Oriental rugs, Oriental carpets, Persian Rugs, Turkish Rugs, Persian carpets, Turkish carpets

Afshar rugs, Afshar carpets

Afshar Rugs, Afshar Carpets

The Afshars are one of the greatest nomadic tribes of Iran. Their most famous member was Nadir Shah, the eighteenth century king who defeated an Afghan insurrection and went on to capture Delhi from which he carried the Peacock throne back to Iran amongst other spoils. Nowadays, the Afshars are famous chiefly for their rugs.

All Afshar rugs have a woollen pile; the warps and wefts are generally cotton. Rugs sold around Sirjan are medium density and tightly woven. Patterns are simple; large hexagonal medallions or three lozenge shaped medallions are common. Deep red and blue are prominent colours. Rugs sold around Shahr-e-Babak are finer. The designs are also geometric, but highly inventive, often including animals and birds. A wide range of colours are used.