Vintage Qashqai kilim from Iran. 194x110 cms

Playful Vintage Qashqai Kilim with Peacocks – Iran

This fun and eye-catching vintage Qashqai kilim from Iran features a rich mustard yellow field filled with a lively flock of peacocks, proudly displaying their open feather tails. While the birds are arranged in a seemingly symmetrical and orderly layout, their color placement is completely random, adding a whimsical touch.

Between the peacocks, the weaver has added small horned animals—possibly goats or deer—amusingly woven upside down!

The charming kilim combines a plain flatweave base for the yellow field with the more textured soumak technique used for the animals and the border. The borders have a slightly rippled edge, so the kilim doesn’t lie perfectly flat on the floor, which adds to its handmade character and appeal.

Material: 100% hand-spun sheep wool

Size: 194×110 cms

Origin: Qashqai tribe, Iran

Date of weaving: 2010s

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.