Image Carpets

Antique Qashqai Kilim Rug

This is most striking, authentic and colourful antique Qashgai kilim rug from Fars Province in SW Persia. The rich red ground displays a pole medallion of three connected, stepped lozenges, each containing nine smaller en suite elements. The lozenge decoration is continued in the field scatter fill of even more diminutive ,but basically similar, motives. The scatter fill is colour banded to make a visually vibrating zig-zag conforming to the medallion outline. The eyed dazzler zig zag effect continues in the outer borders surrounding the main band which is in a geometric keyhole reciprocal design. The short horizontal lines along one outermost border are most unusual and the space between them indicates a single day’s work for the weavers. Counting the spaces gives the work time for the rug, about 26 days. Such marker elements appear on Qashqai and Khamseh Fars tribal pile rugs made for the market, but are much rarer on kilims which were usually made for domestic use. The wide striped chessboard end strips are a classical Qashqai trait. All the dyes are natural, with red from madder, blue from indigo and yellow from weld or another local dye plant.