weft wrapping.

The Shahsavan

Three examples of Shahsavan tribal work.

The bagface on the left is woven in slit-tapestry flatweave,

that on the right, a mafrash face is made in the soumakh technique,

as is the lovely complete mafrash or bedding bag below.

The Kurdish Rugs of Iran

The Kurds are an ancient race whose language has the same Indo-European roots as the Persians. They are the third most important ethnic group in Iran after the Persians and the

Azerbaijanis. The Iranian province of Kurdistan) lies in the northern Zagros Mountains area

and along Iran’s western borders with Iraq and Turkey , but there are also large concentrations of Kurds in the Khorassan area in the north-east and scatterings in Fars and the Kerman areas.Although now primarily settled the Kurds are an essentially rural people many of whom were formerly nomadic pastoralists.

The Kurds of Iran deserve recognition as occupying a very important niche in the world of the oriental rug. Their range of designs and qualities runs from the crudely rectilinear to the most exquisitely fine curvilinear. In texture too they vary from the tightly cropped and flexible Sennehs to the almost planklike Bidjars.

Their sadly ongoing troubled, and often bloody, history allied with the inaccessibility of much of their range has meant that little detailed study has been made of any but the most famous of their rugs. Of all the range of Kurdish rugs possibly the best known are those from Senneh (now Sanandaj) and Bijar.

Senneh.

Senneh became the provincial capital some 200 years ago, developed a very fine rugmaking style. Older Senneh rugs are highly collectable, not only in the Western market but also in their country of origin: a fact reflected in the prices that they can fetch. Unlike the average Kurdish village rug which is generally longish piled and rather "wild", the Senneh ranks among the finest of Persian weavings with a knot density around 400 to the square inch. This is really very, very fine considering that the ghiordes knot is used. By one of the strange quirks that abound in the world of oriental rugs, the Persian, or senneh, knot is named after a town which exclusively uses the Turkish knot !

As mentioned earlier the rugs are extremely close cropped and are single wefted, this weft being pulled so tight as to slightly depress alternate warps. The combination of these two factors makes for a thin, flexible rug with a characteristically granular feel to its back. The foundation is of cotton, although in some rare early examples variously coloured silk was used for the warps.

The wool used for the pile is surprisingly not very lustrous, and being cropped so short it does not reflect much light. However, the weave is so fine that it allows the full clarity of design to be seen. One often used design has very detailed herati motifs surrounding a central rhomboid medallion. Some older rugs used the gul-feranghi design of large posies of flowers. Another popular design uses three central medallions filled with herati motifs, with the field of the rug crammed full of finely drawn botehs all pointing the same way. Other rugs may have the field crammed with tiny human and animal figures.

The combination of the deep indigos and muted reds which form the basic colours is very pleasing to the eye, and all of the details packed into these pieces makes them a constant pleasure to behold. Colours are generally softish and may include an unusual golden yellow derived from vine leaves, but then again quite a few rugs use the popular bright madder reds and indigo blues.

Senneh kilims too are highly prized by collectors . They are made not only in the city but also in the many surrounding villages and so their quality does vary somewhat. They are, however, probably the best kilims of Iran.

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3 Detail of a superb example of an old Senneh piled rug whose field is crammed full of stylised female figures and their domestic animals. The pile is cropped so short – not worn - that it is now used as a wall-hanging rather than a piece for the floor. Wool on cotton. 396 knots/in2

4 Author's collection

[pic]

Another fine example of an antique Senneh, 6ft x 4ft 6in.

Wool on cotton, 400knots/in2. Herati design.

Collection of Mrs J King

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4 Bijar or Bidjar

Bijar is a small agricultural town about 50 kilometres from Senneh inhabited mainly by Kurds. The rugs produced in the town and its many surrounding villages are among the stiffest, heaviest and most hardwearing of Iran. They are very, very tightly compacted by a special technique of literally hammering down the weft threads which secure the rows of knots.

Older Bidjars used three weft shoots, two thin ones either side of one particularly thick one. The more modern rug has only two medium thickness wefts. Although the older method resulted in an exceptionally stiff rug, the knotting density was limited to about 200 symmetrical knots to the square inch. Modern pieces can be finer, with almost double that knot count, but are still quite stiff.

Because of the very compacted nature of these rugs they should always be rolled since folding carries a high risk of breaking the foundation threads. When buying a Bijar it is therefore important to examine the back for signs of such damage.

Bijar rugs use almost all of the major designs to be found throughout Iran, although these may be treated in a rather geometricised fashion. Among the most commonly found are the mina-khani allover floral lattice, the gul-feranghi posy pattern, the herati, as well as a range of reasonably curvilinear floral-medallion designs. The general simplicity of the designs enhance the rug rather than detracting from it.

The pile is of tough mountain wool and the foundation may be of wool or cotton. The main ground colours are reds, sometimes in a mauvish shade, dark indigo blue, and sometimes in the herati designs a creamy ground. Bidjars were formerly found in large carpet sizes which were amazingly heavy and difficult to handle. Now, however, they are normally found in the zaronim format.

1 Bijar rug of modified Herati design

Kurdish Village Work

Rugs from the many Kurdish villages, whist prolific in output, are often difficult to attribute accurately, However, among the better known are:

Kakaberu.

An area south of Bijar whose rugs are marketed through Kermanshar, the rugs of the Kakaberu villagers are fairly coarsely woven and stiff, using wild expressive designs in common with many other mountain folk. One major design used may be confused with the Maslaghan 'Lightning Bolt central medallion, but whereas the Maslaghans are single-wefted, the Kakaberu use double-wefting. Their foundation is of wool, the warp often mixed with goat hair.

