Vintage Qashqai horse blanket or jol from Iran. 140x97 cms

A vintage Qashqai horse blanket woven in the flatweave technique with undyed wool and decorated with the knotted technique. The motifs are fun and creative and include the tree of life, peacocks, a human figure, a date (1353? equivalent to 1974), flowers, bushes and geometric motifs.

Material: 100% hand-spun sheep wool   

Size: 140×97 cms

Origin: Qashqai tribe, Iran

Date of weaving: 1373? or 1994?

The word Jol in Farsi us used for a horse blanket or cover. A jol is put over a horse either to protect it from the cold in the winter or at night, after a long gallop or after it has been perspiring intenselly.

Besides keeping a horse wam, a jol is meant to be the horse´s ceremonial garnment in weddings, national festivities and official visits. Just as the horseman will don his best clothes, so he decorates his horse with the best of his jol.

Turkic-speaking pastoral nomadic tribal groups began entering central and southern Iran during the eleventh and twelfth centuries.The Qashqai, as a large tribal unit, dates back at least to the early eighteenth century, when some Turkish(Turki)-speaking tribal groups in the region existed under the name Qashqai.

Qashqai kilims are best known for their boldness and and freedom in the way the pattern is drawn. An aesthetically pleasing geometry, the fineness of their wool and their clear, strong colours combine to ensure their reputation as superlative examples.