Cream Undyed Gabbeh Rug
This cream undyed Gabbeh rug was hand knotted in Afghanistan from lamb’s wool and measures 395 x 300 cm. It keeps the natural colour of the wool, a warm beige with a grey-brown cast, and its field carries no motifs, only fine horizontal streaks.
The design up close
The surface is almost entirely plain. Fine horizontal streaks run from edge to edge in slightly darker and lighter tones of the same natural shade, and a faint mottling shows in places, most noticeably near the centre. There are no medallions, borders or repeats to follow, so the rug works as a calm base for the room.
Looking at the lower third, the streaks look slightly finer and more even, while the upper half shows a little more shading. The centre has a faint vertical mark, a soft change in tone that runs down the field.
Because the design is so simple, this cream undyed Gabbeh rug sits easily in a modern room. Its natural tone works with pale walls, timber and linen, and the quiet colour leaves the attention to other pieces in the room.
Where Gabbeh rugs come from
Gabbeh rugs come from a nomadic weaving tradition of the Zagros mountains in Iran, including the Lori and Qashqai, who wove thick, simple rugs mainly for their own households. The name is often translated as raw or natural, which suits this undyed rug. Weavers in Afghanistan now make Gabbeh rugs in the same spirit, so this cream undyed Gabbeh rug is an Afghan piece in that tradition.
Hand knotting and undyed wool
Afghan rugs are hand knotted on a loom, one knot at a time, and this rug is too. Because it is undyed, its colour comes from the wool itself. The pile is lamb’s wool, which comes from a young sheep’s first shearing and feels soft underhand. Its natural shade sits well beside timber, linen and stone, and it does not need a bright accent to be seen.
Sizing a cream undyed Gabbeh rug
At 395 x 300 cm the rug covers about 11.9 square metres. A three-seat sofa of about 2.2 m leaves about 88 cm of rug showing past each end, and the sofa and two armchairs can sit on it around a coffee table. In a dining room, a table of about 240 x 100 cm leaves roughly 78 cm of rug at each end and 100 cm along each side. A cream undyed Gabbeh rug this size suits a living room with plain walls, where its natural tone can carry the room.
Looking after your cream undyed Gabbeh 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
This cream undyed Gabbeh rug may already be you can see similar Gabbeh rugs at our showroom at 307 Penshurst St, North Willoughby, open every day from 11 am to 4:30 pm. If you would rather judge a rug in your own room, 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.
