Red Wine Tribal Gabbeh Rug
This red wine tribal Gabbeh rug was hand knotted in Afghanistan in lamb’s wool and measures 238 x 169 cm. Horizontal bands of red, teal and cream run across the field inside a charcoal border, so the colour reads as stripes rather than as one solid tone.
The design up close
The central field is divided into stacked bands. A teal band with a row of small rectangles sits near the top, followed by a deep red band scattered with small squares in blue, yellow and cream. A cream band carries a line of tiny figures, and the lower half of this red wine tribal Gabbeh rug repeats the red and teal bands with different small motifs.
A tan frame surrounds the central field. Beyond it, narrow blue stripes run the length of the rug, and wider side panels in red, gold and teal carry small motifs stacked one above another. The outer border is charcoal, with a row of small squares in cream, red and blue along the top and bottom edges.
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, which suits the look: deep pile, open fields of colour and only a few motifs. Weavers in Afghanistan now make Gabbeh rugs in the same spirit, and this red wine tribal Gabbeh rug keeps the simple, colour-led layout that the tradition is known for.
How a red wine tribal Gabbeh rug is made
Our Gabbeh rugs are hand knotted in Afghanistan, and the thick pile gives each band its depth. Lamb’s wool is soft, which suits a rug built from broad bands of colour. Each small square and figure is formed knot by knot.
Sizing it for your room
At 238 x 169 cm the rug covers about 4.0 square metres. At 2.38 m long it is about the size where the front legs of a sofa and two armchairs can rest on it around a coffee table. With a dining table of about 180 x 90 cm, roughly 29 cm of rug shows past each end and 39.5 cm along each side.
Warm reds and teals suit a room with timber floors and neutral walls, where the stripes can carry the colour. A red wine tribal Gabbeh rug of this size works well in a living room with a sofa and two armchairs.
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 tribal 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.
