Red Afghan Gabbeh Rug
This red Afghan Gabbeh rug is made in Afghanistan from lamb wool and measures 369 x 275 cm, or about 10.1 square metres. Its ground is a soft blue-grey, and the central panel is built from horizontal stripes in navy, red, rust, cream, green and gold. Red sits mainly in the panel and in the stacked bands along each side, so the blue-grey ground frames the centre.
The design up close
Across this red Afghan Gabbeh rug, the panel’s stripes change in colour and pattern. A navy band sits at the top and a gold band runs along the bottom. Between them are red, rust, green and cream stripes. Several carry small tree-like motifs, and one cream stripe holds a row of small animal figures in red and brown.
The border is laid out in two parts. Down each side, stacked vertical bands of red, rust, tan, blue and green carry small trees, squares and scroll shapes. Across the top and bottom, a row of small squares and H-shaped motifs in red, cream and orange sits above a band of small rosettes and dashes, then the plain blue-grey ground around the panel.
The wide blue-grey ground is calm, which lets the stripes stand out. From across a room the rug reads as a soft blue field with a warm centre, and close up the many small figures show clearly.
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. The name is often translated as raw or natural. Weavers in Afghanistan now make Gabbeh rugs in the same spirit, and this red Afghan Gabbeh rug is made there.
How this red Afghan Gabbeh rug is made
Afghan rugs are hand knotted on a loom, one knot at a time, and a room-size rug can take a small team of weavers many months. This rug is made from lamb wool. Gabbeh rugs are known for a thick, soft pile that feels generous underfoot.
Sizing it for your room
At 369 x 275 cm, this red Afghan Gabbeh rug covers about 10.1 square metres. A three-seat sofa of around 2.2 m leaves about 75 cm of rug showing past each end, so the whole sofa sits on the rug. Under a dining table of about 240 x 100 cm, the rug gives roughly 65 cm at each end and about 88 cm along each side. The pale blue-grey ground suits cream walls and timber floors, and red or tan cushions pick up the panel.
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 red Afghan 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.
