Qashqai Rug. Persia. Circa 1900. 126 X 90 Cm

This rug embodies all the freedom and richness of the ancient nomadic Qashqai traditions.
Woven and knotted with wool over wool, it features a particularly generous, almost exuberant composition, where the precision of the large medallions interacts with a multitude of small motifs. The Qashqai of Fars are renowned precisely for their wool rugs featuring geometric compositions enriched with highly stylized floral and animal forms.

The field, a deep indigo blue, is structured by three large, diamond-shaped medallions arranged vertically. Their jagged, almost crenellated outlines lend the whole piece a great deal of character. Around them unfolds a whole little world: stylized birds, rosettes, flowers, lozenges, hooks, and small geometric symbols seem to have been placed freely, without ever disrupting the overall balance.

The borders are particularly interesting. Several successive bands frame the central field and lend the rug its depth: narrow bands with repeating patterns, broken lines, small lozenges, and alternating geometric shapes. Their very regular rhythm contrasts with the almost spontaneous freedom of the central design and acts as a true frame around the composition.
But it is also the colors and their harmony that give this piece its character. The indigo blue of the background serves as a backdrop for madder red, brick red, and terracotta, which are complemented by shades of lighter blue, brown, ochre, beige, and ivory. A few more subtle touches of grayish green punctuate the overall design. The plant-based dyes have now acquired a slight patina that softens the contrasts: no single color truly dominates the others, and despite their diversity, they form a remarkably balanced whole.
A little treasure! 

Persia – Qashqai, Fars region
Circa 1900
Woven and knotted, wool over wool
Plant-based dyes
Impeccable borders, backstitch at each end.
In perfect condition
Dimensions: 126 x 90 cm

Laurent
Beauty of Kilims