Large dozar size (8ft x5ft) Kakaberu, 80 knots/in2

Author’s collection

Kolyai

Kolyai, in the western part of the region near Sonqur, produces some of the boldest Kurdish designs of all. Yet somehow their rugs seem rather more refined than the Kakaberu, Their colouring sometimes uses contrasts very effectively, whilst at other times they make use of an unusually paler shade of red and a brighter blue than their neighbouring Kurds. Kolyai rugs are knotted with fine wool onto a mainly cotton foundation, and use the single-weft technique. Typical designs use strikingly bold medallions, often a central, squarish, medallion with flanking hooked diamond medallions.

Modern Kolyai Kurdish rug

Author’s collection

Senjabi and Jaf

Senjabi and Jaf are southern area tribal and village works, prdominently well-worked smaller size bags rather than rugs, which are marketed through Kermanshah They use a single-weft of cotton on woollen warps, and,generally, a particularly warm shade of red in their pile.

Quchan

Quchan Kurd rugs come from the eastern part of Iran north of Meshed. They are made by a group of Kurds believe to have been forcibly repatriated here from the Caucasus. Although there is certainly some Caucasian influence in their rugs, it is immediately obvious on seeing them that a major influence has come from the Turkoman. Some of their pieces are very similar to Salor Turkoman work in their use of repeated guls, although these are somewhat squarer and larger than the Salor would have drawn them. The main difference, however, is that the Quchan pieces are far coarser and shaggier. That said, they are usually very pleasing to the eye.

[pic]

Detail of a Quchan Kurdish rug

Courtesy Henry's Auktionhaus

The Hamadan Area

Hamadans are probably the most numerous group of Persian rugs to show up in the western market. Only a small percentage of this massive production is made in the city of Hamadan itself, the bulk coming from the many hundreds of surrounding villages. So numerous is this village production that only the major subgroups can be touched upon here. It should be noted that there is a significant number of Kurdish people living within the Hamadan area. Those rugs which are clearly attributable to them (e.g. the Kolyai) have been described under the Kurdish section of this chapter above.

Hamadan province is located in the northwest of Iran and covers an area of around 19000 square kilometres. The province is essentially highland, with large snow-capped mountains, verdant slopes, fertile valleys and farmlands. The chiefly Muslim population are spread in six main towns and their associated districts and villages. Famed as the ancient capital of the Medes, at which time it was called Ecbatana, the city of Hamadan lies on a plateau in the foothills of Mt. Alvand, about 400 kilometres north-west of Teheran. The region is characterised by its generally montane nature, with mild summers and bitter winters.

The climate's influence is reflected in the generally long piling and heaviness of the rugs. One would expect mountain area rugs to use a good quality, high fat content wool and this was formerly the case. Sadly, however, many of the modern rugs are cheaply produced for the export market and are made of lifeless, dry wool. Although this is easily detected by its coarse feel and lack of lustre, it does mean that care should be exercised when choosing Hamadan rugs. Looking at the back of such inferior pieces also quickly gives them away, since it will be seen that the knot density is very low indeed, and that the warps and wefts literally resemble strings in their thickness.

More importantly, a quick look at the back of almost any Hamadan rug instantly shows its derivation, since almost without exception rugs from this area are constructed using the single-weft, or sennah-baft, technique. This results in their backs showing a clearly striped effect, since only the alternate warp threads are hidden by the weft. (See illustration below:)

Typical appearance of a single-wefted Hamadan as seen from its back

Although the cheaper modern rugs may have their place as utility floor coverings, older Hamadan rugs are of high quality and are very collectable. Their materials and dyestuffs are excellent, and their designs and colouring make them very pleasing to the eye. Although modern Hamadans use thick warps and wefts, both of white cotton, the older pieces used a woollen foundation. It should be noted that the very large numbers of villages in the Hamadan region may each produce a number of different designs. Even where a basic design is shared by neighbouring villages there may well be quite distinctive variations on the theme. This makes a definitive attribution to an individual village practically impossible, and often the best one can expect is a general ‘Hamadan’ or even ‘Northwest Persian’ label.

With the few exceptions noted below, Hamadan rugs use the ghiordes knot tied at a density from as low as 40 to upward of 80 per square inch (on older rugs this may be considerably higher). Sizes vary considerably, from scatter rugs through zaronim up to quite large carpets. Long thin runners are also common.

Among the main sub-groups are:

Hamadan City.

Rug production only really began here early in the Twentieth century. City rugs differ from village production on two main counts. Firstly they are double-wefted, and secondly they are far more curvilinear, making use of naturalistic floral-medallion designs rather than the simpler, geometric designs found in the outlying districts. They are knotted in reasonably good quality wool onto a cotton foundation, at a density approaching 100 knots per square inch. The numbers of rugs made in the city workshops is very low compared with the total village production.

A small (4ft 9in x 3ft 9in) Hamadan city rug,

Author’s collection

Borchalou or Borjalu

Borchalou rugs come from a district south and east of Hamadan City. Older rugs are typified by their use of black wool and a deep madder red. Their rugs are rather more curvilinear than most other Hamadan village pieces and the floral-medallion is often used.

Borchalou Ingelas

Author's collection Courtesy Henry's Auktionhaus

Ingelas

Sometimes spelled Engelas, is to the south of Hamadan and is known for compact, well made rugs which are often found in the narrow runner format. Among their designs the mir-i-boteh and the overall-herati are frequently used.

Darjazin

Darjazin comprises well over a hundred villages in the Hamadan area. The rugs produced are generally in the smaller formats, although runners may also be found. Although they do not have a very high knotting density, they are deeply piled and sturdy enough to be popular. As a rule the repeat-medallion design will be found, although other pieces, the so-called 'American Saroukhs', are made with floral patterns dominating the field.

