Rugsville Nomad Gabbeh Tribal Texture Red Wool Carpet 8' x 10'

Red is the canonical gabbeh ground colour. The Qashqai weavers of southwest Persia worked the deep madder red into their tribal carpets as the colour of welcome and of fire, a base saturated enough to set off the bold geometric figures of the tradition. The Nomad Gabbeh in textured red carries this lineage forward; a deep red ground worked at the lower knot density of the gabbeh tradition, with the texture coming from a deliberate variation in pile depth across the field.

Three weavers built this 8' x 10' (244 x 305 cm) loom in India over around five months. The fibre is hand-spun wool tied to a cotton warp and weft. The red ground was achieved with madder root, prepared in copper vats over extended weeks before the wool was lowered. The texture across the field was produced by varying the pile depth slightly during the knotting, giving the surface a sculptural quality at room scale.

The composition

A deep red field with quiet variation in pile depth across the surface, producing a textural reading at room scale. The drawing is sparse; the rug carries its visual weight through colour and texture rather than through pattern. The madder red is not stable; over the first decade the colour will deepen toward an oxblood under the wool's lustre. The texture catches light differently across the field, giving the rug an internal animation.

What you are buying

Antique Qashqai gabbeh pieces at this size sell at $4,000 to $9,000 at North American dealers. This is a contemporary weaving in the same tradition, in hand-spun wool, with madder dye. A hand-knotted gabbeh appreciates with use as the wool relaxes underfoot and gains lustre. The textural surface holds for decades with proper care.

The piece in a room

8' x 10' (244 x 305 cm) anchors a drawing room, a primary bedroom, or a den. The deep red palette pairs with cream or ivory plaster walls, with limewashed white, with leather upholstery in cognac or tobacco, with brass and bronze lighting. The textured surface rewards bare feet at the side of the bed or under a low coffee table.

Conservation

Rotate a half turn each spring and autumn for even wear. Vacuum weekly with the beater bar disengaged. Blot spills immediately with a clean white cotton cloth. Hand-wash by a wool conservator every five to seven years. The madder red holds its depth with this routine; the rug runs decades.

Reference

• Medium: hand-knotted hand-spun wool on cotton foundation
• Dimensions: 244 x 305 cm (8' x 10')
• Construction: gabbeh tradition, varied pile depth
• Hands: 3 weavers, ~5 months
• Pile: long, hand-spun wool, textured
• Dye: madder root
• Origin: India

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