Tribal Afghan Gabbeh Rug
This tribal Afghan Gabbeh rug is hand knotted in Afghanistan in lamb’s wool and measures 202 x 156 cm. Sky blue, brick red, saffron and ivory run across it in narrow bands, with touches of green and deep plum. The same reds and blues return in the border, so from across a room the tribal Afghan Gabbeh rug reads as one piece rather than a patchwork.
The design, band by band
Each band carries its own small motifs. You will find rows of four-legged animals, some with horns like goats, along with potted flowers, little trees, diamonds and tiny human figures. Two rows of square tiles cross the field, each tile framing a single animal or plant in blue, red, green or ivory. Bands of dots in plum and pale blue sit between the busier rows.
A saffron frame dotted with small flowers holds the field. Outside it, the blue border has a row of tiles along each end and, down each side, diamond medallions, stacked figures and more animals. No single motif takes the centre, so your eye moves along the rug from one band to the next.
Where Gabbeh rugs come from
The Gabbeh began with the tribes of the Zagros mountains in Iran, among them the Lori and the Qashqai, who wove simple rugs mainly for their own households. The name is often translated as raw or natural. Weavers in Afghanistan make Gabbeh rugs in the same spirit today, and this tribal Afghan Gabbeh rug is one of them. Older Gabbehs often leave wide fields of plain colour; this one fills its field with rows of animals and plants instead. You will find it in both our Tribal and our Gabbeh collections.
How a tribal Afghan Gabbeh rug is made
Weavers tie each knot by hand on a loom, row after row, then trim the pile level. Turn the rug over and you can read the same design on the back, knot by knot, with the small irregularities that only hand knotting leaves. Lamb’s wool comes from a young sheep’s first shearing and feels soft under bare feet.
Sizing it for your room
At 202 x 156 cm the rug covers about 3.2 square metres. In a living room, it suits a reading corner or a smaller lounge where the front legs of a two-seater sofa rest on it. In a bedroom, lay it across the foot of a queen bed, which is 153 cm wide in Australia, and the rug lines up with the sides of the bed. It also works under a desk and chair in a home office, or at the end of a hallway wide enough to take its 156 cm. A tribal Afghan Gabbeh rug with this much colour pairs well with plain timber, white walls and simple furniture that lets the pattern lead.
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 tribal Afghan Gabbeh rug and the rest of our collection. If you would rather see it in your own room, book an in-home viewing and we will bring it to you.
Browse more Gabbeh Rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about Gabbeh rugs.
