Red Gabbeh Rug
This red Gabbeh rug was hand knotted in Afghanistan in lamb’s wool and measures 242 x 176 cm. Its centre is a panel of horizontal stripes in red, orange, teal, navy and cream, set inside a soft mauve-pink field. Our records note vegetable dyes, and the pile is double hand knotted.
The design of this red Gabbeh rug
Each stripe in the centre panel carries its own small motif. Some rows show tiny animal figures, others show trees, diamonds and dotted lines in cream, teal and navy. The deepest red bands sit near the top and bottom, so the panel reads as warm and layered rather than flat.
On this red Gabbeh rug, the mauve field is framed by a cream band, then by side panels of stacked squares and diamonds in red, green and cream. A bottom band holds a row of small animals and boxed motifs on dark brown. The side panels run the full length of the rug and repeat the rhythm of the stripes.
The mauve field is plain enough to let the stripes carry the design. Small animal figures in the bottom band give a light touch at the foot of the rug, and the top band of small squares in red, green and navy echoes the side panels.
Where Gabbeh rugs come from
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, which suits the look: deep pile, open fields of colour and only a few motifs. Weavers in Afghanistan now make rugs of this kind in the same spirit, and this red Gabbeh rug follows that tradition.
How it is made
This red Gabbeh rug is double hand knotted, as our records describe, and the design is built up one knot at a time on a loom. Our records note vegetable dyes. The wool is lamb’s wool, and the colours change row by row down the centre panel.
Sizing it for your room
At 242 x 176 cm this red Gabbeh rug covers about 4.3 square metres. A dining table of about 180 x 90 cm leaves roughly 31 cm of rug at each end and 43 cm along each side, so chairs pulled out from the sides sit partly on it. In a living room, the mauve field works with pale walls and neutral sofas, and the stripes give the room a warm focal point.
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 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.