Darjazin Medallion rug with a design very similar to many Shiraz works

Author's collection

Malayer

The highland town of Malayer lies about 90 kilometres southeast of Hamadan City. Although so close to Hamadan, the rugs of Malayer have a freshness and spontaneity of their own. It seems that there is no 'set' design, but that each weaving family or group has its own favourites.

Some Malayer rugs, which can be angular or curvilinear, symmetric or asymmetric and otherwise confusing to attribute, is the loving use of small naiively drawn figures balanced within the design. Horsemen, camels, goats, and other figures are portrayed, perhaps as an indication of the weavers wealth or status. Since the pile is cropped short all of these details stand out quite clearly. The rugs make great use of natural beige wool which is contrasted effectively with deep indigos and a special shade of rust-red. The woollen pile is of very good quality and is knotted onto a cotton foundation, using double wefts. The ghiordes knot is used at a density of about 120 to the square inch on good pieces. Sizes vary, but 6ft x 4ft or so is fairly standard, with really large pieces scarce.

Old Malayer rug 6ft 9ins x 4ft 6ins, wool on cotton, 80 kpsi

Author's Collection

Mehreban

Mehreban rugs are produced in an area north of Hamadan and should not be confused with the Azerbaijani Mehriban village near Tabriz. There are something like 40 villages in the area, with production typified by a good quality, hardwearing single-wefted rug.

1 Rudbar

Rudbar is located near Tafresh to the east of Hamadan. The main town of Rudbar was devastated by an earthquake in the 1990s and its commerce has struggled since that time. The rugs which bear its name are made of wool which probably comes from the Saveh Shahsavan tribe and is of very good quality. They are single-wefted, firmly constructed and have a highish knot count of around 80 knots/in2 . Rudbar makes rugs in a variety of formats, including long gallery rugs or runners.

A pleasing, older Rudbar rug

Collection of Mrs J.King

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4 Tafresh

1 Tafresh lies between Hamadan City and Qum and although it is nearer to Qum its rugs are definitely of the Hamadan type. Colour schemes are refined, with deep blues or reds

predominating and with creamy ivory used to effect as a secondary colour.. Its rugs use a strong, single-weft beaten down onto symmetrical knots which are left long enough to give a deep, soft pile. Tafresh rugs are popular in the West, to the extent that they are often copied by Indian weavers

Attractive example of a modern Tafresh rug

Collection of Mrs J. King

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6 Tuisserkhan

Tuisserkhan rugs are attractive in design and in their palette. They often produce rugs with a central medallion which has vaguely anchor-like extensions or else an hexagonal central medallion whose detailing is repeated in the corner spandrels. The main field is generally filled with floral patterning. They are regarded as being of superior quality for the Hamadan group, and command appropriately higher prices.

Anchor medallion Tuisserkhan rug

Collection of Mrs J. King

Zendjan

Zendjan rugs are from the north of the Hamadan region bordering Azerbaijan, and are single-wefted and fairly coarse. They too may use black wool (from black sheep) in their rugs, and there is also a distinctive browny-red colour in their palette. A finer quality, double-wefted Zendjan rug exists which, confusingly, are marketed as Bidjars since they use Bidjari designs.

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8 Maslaghan

To the north-east of Hamadan lie three villages, Kerdar, Maslaghan and Nobeiran, which are notable for the production of a type of rug once seen never forgotten. These rugs, although originating from within the greater Hamadan area, are so distinctive as to merit a space of their own. Generically known as Maslaghans, they use a very bold (one is tempted to say, striking) "lightning bolt" pattern to seperate the central elongated field from the four spandrels.

Within the red or indigo field outlined by this lightning bolt, there is a central medallion. This and the four corners are filled with the same minor motifs of rosettes, stars or botehs. The lightning bolt is double-outlined, usually in yellow and white for increased dramatic effect.

The rugs are generally piled with decent quality wool, tied at a density of some 90 ghiordes knots to the square inch on a single wefted cotton foundation. The common sizes are the dozar and zaronim. The Kakaberu Kurds produce a very similar lightning design, but these rugs are double wefted, and the Shahsavan tribes also produce a design which is vaguely similar but not as bold.

A bold example of a Maslaghan, but in an unusually large format, 8ft 3in x 4ft 6in.

Author’s collection

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2 The Arak Region

Fereghan (Farahan)

The Fereghan district is an important rug making centre lying to the west of a line between Isfahan and the capital Teheran. Rugs are produced in workshops or as a cottage industry. Antique and older Fereghan rugs were of very fine quality indeed, and there was great demand for them in the West. The 'classic' design was the herati, but beautiful medallion rugs were also made in which the field, and indeed the medallion itself, were filled with very skilfully drawn minor floral motifs. Mina-khani, gul hennae and mustaphi designs are also common.

The usual ground ground colour is a rich dark indigo or a deep, deep red. The pile is of soft, good quality wool and the foundation of cotton, with slightly depressed warps and light blue or even pink dyed weft shoots. The ends of Fereghans are typically hemmed over at one extremity with the other having loose warps after the kilim work. Knots are ghiordes and density ranges between 120 and 180 to the square inch. The average size is 6ft 6in x 4ft 6in, although they are produced in up to carpet sizes and some very good rather wide runners are made.

Sadly some of the modern production shows a deterioration of quality: the tendency being to work on contract to major dealers. These rugs are quicker to make and subsequently export, and the materials used are somewhat inferior to those used in older pieces. These modern pieces also exhibit more severely depressed warps and are thus less flexible.

