Afshar Rug (Afshar Rug)

Persia, circa 1930 (semi-antique).

Size: 143 cm x 107 cm (4' 8" x 3' 6"

 

Warp: wool, weft: wool, pile: wool.

 

A beautiful carpet, carefully woven by the Afshar people of Persia. 

The main motif is a design of two phoenix, in red and blue, while the outer borders are decorated with flowers and plant motifs. This design is also known as the shield design and is found on Afshar saddlebags (Korjin).

Both the warp and weft yarns are made of wool, which gives the carpet a lustrous sheen and a very soft, flexible feel.

This semi-antique carpet has been restored in some places. There are some minor repairs to the outer edges, but the carpet is in excellent condition for a carpet that was woven and used some 95 years ago, and is a beautiful, high quality carpet with a tasteful appearance.

 

Older Afshar rugs are known for their consistently high quality of materials and craftsmanship, and for their wide variety of patterns. High-quality saturated dye techniques are found in old Afshar rugs, a sign of highly skilled dyers. Most of these rugs shine with wool taken from their own flock of sheep, giving them a soft, supple feel. Afshal rugs are usually more square than other rugs, making them versatile for modern interiors.

 

Like their neighbours, the Qashqai, good Afshar rugs are becoming rarer and more valuable. Many collectors of desirable Qashqai and Caucasian rugs almost invariably also collect Afshar rugs, which are used as floor or wall decor.