Black Pictorial Gabbeh Rug
This black pictorial Gabbeh rug was double hand knotted in Afghanistan in lamb’s wool and measures 314 x 243 cm. A near black field holds rows of small trees, tulips and stepped diamonds in cream, gold, rust, red and blue, and a border of animal and bird figures runs around all four sides.
The design up close
The field is divided into horizontal bands. Two narrow bands near the top and two near the bottom carry rows of small figures and animals, each band framed in cream and rust. The wide middle band is filled with stylised trees in cream and grey, and between them tulip shapes in red, blue, gold and cream alternate with stepped diamonds in gold, rust and cream.
On this black pictorial Gabbeh rug, the dark ground makes each colour stand out, so the cream trees and small red flowers read clearly from across the room.
The outer black border holds the animal and bird figures, repeated along each side in cream, gold, rust and blue, and a thin cream guard separates it from the field.
Where Gabbeh rugs come from
Gabbeh rugs come from a nomadic weaving tradition: a thick, soft pile, open fields of colour and simple motifs, sometimes small figures or animals. The Gabbeh is a rug of the tribes of the Zagros mountains in Iran, including the Lori and Qashqai, who wove thick, simple rugs mainly for their own households.
Weavers in Afghanistan now make Gabbeh rugs in the same spirit, and our Gabbeh rugs are hand knotted in Afghanistan. This piece keeps the small figures and animals of the tradition, arranged here in a more pictorial layout.
How this black pictorial Gabbeh rug is made
The rug is double hand knotted, so each knot was tied by hand on a loom. The yarn is hand spun lamb’s wool, and our records note vegetable dyes for this piece.
The weave of this black pictorial Gabbeh rug is strong and dense, which suits a rug that will take daily use. The black ground is an even, deep colour across the field, and the motifs are worked into it knot by knot.
Sizing it for your room
At 314 x 243 cm this black pictorial Gabbeh rug covers about 7.6 square metres, enough for a living room or a bedroom. A king bed, 183 cm wide in Australia, sits across the 243 cm width with about 30 cm of rug showing on each side.
A 2.2 m sofa set along the 314 cm length leaves about 47 cm of rug at each end. Under a dining table of about 240 x 100 cm, the rug shows roughly 37 cm at each end and about 72 cm along each side. A dark ground stands out against pale timber or light walls.
Looking after your rug
Vacuum this black pictorial Gabbeh rug 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 black pictorial 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.