[pic]

Fine old Fereghan rug, circa 1930

Collection of Mrs J. King

Saroukh (Saruq)

Saroukh is a small village south of Arak some 200 kilometres south-west of Teheran. Rugs of this name are produced not only in the village but throughout the Arak district. Saroukhs of the late-19th Century used designs similar to the Kashans and were of very fine quality. These pieces are now rare and costly. They were asymmetrically knotted onto a double-wefted foundation, at a density of over 200 knots to the square inch. Their pile was close cropped and of a lovely, velvety quality. Ground colours were a pale red, indigo or even cream, and they made much use of green, orange and light brown in their design elements.

The better modern Sarouks are made of good quality wool on a cotton foundation. The double wefts are beaten down hard so as to deeply depress alternate warps, and produce a rug which is very compact and durable. They are stiff enough to warrant rolling the rug

instead of folding it, since folding is likely to fracture the foundation. The ground colour is normally a brick red, but since much of modern production has been geared to the American market, the bolder colours have generallly been artificially faded.

Designs are essentially floral in nature, even the central medallion when used being made up from flowers. Another design frequently used is the mir-i-boteh, and borders are usually simple with two guard stripes framing a wider inner border, the herati pattern often appearing often in borders. Modern rugs are much longer piled than was formerly the case, which means that the designs may appear a trifle fuzzy. The asymmetrical senneh knot is employed, at a density of about 200 to the square inch. Sizes range from very small mats to large carpets.

Fine antique Saroukh example

Collection of Mrs J. King

Seraband

A few hundred villages in the mountains of Arak Province weave the rugs generically known as Serabands. They come in a range of sizes from scatter rugs to the, rarer, carpet dimensions. They are of coarse to medium quality, stiff and rather thin. They are noted for their use of the all-over mir-i-boteh pattern. Even when a central, diamond-shaped, medallion does appear, it is filled with botehs.What sets the Seraband rug apart from many others which use this design is that their rows of botehs alternately face in opposite directions. The treatment of these motifs is also quite rectilinear. Red, cream or indigo is the normal ground colour, and the rugs have a density approaching 60 ghiordes knots to the square inch.

Mir-Serabands from the same geographic region differ in that they are finer, more flexible and have a thick lustrous pile. With a red, indigo, or even pale blue or green ground colour and tied with the senneh knot at some 120 to the square inch they are far superior to the peasant Serabands. They are sometimes referred to as Saruq-Mirs.

1 Mir-Seraband rug with typical all-over boteh design

Author’s collection

Lillihan

Made to the south of Arak in the Kemereh district by people of Armenian origin, the Lillihan rug in many ways resembles the Saroukh. They are, however, distinguishable by being single wefted and treating the central medallion and large floral sprays more vigorously. There is also a rather unique shade of pinkish-red which is used to good effect in the design, along with yellows and greens. On the negative side their blues can sometimes be rather fugitive and fade to a drab grey-blue or even a mauvish shade. Of medium depth pile, tied at around 90 symetrical knots per square inch on a cotton foundation, another characteristic feature is the use of a single pink weft shoot. Sizes vary but 7ft x 5ft 9in is a common format. The neighbouring village of Reihan makes a very stylised geometric version of the Persian vase rug.

Old Lilihan rug with floral motifs

Author's collection

Wiss (Viss)

A small town in the Arak district not far from Hamadan, Wiss is small place of a few thousand inhabitants. It has no monuments of distinction but, like all successful weaving centres, it has an air of prosperity, which sets it apart from other villages in the area. Wiss Carpets are distinguished by their robust construction and bold geometric designs. The predominant colors being a soft red, and two tonesof blue. Other colors are more sparingly used. Small pieces and runners are rarely seen, most Wiss pieces being made in large sizes. The coarse weave is untypical of the Arak district: it is more reminiscent of Northwestern Persia work such as that of Heriz and Gorevan.

[pic]

Small Wiss carpet, 8ft 6in x 5ft 9in, wool on cotton, about 120 knots/in2

Author’s collection

The Fars Region

The Fars region of Iran, loosely centred on Shiraz, is generally more fertile than much of the country. Its climatic zones range from the gamsir, or hot dry coastal plains along the Persian Gulf, through the more moderate mu'ativil lying between 3500 to 6000 feet elevation, up to the sarhad, which is a much cooler region running to about 9000 and upwards to the higheest peaks of the Zagros Mountains.

The sarhad offers rich summer grazing and the pastoral nomads of Fars have long migrated between this and winter grazing in the gamsir. Of the region's two major tribal groupings the Qashgai loosely hold the areas west of Shiraz, and the Khamseh Confederation the areas east of that city.

The Qashgai

The Qashgai are a powerful confederation of Turkic origins whose present headquarters are around Firuzabad in the region of Shiraz, capital of Fars Province. They are pastoral nomads who move with their herds of sheep and goats between summer pastures in the higher elevations of the Zagros south of Shiraz and winter pastures at low elevations north of Shiraz. Their migration routes are considered to be among the longest and most difficult of all of Iran's pastoral tribes The Qashgai are the largest Turkic speaking group in Iran and number something like 1.5 million people (1997 figures). It is believed that they came west from Kashgar in Central Asia with the hordes of Ghengis Khan or Timur (Tamerlane) and then at first settled in the Azerbaijan region. Their language bears close links with Azerbaijani Turkish.

The Qashqai revolted against the Iranian leadership in the early 1960s, when the government attempted to take away their pastures under the land reform program. After a two year military campaign the area was eventually pacified. Many modern Qashgai males have completed tertiary education and are respected members of the professions in Iran, and the

young women have been encouraged to keep up their traditional weaving skills This is thanks to the Tribal Education offices and craft schools which were set up in Shiraz in the 1950s. The other side of this coin is that the Qashgai’s proudly independent way of life has been gradually eroded.

