Vintage Qashqai palas kilim from Iran. 207x147 cms

A Vintage Qashqai Palas Kilim Like a Woven Painting

As if this plain white wool kilim were a blank canvas and the weaver a painter, this vintage Qashqai Palas kilim becomes a naïve work of woven art. Delicate motifs are outlined with fine lines, while their interiors are intentionally left undecorated, creating a striking sense of simplicity and balance.

The composition features flowers, plants, lozenges, and other geometric forms, scattered across the field like brushstrokes on a painting. The restrained design, combined with the natural wool background, highlights the creativity and individuality of the weaver, transforming an everyday textile into a unique artistic expression.

An interesting construction detail reveals its nomadic origins: the weaver’s loom was not wide enough to produce the desired dimensions in a single piece. Instead, two narrower panels were woven separately and then carefully joined together, a traditional technique often found in tribal weavings. Far from being a flaw, this central seam is a testament to the resourcefulness of the weaver.

Both decorative and collectible, this kilim embodies the charm, spontaneity, and artistic freedom of traditional Qashqai weaving.

Material: 100% hand-spun sheep wool

Size: 207×147 cms

Origin: Qashqai tribe, Iran

Date of weaving: 1970s

This kilim is a “palas”, a type of kilim woven to be used as a basis for domestic activities within the nomadic community (drying vegetables, making cheese, etc.). This vintage kilim was hand-woven by a nomadic or village woman, using her own wool spun and carded by hand.

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 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.