Antique Persian Gabbeh Tribal Rug

History: The late 19th century gabbeh rugs were woven by tribal weavers who live in the majestic Zagros Mountains. This mountain range (the largest in Iran) rises up to nearly 15,000ft and is often covered in snow. The Qushqai, who are the tribe most associated with weaving gabbehs, are centered in southern Iran near the historic city of Shiraz. But other tribes, such as the Lurs, the Kurds and the Bakhtiari also weave these carpets.

The term gabbeh comes from a Persian word meaning raw, natural, uncut or “in the rough”. As such, it was more of a descriptive term. The 19th century gabbeh rugs were very coarsely knotted (40kpi or less) with long (sometimes shaggy) pile. They were woven relatively quickly without the need for large looms. In addition, most of these rugs had wider rows of multiple wefts which rendered the rugs rather floppy and a pliable. This allowed for them to be used not only as floor coverings but also as wraps or bedding to help insulate against the bitter cold of the mountains

Antique Persian Gabbeh.    3'8"x 7'

SKU# ARTR-20267