The Qashgai also revolted against the Ayatollah Kohmenni in 1979, but again after about two years they were defeated and under government pressures many more Qashqai became settled.. The change from pastoral nomadism to settled agriculture and urban occupations proved an important factor in hindering the Qashqai tribes from organizing further resistance against the central government, and by the late 1980s many of the Qashgai were in a state of crisis. They were constantly harassed by a mistrusted and distant government, who having forced the tribes to register for identity cards were thus able to conscript the young men into the army. They were increasingly exploited by the merchants, and saw their flocks much reduced by drought and disease.

Whilst the men of the tribe have always held a reputation as warriors to be reckoned with, their women, normally unveiled and bedecked with layer upon layer of petticoats under

brightly hued top garments, are every bit as formidable. They have a powerful influence in family life and have been known to participate in tribal politics. Additionally, since all aspects of rug making, from spinning, through dyeing and the final weaving is in their hands, they have long played a vital role not only in the economy of the tribe, but also in the preservation of its cultural traditions.

Although other Iranian groups increasingly encroach upon traditional tribal lands, the twice yearly movements of those Qashgai who are still nomadic are very well organised. Access to good pasture along the route is planned in advance and due to this forethought,the goats, sheep and camels of the Qashgai are kept in the best possible condition and their wool and hair is of excellent quality. This quality of raw materials, allied with the skill and the artistry of their women weavers, make the rugs of the Qashgai among the very best tribal works available. The traditional techniques and designs are passed down the generations from mother to daughter.

[pic]

Young Qashgai woman spinning wool

Qashgai sheep provide more than just wool

One common design among Qashgai rugs is based upon three central medallions placed vertically along the central axis of the field. This might be confused with other rugs marketed through Shiraz, but Qashgai pieces are very much more interesting and detailed, more lustrous, tighter knotted and closer cropped than the run of the mill Shiraz pieces.

Another frequently found design uses a largish central medallion whose details are reproduced at smaller scale in the four spandrels. A characteristic of Qashgai rugs is that the field surrounding the major design elements is invariably crammed full of cleverly worked minor motifs. There is clear Caucasian influence in the eight-pointed stars commonly used, as well as the type of stylised rosettes and other flowers. A whole host of birds, animals, and even representations of the weavers themselves may be found scattered throughout the rug.

Detail of an antique Amaleh Qashgai rug

Author's collection

Lions were once fairly common in the Fars area, and there is a group of Qashgai rugs which portray the animal as their main design element, mostly drawn very naiively but on occasion skilfully lifelike. Stylised camels (including the Bactrian of Central Asia), goats, gazelles, horses, dogs, chickens and even peacocks are all frequently depicted. Perhaps not so common, but clearly presented on one Darrashuri piece rug in my possession, is the crocodile.

The antique Darrashuri rug mentioned above. Birds, vases – and crocodiles!

Author's collection

(This, incidently, is the first oriental rug I ever bought. It came from the Kuwait

'Flea market' and was almost unrecognizable under its layers of dust and grime)

Older Qashgai rugs may be found which use the mir-i-boteh pattern to great effect, particularly so since the larger than normal botehs seem to have a definite heraldic significance, and are each beautifully decorated with tiny details.

The foundation of older Qashgai rugs is of good quality wool mixed with goat hair which can clearly be seen in the characteristic long, sturdy end fringes of the rugs. The pile is of very durable and lustrous wool, and the dyestuffs used are beautifully shaded from the organic materials collected by the tribe around its camps. The usual ground colour is a pleasing shade of rusty red, although deep indigo ground rugs may be found.

For tribal pieces, the rugs of the Qashgai, woven on horizontal looms, are generally quite large, 11ft x 8ft being not uncommon. Selvedges are very often worked with bands of different coloured wool or hair in a barber's-pole fashion. Older Qashgais are very tightly knotted and compact although some recent production shows signs of the deterioration in standards found throughout the rug making world. The knot most often used is , not surprisingly given their history, the Turkish knot, and on older pieces the density is around 150 to 200 per square inch. Some of the later rugs may have a knot count of less than 80.

There is a quite rare group of smaller rugs (roughly 6ft 6in x 4ft 6in) made by the Qashgai which are extremely tightly knotted and delicately drawn known as 'Mecca Shiraz'. They are popularly said to have been made especially as donations to the Great Mosque. Whether that is true or not, there can be no doubt that these pieces are quite exceptional among tribal works.

[pic]

‘Mecca Shiraz’ Qashgai about 80 years old, wool on wool/goat hair

Size 6ft 9in x 4ft 6in, about 360 symmetrical knots/in2

1 Author’s collection

The main subgroups (in rugmaking terms) of the Qashgai Confederation are the

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3 Amaleh

The Amaleh, who number roughly 5,397 families are the dominant tribe, and main supporters of the Il-Khan or overall leader of the Confederacy Historically the Il-Khan has been a member of the Amaleh's Shahilu family. Few of the Amaleh have succombed to settlement and traditionally hold some of the best pastureland. Their winter quarters are near Firuzabad and they move to Khosrow Shirin in summer.

Qashguli

There are two Qashguli sub tribes of the Qashgai, the mostly sedentary Qashguli Bozorg (4862 families) and the Qashguli Kuchek (some 650 families). They are generally considered to be the best weavers of all the clans of the Qashgai. Their rugs are distinguishable chiefly for their use of the asymmetrical senneh knot, and also the deeply depressed alternate warps which give a ridged effect to the back of the piece. Other distinguishing traits are the use of red-dyed weft shoots, and a high knot count.

Many Qashguli rugs are produced in workshops set up in Firuzbad where fine medallion rugs are made. The field colour may be a madder red, deep blue or even ivory.

