Red Wine Animal Gabbeh Rug
This red wine animal Gabbeh rug was double hand knotted in Afghanistan in lamb’s wool and measures 265 x 180 cm. Its main field is a steel blue, crossed by bands of red, gold, green and cream, and small animal figures run through the lighter bands.
The design up close
On this red wine animal Gabbeh rug, cream bands carry rows of small animal figures in red and blue, and these are the motifs that give the rug its animal character. Between them, thinner stripes of gold, green and blue hold tiny geometric motifs set close together, so the eye moves from one band to the next.
The wider red bands near the middle are edged by a line of small figures and diamonds. Along the outer edges, cream side panels run the length of the rug with small motifs in a repeating pattern. The top and bottom borders are red, with more small figures close to the edge.
Where Gabbeh rugs come from
The Gabbeh belongs to a nomadic weaving tradition, with a thick, soft pile, open fields of colour and simple motifs that are sometimes small figures or animals. The name is often translated as raw or natural, and the tribes of the Zagros mountains in Iran, including the Lori and Qashqai, wove these rugs mainly for their own households.
Weavers in Afghanistan now make Gabbeh rugs in the same spirit, with simple motifs and open fields of colour, as this red wine animal Gabbeh rug shows with its banded field and small animals. That simplicity makes a Gabbeh easy to place in a modern room, and the steel blue field of this rug suits that calm setting.
How a red wine animal Gabbeh rug is made
Our records note vegetable dyes. The wool is double hand knotted in Afghanistan, with each knot tied by hand on a loom, so the animal figures are formed knot by knot across the bands.
Sizing it for your room
At 265 x 180 cm the rug covers about 4.8 square metres, and it is long enough for a 2.2 m sofa to sit entirely on it, with about 22.5 cm of rug showing past each end. A dining table of about 180 x 90 cm would leave roughly 42.5 cm at each end and 45 cm along each side.
A red wine animal Gabbeh rug suits a family room with a sofa and two armchairs, where the blue field works with neutral walls and the red bands bring warmth to the floor.
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 wine animal 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.
