Artico Persian Loribaft Gabbeh Ivory Hand Knotted Wool Carpet 3' X 5'

Loribaft Gabbeh is the weaving of the Lori and Qashqa'i nomads of the Zagros range, a tradition that values long pile, simple field, and a small vocabulary of tribal motif over the dense floral programme of city Persian. Artico carries the lineage forward in a contemporary register, keeping the chunky high-pile hand and the spare composition while allowing the palette to settle into the quiet ivories favoured by interior architects working in soft minimalism. The 3' x 5' (91 x 152 cm) length here is woven in that pared-back idiom.

A single weaver worked the loom for around three and a half months. Hand-spun wool runs through the pile at a deliberately heavy gauge, knotted at a lower density than urban Persian work because Loribaft prizes the coarse plush of nomadic weaving rather than fine articulation. The yarn was cleaned by river wash, dyed in small batches with walnut hull and other plant matter, and aged in skeins for two weeks before the loom. The pile was sheared higher than studio convention.

The composition

An open ivory field carries scattered tribal incident, perhaps a small medallion or a few abstracted animal motifs, with the rest of the ground left as breath. The wool itself is the subject. Strands take dye unevenly because the spinning is hand done, which gives the field the abrash, the slow shifting tonal stripe that distinguishes nomadic Loribaft from machine-spun studio rugs. The colour will warm rather than fade.

What you are buying

Antique Loribaft Gabbehs of comparable hand from the 1900-1940 period sell at European tribal auction in the $2,000 to $4,000 range. The same hand, the same wool, the same upright loom, and the rug holds its value in a category where age is a feature. A Loribaft appreciates rather than depreciates because the wool patinas the way leather does, and the spare design is in continuous demand from architects and gallerists.

The piece in a room

3' x 5' (91 x 152 cm) sits well at the side of a bed, in a pooja or mandir room, in front of a low cabinet, or as a tactile pause between rooms. The ivory pile reads as warm light against teak, walnut, and cool stone. The high pile rewards bare feet and absorbs sound from a room of hard surfaces.

Conservation

Vacuum gently on low suction with the beater bar off so the long pile is not pulled. Rotate the runner end to end every six months to spread foot traffic. Lift spills with a dry cotton cloth before any liquid is applied, and have a wool conservator wash the rug every five to six years. Loribaft wool ages for fifty years and beyond.

Reference

• Medium: hand-knotted hand-spun wool on cotton foundation
• Dimensions: 91 x 152 cm (3' x 5')
• Construction: Persian asymmetric knot, low density Loribaft
• Hands: 1 weaver, ~3.5 months
• Pile: high, hand-spun wool
• Dye: vegetable
• Origin: India

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