Shish Baluki

The Shish Boluki or "Six clans" number something like 4350 families. Their winter pastures are near Farrashband, and their summer pastures are near Eqlid. Second in ranking for fineness of their rugs, the typical Shish Buluki design has a smallish central lozenge medallion from which minor motifs, usually floral, radiate concentrically. They also make rugs with a central medallion which repeats in smaller scale in the spandrels. Field colour is most often madder red.

Darrashuri.

The Darrashuri take their name from the Darra-ye Shur or "The Valley of Salt" their summer quarters near Semiron, Numbering roughly 5,365 families, their winter pastures are near Dogonbadan, northwest of Shiraz.The Darashuri are reputedly the wealthiest Qashgai clan, once known as the greatest horse-breeders and owners among the Qashgai. In modern times thanks to the policy of enforced sedentarianism under Reza Shah Pahlavi one finds many of them settled in Shiraz. The Bulvardi subgroup of the Darashuri make exceptional rugs and storage bags in rather more pastel colours than most Qashgai work.

Farsimadan

The Farsimadan was estimated to consist of 2,715 families, or 12,394 individuals, in 1982. and has its summer quarters north and northeast of the Kuh-e Dena range, halfway between Behbahan and Abada. Its winter quarters are between Lake Famur and the Kuh-e Gisakan range, south of Kazerun

Storage bags, generically known as khorjim , are made on small looms and produced in large numbers by both villagers and nomads. Since there has always been great demand for them domestically, their export outside of the region has been on a smaller scale than the rugs. Those outsiders who do know them, however, treasure them. Mafrash are large bags for storage, made such that they are easily slung onto pack animals. Juval are used to carry bedding and clothing, and a smaller, narrow bag called namak dan is used for carrying salt, rice or grain. The bags are usually flatwoven, but when piled bags are produced they are generally of a very fine quality and appearance.

Qashgai khorjim

Author's collection

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An old Shish Baluki Qashgai Rug, 8ft 9in x 6ft 6in , ca.120 kpsi

Author’s collection

Qashguli Qashgai ca.1930, 8ft x 6ft Darrashuri Qashgai,

Author's collection Courtesy Henrys Auktionhaus

A fine example of a Qashgai 'Lion' Gabbeh

Courtesy Henry's Auktionhaus

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2

3 The Khamseh Confederation

Formed in the late 19th century, supposedly in order to counteract the strength of the troublesome Qashgai, the Khamseh Confederation comprised tribespeople and villagers of Arab descent loosely allied with others of Turkic origin as well as Luri elements. Khamseh derives from an Arabic word meaning "five" and there were five seperate tribal groups, all based in south-western Iran. These are the Il-e-Arab, comprised of the Arabic-speaking Shaibanni and the Jabbareh, the Farsi-speaking Baseri, the Turkic-speaking Ainallu and Baharlu, and of lesser importance the Turkic-speaking Nafar who have almost entirely been integrated into the Baseri and even the Qashgai.

The rugs of the Khamseh, although popularly believed inferieur to those of the Qashagai, are in many ways worthy examples of tribal work. They often use remarkable, stylised, but attractive animal and bird motifs to fill their fields, and have beautifully worked floral borders. One feature which may help distinguish rugs from this group is their use of different shades of red wool in their double weft threads.

Normal sizes are fairly modest, say around six feet by four, although runner lengths are also frequently produced., as are bags, especially the double saddlebag or khorjin, and flatweaves. The foundation of Khamseh pieces is generally wool, both warp and wefts, and the wool staple used for piling the rugs is of high quality, quite tightly knotted using the symmetrical knot..

Rugs of the Khamseh Confederation should not be confused with those of the Khamseh area north of Hamadan. These latter are generally distinguishable by their typical use of an "anchor medallion", in which the ends of the central medallion sweep outwards rather like the flukes of an anchor, and the fact that the Hamadan area rugs are single-wefted.

Overall colours, like their Qashgai neighbours, are a rich, deep red or else a dark indigo blue, with detail picked out in light brown, a muted yellow or white.

The rugs of the Arabic speaking Shaibani and Jabbareh are typically somewhat shaggy and although their more nomadic works are gnerally darkish in hue, settled villagers make brightly decorated pieces specifically for sale to the wealthy Gulf State Arabs. All of these rugs make frequent use of morghi or chickens and other bird motifs.

The Baseri, an ancient Turkic people who speak Farsi, are for the most part pastoral nomads, producing rugs which are often distinguishable by their deep blue field colour.

The Turkic speaking Ainallu and the Baharlu have long been settled farmers, and their rug production is relatively scarce.

Detail of an 'Arab' Shaibani runner with typical morghi motifs

Author's collection

Antique Baseri rug with morghi motifs in its medallions

This piece dates to the early 20th C and the use of fugitive dyes.

Note how the main areas of a formerly deep red have faded into orange

and the original deep blues into grays.

Author's collection

Shiraz

Shiraz is the sixth largest city in Iran and the capital of Fars Province. It is near the Persian Gulf but high up in a pretty valley on the Rudkhani Khoshik river, and is known as a city of gardens, flowers and poetry. It was, in pre-Revolutionary days, the setting for an International Arts Festival, and has further claims to fame through the close-by ruins of ancient Persepolis, as well as being home to the tombs of the great Persian poets Hafiz and Sa'adi.

The Tomb of Hafiz, Shiraz

Modern Shiraz has a major oil refinery, is Iran's first solar production plant, and is a producer of fertlisers, cement and metalwork as well as being Iran's major electronics centre.

