Rugsville Gabbeh Tribal Blue Wool Carpet 9' x 12'

Gabbeh weaving belongs to the nomadic Qashqai and Lori tradition of southern Iran, where the loom was set on the ground, the design carried in the weaver's head rather than on a cartoon, and the pile was left long to make the rug warm enough to sleep on. The blue Gabbeh in this idiom takes that long-pile weight and applies it to a contemporary tribal palette, with the indigo ground holding the field and small geometric figures scattered through it.

Three to four weavers shared the upright loom for around six months. Hand-spun wool was dyed in small lots, the blue drawn from indigo over multiple immersions to build saturation, and the accent colours drawn from madder, walnut, and weld. The pile was left long, around fifteen millimetres after finishing, to honour the original Gabbeh tradition of a deep wool surface.

The composition

A field of deep tribal blue carrying a small repertoire of geometric figures in ivory, ochre, and faded madder. There is no central medallion. The figures are scattered across the field in the loose tribal arrangement that the Gabbeh tradition prefers. The pile is deep and the wool reads soft underfoot. Over the first decade the blue will deepen as the indigo oxidises and the wool will polish under traffic.

What you are buying

Antique Qashqai and Lori Gabbehs at international auction sell between three and eight lakh depending on age and condition. This is a new tribal weaving in the same idiom on the same kind of loom, in the same fibre, at a fraction of that figure. The carpet appreciates with use rather than depreciating, an attribute no other domestic object underfoot can claim.

The piece in a room

9' x 12' (274 x 366 cm) is the canonical drawing-room scale, anchoring a sitting room arranged around a full sectional or a dining set for eight. The deep blue Gabbeh ground reads against cream plaster walls, against pale oak floors, and against deep walnut joinery. The long pile invites bare feet and rewards rooms used for reading and quiet conversation.

Conservation

Suction vacuum every week with the beater bar off; the long pile is easily torn at the knot by aggressive vacuuming. Rotate end to end each spring and autumn. Blot spills with a clean white cotton cloth pressed against the pile. A wool conservator should hand-wash the rug every five years to restore lanolin.

Reference

• Medium: hand-knotted wool on cotton foundation, Gabbeh tradition
• Dimensions: 274 x 366 cm (9' x 12')
• Construction: Persian asymmetric knot
• Hands: 3-4 weavers, ~6 months
• Pile: 15 mm hand-spun wool
• Dye: indigo, madder, walnut, weld
• Colour: blue
• Origin: India

Free shipping across India. Cash on delivery available. 7-day exchange.