Semi-antique Taimani Baluch felt or namad from Afghanistan.

Semi-Antique Taimani Baluch Felt – Bursting with Colour and Pattern

Looking for a splash of colour in your home? This semi-antique Taimani Baluch felt (namad) is a perfect choice. The composition is similar to that of a kilim, featuring three large rhombs in the main field, each containing smaller rhombs, all surrounded by several borders that frame the design beautifully.

The vibrant pattern is balanced by an undyed dark brown wool border, followed by a white border, also of undyed wool.

What makes this felt truly special is its sculptural quality: by twisting the orange wool in certain areas, the felter created raised surfaces, adding texture, depth, and a playful sense of movement to the piece.

A stunning example of Afghan felt-making, combining colour, design, and craftsmanship to bring warmth and personality to any space.

Material: 100% hand-spun sheep wool

Size:  286×202 cms

Origin: Taimani Baluch, Afghanistan

Date of weaving: 1960s

FELT (Mid. and New. Pers., namad), material produced by process of felting, the entanglement of animal fiber in all directions, appropriately done to form a soft and homogeneous mass. The technique was originally devised in nomadic communities of Central Asia, spreading toward China and the Greek world well before the 3rd century B.C.E., but for a long time confined to the Asian continent.

The method of felt-making, rather simple and uniform, constitutes the basis for a large number of products currently in use. As is often the case, the banality of the phenomenon have contributed to leading researchers astray; the techniques, usages, and aesthetics of felt appear, therefore, to be relatively unknown, particularly in comparison to those of what is perceived as the more “noble” craft of weaving.

Production. The main primary substances used in the production of felt are camel and sheep wool (preferably that of autumn, the second shearing season, and of lamb wool, which are finer), goat’s underhair taken from the animal by combing, which produces felt of a higher quality.

Most felts are made out of white, beige, brown, gray, or black natural wool. In addition, some types of light-colored felts can be more or less highly decorated. Several methods, applied at different stages of production, are available: before soaking, tufts of wool dyed in advance can be applied to achieve the desired motifs; before the felt has dried, designs can be made with dye; after drying the felt can be embroidered, decoratively cut, or embossed

Felt is produced to some extent everywhere, either within the household—a situation prevalent in rural areas, where men and women work together, generally under the direction of women—or in the context of exercising a craft: professional felt-makers, generally men, are grouped together in specialized neighborhoods or bāzārs, Their activity is often seasonal, and they may move from one town to another.

Felts  are true artistic creations, born from the imagination and sensitivity of the women who make them. Unlike carpets or kilims, where the warp and weft impose a rigid structure, felt offers total freedom of form and composition.

In the felting process, wool is transformed through pressure, water, and movement — but also through the creative energy of women’s hands. The artists can draw directly with fiber, layer colors, improvise abstract or figurative motifs, and let the material speak for itself.

Thus, felts are not only functional objects but also spaces of personal and collective expression, where women give form to their inner world, their natural surroundings, and their cultural memory — free from the technical constraints of weaving.