In terms of rugs and textiles, Shiraz rugs are woven in the city itself and its outlying villages. At first sight these rugs are very similar to those of the Qashgai, but closer inspection reveals a generally cruder drawing and fuzziness of the floral and animal motifs. The wool of Fars has a high fat content and is of good quality, but the looseness of the city construction nevertheless predisposes them to showing wear after only a few years use.

The foundation is most often of cotton in modern pieces, and unlike the Fars tribal pieces the city rugs generally use the looser asymmetrical knot, although some pieces will be found with the ghiordes knot. Density of knotting is lowish, from 60 to 120 knots to the square inch and often lower. Sizes are generally no greater than 6ft 6in x 4ft 6in.

Modern Shiraz City or Village Rug

Author's collection

Abadeh

A small market town some 160 kilometres in the mountains north of Shiraz, Abadeh only became a rug producing and gathering centre in relatively recent times. It has no significant history in the art. The rugs are generally made of good quality wool on a cotton foundation and the modern designs are closely allied to those of the Qashgai who camp nearby during the summer months, and indeed who have settled in the town in some numbers. The basic ground colour is usually a brightish madder red or a natural camel, and the typical design comprises a single, central lozenge shape that has within it a small medallion. This medallion is repeated in the four corners or spandrels of the rug.

Qashgai influencecan be seen in the frequent use of small animal and floral motifs within the field. The rugs are hard wearing and popular for their basic simplicity. Older Abadeh rugs use the zil-i-sultan design of all-over vases of flowers arranged in rows. The knot used is the asymmetrical Senneh , and the knotting density varies between 120 to 200 knots per square inch. Older rugs are generally found in dozar sizes (7ft x 4ft 6in.) but modern production may be larger.

Modern Abadeh rug of lozenge design

Author's collection

The Luri

The Luri tribes are among the oldest known people of Iran. Along with the Kurds they occupy much of the western part of Iran in the region of the Zagros Mountains. In the summer months those of the Lurs who are still nomadic live in black goat hair tents but in winter they live in stone houses part-buried in the hillsides. These winter dwellings are roofed with branches and sod, and with their weavings to insulate the interiors they are reasonably snug. They mostly speak in Lori, a south-western Iranian language closely related to Persian, although the Laki Lurs from the north of their territory speak a dialect close to Kurdish.

[pic]

The Lurs were a sub-division of the Kurds, the Greater Lur dynasty having been founded by a Kurdish chieftain in the 12th century. This dynasty collapsed in 1243 when power passed to the nomadic Chahar Mahal Bakhtiari and the Kuhgiluh of Fars, who remain the most important Luri groups today. Such is the spread of the Luri tribes that one even comes across them in the Pambak River area of the Transcaucasus, although rugs from this region, the Luri-Pambaks, are more properly attributed to the Caucasian Kazaks.

In common with other tribal rugmakers the Luri can call upon a wide range of designs and there is a confusing similarity with the rugs of the Qashgai. Perhaps one factor which helps distinguish Luri work is their more frequent use of a geometic 'latch-hook' motif to outline their medallions or major design elements. However, this type of outlining is not exclusive to the Lurs and variations of it are found in other Persian nomad work, in Anatolian flatweaves and in some Caucasian pieces.

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1 Old Yalameh Luri Rug, S.W. Iran, 8ft 9in x 6ft 6in

2 Author’s collection

Another common design uses all-over largish botehs set within the lozenge shaped central field and repeated in the four spandrels. The Luri boteh, like that of the Bakhtiari and the Qashgai, has the stalk inclining left and right. The Shiraz-Luri from Fars are distinguishable by their frequent use of goat hair in the warps, and their firm but ribbed structure.

[pic] Courtesy Henry's Auktionhaus

Centres of Luri production include:

Bebbehani.

Bebbehan is a city of approximately 100,000 in habitants in Khuzestan province. Its population contains strong elements of both Jewish and Zoroastrian descent, although they are now officially Muslims. In the outlying areas there are large numbers of Lurs.

Although they make effective use of the hooked diamond in boldly geometric designs, Bebbehani rugs tdo end to a somewhat gloomy palette of mauvish-red and a blueish

grey. When this is coupled to their apparent love of a bilious orange the result is sometimes less than happy.

Owlad rugs from the area around Naghun also tend to a sombre palette, but have soft and silky wool with a variety of designs which is often very pleasing. They frequently make use of red cotton for their wefts, whilst the warp may be white cotton or the more usual wool and goat hair mixture.

Yalameh Lurs are believed to have connections with the Qashgai, which seems to be borne out by the fact that their rugs are generally crammed with the minor animal and plant motifs so typical of Qashgai work. Yalameh pieces are also far brighter in palette than most other Luri rugs. Their main weaving centre is at Shah Reza on the south-eastern edge of Chahar Mahal province and their rugs are often marketed through Isfahan.

Nasrabad rugs also come from near Isfahan, and although production is relatively low, and the rugs themselves rather small the rugs command good prices. Although not especially tightly knotted they are robust pieces which again show many Qashgai influences. Their warps are typically tribal, mixing goat hair with wool, and the colours used are pleasingly harmonious.

Khorramabad, the capital of Lorestan province in the Zagros mountains, produces rugs which are shaggy and coarse, and share the same defects of palette as the Bebbehani. Perhaps the best that can be said is that they are relatively hardwearing and cheap. During the summer months Khorramabad also serves as the marketing outlet for many of the migratory Lurs.

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4 The Bakhtiari

Bakhtiari rugs were traditionally made by nomadic pastoralists of the Zagros montane. Today they are mostly made by settled villagers in the province of Chahar Mahal va Bakhtiari, south-west of Isfahan on the slopes of the Zagros Mountains. The Bahktiari are an Iranian tribal group made up primarily of Lurs, although since there is no dominant Luri-wide tribal confederation, it is not really correct to call them a Luri sub-tribe. In rugmaking terms the works of the Bahktiari more than deserve to be treated seperately.

