Beige Gabbeh Rug
This beige Gabbeh rug was hand knotted in Afghanistan in lamb’s wool and measures 200 x 157 cm, about 3.1 square metres. A panel of horizontal stripes in green, maroon, teal, cream and rust sits on a beige ground, with small animals and trees worked into the bands and birds along the top and bottom borders.
The design up close
The central panel is a run of stripes. From top to bottom the stripes are green, a dark red band with tree motifs, a teal band with rows of tiny figures, a cream band with small animals, a rust band with trees, a green band and a narrow zigzag band.
A row of small squares in red, blue, green and cream outlines the panel. The beige ground around it carries small motifs, and red and green birds run along the top border while peacock-like birds in dark blue, red and green line the bottom. Along each side, vertical columns of coloured blocks in blue, red, teal and cream carry small animals and trees.
The beige ground is soft in tone, so the green and maroon stripes stand out more than they would on white. In this beige Gabbeh rug the colour bands run the full width of the panel without a break.
Where Gabbeh rugs come from
The Gabbeh comes from the nomadic tribes of the Zagros mountains in Iran, among them the Lori and Qashqai. Their weavers made thick, simple rugs mainly for their own households, with a deep pile and open fields of colour. Weavers in Afghanistan now make Gabbeh rugs in that same spirit, with thick pile and only a few motifs.
How it is made
Each knot on this beige Gabbeh rug was tied by hand on a loom, one knot at a time. Weavers build the stripes row by row, so the bands of colour and the small figures line up across the rug.
The wool pile has the thick, generous feel that Gabbeh rugs are known for, and the 157 cm width gives the central panel room to carry all its bands.
Sizing a beige Gabbeh rug for your room
At 200 x 157 cm the rug is under 2.6 m long, so place it in front of a sofa where the front legs of the sofa and two armchairs rest on it around a coffee table. The beige ground blends with neutral walls and timber floors, so the stripes become the focus of the room.
With an area of about 3.1 square metres, this beige Gabbeh rug suits a living room or bedroom where you want a pattern that is busy but still calm.
Looking after your rug
Vacuum it on a suction-only setting, or with the beater bar switched off, so the brush does not pull at the knots. Turn it around every six to twelve months so sun and foot traffic wear it evenly. Blot spills with a clean white cloth and cold water rather than rubbing them in. When it needs a full clean, choose a cleaner who washes handmade rugs by hand.
Put a good underlay beneath it. It stops the rug sliding on timber or tiles, adds cushioning and takes some of the wear off the pile. Moths like wool in dark, quiet spots, such as the part of a rug under a sofa, so vacuum those areas often and lift the furniture now and then.
See it before you buy
Visit our showroom at 307 Penshurst St, North Willoughby, open every day from 11 am to 4:30 pm, to see this beige Gabbeh rug in person. If you would rather judge it in your own room, with your own light and furniture, book an in-home viewing and we will bring a selection to you.
Browse more Gabbeh Rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about Gabbeh rugs.
