Persian lion gabbeh rug, Iran. 207x109 cms

A Persian Gabbeh rug featuring an oversized lion that dominates the central field and serves as the principal motif of the composition. At either end of the field, the weaver has included small bushes rendered in a more stylized and schematic manner, creating an interesting contrast with the comparatively naturalistic depiction of the lion.

The lion itself is executed with considerable presence and character, its monumental scale emphasizing the symbolic importance of this iconic motif within Persian tribal weaving traditions. The restrained composition, with its generous open field and limited decorative elements, exemplifies the aesthetic simplicity and visual strength for which Gabbeh rugs are celebrated.

The palette is equally noteworthy. With the exception of a few red highlights, all colours derive from the natural shades of undyed wool, ranging from soft creams and warm browns to deeper earthy tones.

The rug has been woven with a relatively high knot density for a Gabbeh, allowing for greater precision in the rendering of the lion and contributing to the overall quality and durability of the piece.

Material: 100% hand-spun sheep wool

Size: 207×109 cms

Origin: Qashqai tribe, Irán

Date of weaving: New

Traditionally a sleeping rug, a gabbeh is a hand-woven pile rug of coarse quality characterized by an abstract design that relies upon open fields of color and a playfulness with geometry. This type of rug is popular among the populations of the Zagros Mountains of Iran, including Kurdish, Luri and Qashqai people.The gabbeh is usually woven by women.

Gabbeh carpets are much thicker and coarser than other Persian carpets; sometimes they can be as much as one inch or 2.5 cm in depth. In fact, they are more a variety of kilim than carpet. The word “gabbeh” comes from the Persian گبه, meaning raw, natural, uncut. This is a rough and primitive carpet.

Gabbeh patterns are of a very basic kind with only a limited number of decorative, mostly rectangular objects, animals and vegetable motives. In a gabbeh usually bright colors, such as yellow and red, are used. Often undyed natural wool is used (brown, beige, black, white etc.). Although large fields of solid color are used in gabbeh designs, the color is variegated (the color varies throughout the rug, with the appearance of differently colored zones).