The Bakhtiari tribal confederation has a special place in history because they live around the oil fields of Iran and their tribal leaders allied themselves with the British early on. At times Bahktiarri even hired on as mercenaries and fought under British orders. Because of the infusion of British money the tribal leaders lived in town and entertained foreign guests extravagantly giving the tribe a very high profile to the rest of the world. They speak a dialect of Luri-Persian.

It should be noted that rug qualities vary considerably, from coarse single-wefted pieces to the fine, double-wefted floral rugs of the Chahal Shotur. Foundations are normally of cotton with the weft shoots frequently dyed blue. The pile is of wool which, again, varies from quite dry and lifeless to soft and silky in the better rugs. The symmetrical knot is used, at a density of 60 to 200 knots per square inch. Bakhtiaris are found in sizes from 7ft 6in x 5ft 6in to carpets of 18ft x 12ft, but few if any very small rugs are made.

Probably the best known Bakhtiari design is the Kishti or "Garden rug", made up of rectangular compartments filled with various trees, flowers and botehs. The garden, usually thus formalised in real life by the necessity to irrigate it, is very important in Iran's harsh climate. When depicted on rugs or in paintings it is said to represent a vision of paradise.

[pic]

Chahar Mahal Kishti, ca 1970s, 8ft 3in x 5ft 6in, wool on cotton

About 140 symmetrical knots/in2 .

Author’s collection

Detail of another very fine kishti

Throughout the Chahar Mahal province there are many villages making slightly different versions of the garden rug, but it must not be thought that their designs are limited to these garden rugs, lovely as they are. The Bakhtiari make rugs figuring the boteh, their treatment of which frequently pairs the motifs with their 'hooks' facing different directions, thus suggesting a leaf bud or pine cone opening at the top. They make well-designed rugs of the central medallion type, and even their own version of the vase rug. In fact the Bakhtiari's relative proximity to Isfahan frequently shows in its rug designs.

The more important sub-groups of Bakhtiari rugs are:

Boldaji is a small town at the southern edge of the province. Rugs are produced in large numbers and though fairly crude they are reasonable, hardwearing goods.

Faridan is a small administrative district on the northern edge of the province. It produces thick rugs in a wide range of colours obtained from mainly natural dyes. Warm pinks and leafy greens are prominent in their designs, as is a motif very much like a parrot.

Shahr-e-Kurd, the provincial capital whose name means Kurdish town, produces double-wefted floral rugs which are very brightly coloured, if a trifle stiff in appearance, but more important to note is that its rugs differ from other Bakhtiaris in using the losser asymmetrical knot..

Shalamzar rugs frequently have distinctive large "rose" borders. They are double-wefted and, whilst fairly coarse, they have a firm but flexible feel. Colours include a warm madder red and much use of golden yellow.

Old Shalamzar Bakhtiar Saman Bakhtiari

Both, Collection of Mrs J. King

Saman, while producing garden rugs, is better known for its medallion designs. The rugs are reasonably fine double-wefted pieces, in which a red-brown colour is often prominent.

Chahal Shotur villagers produce curvilinear floral-medallion rugs of intricate designs clearly influenced by nearby Isfahan. They share with Shahr Kurd the most beautiful range of bright colours, and are acknowledged as the finest of Bakhtiari production. The term Bibibaff is often applied to these rugs : this roughly translates as "grandmother's weaving", denoting special quality.

Farah Dumbeh, a village in the south of the province also produces floral-medallion pieces but these can be distinguished from those of Chahal Shotur by their use of only a single weft. They are more geometric in appearance and often suffer from colour bleeding, especially in the rather mauve-red used.

[pic]

1 A settled Bakhtiari villager working on a vertical loom

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6 Afshar

The Afshari were originally a nomadic Turkic people from the Caucasus who were deported by Shah Tahmasp in the 16th Century. The main tribe split; one branch settling in the northern,Azerbaijan region of Persia, the other basing themselves to the south and west of Kerman. It is this latter group which concerns us most in rug-making terms, for there is much controversy among the northern group, many of whom deny that they are Afshar, or Iranian, and think of themselves as Turks. There is also an Afshar district in the Kabul province of Afghanistan.

Many of the Kerman area Afshar have settled in the villages of Rafsanjan, Saidabad and Baft, but others are still nomadic. Their traditional weaving methods, coupled with the artistic influences of Kerman, place Afshar rugs high among the most important and beautiful of tribal works. The people are good shepherds and the wool of their rugs is excellent which is perhaps surprising in view of the harshness of the terrain their animals must graze. The villagers mostly use cotton foundations but the wanderers may use wool, cotton or a mixture of both. Normally only natural dyes are used and the colours are chiefly a slightly blueish-red, indigo, yellow and white. One common design consists of two rhomboid medallions or a stepped cross within a main elongated diamond. The rugs are skilfully worked and often the field surrounding the main design element is full of beautifully formed flowers, chickens, camels, or even tiny human figures.

A remarkably tightly knotted Afshar mafrash

Author's collection

Other designs used are the mir-i-boteh, the Afshar treatment of which is to draw the individual botehs quite large in scale, and a very stylised, geometric tree- of-life design. From the villagers settled near Kerman come floral rugs inspired by the designs of that town.

Reflecting their history, either the senneh or the ghiordes knot may be found, with a knotting density of about 120 knots per square inch. Sizes are around 7ft x 4ft 6in. and 5ft x 3ft 6in.

Old Afshar Shah-e-Babak rug

Author's collection

Two more examples of Afshar work, modern at left, antique on the right

Both Author's collection

An Afshar Black Tent

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