Gabbeh Rugs : Authentic Folksy Persian Rugs


Think of the kind of rug a Persian carpet weaver would have in is own home and, if you are thoughtful, you will picture a gabbeh rug. The weaver’s best work, with hundreds upon hundreds of hand woven knots per square inch configured in finely detailed patterns and bright colors over hundreds of hours from the finest woolen, silk and cotton yarns, hangs in the marketplace for sale to the wealthy and intended for display. But at home, on the floor of his family room or in his bedroom, you would find something much simpler. You would see none of the ornate and intricate designs you would normally associate with your thoughts of Persian rugs. Instead you would find a simply designed and coarsely woven wool area rugs, gabbeh rugs.

You would find a rug pretty enough for the home, but too simple, too folksy for the ordinary Persian rug buyer. You would find the kind of rug a weaver makes for himself. No meticulously planned pattern laboriously crafted in symmetrical perfection, just a spontaneously designed and coarsely woven woolen rug. The weaver’s interest in his gabbeh rug is practical. He wants something heavy and thick enough to protect his feet from the cold hard floor. He wants a rug that will dampen the noise of his children’s footsteps and help to keep down the dust. A gabbeh rug, woven entirely of natural materials, suits his purpose well. The natural variations of brown, tan, ivory, cream, grey and black sheep’s wool and goat hair blend perfectly with tan and grey landscape of the desert and conceal well the wear of foot traffic.

This is not to say that gabbeh rugs need be drab. Many are quite colorful featuring natural dyes in endless shades of red, orange, blue and even green. It all depends upon the weaver. For decoration he may incorporate the diamond and triangle designs he knows so well or adds rudimentary depictions of trees, birds, animals plants and people as the mood strikes him. A gabbeh rug has a personal touch lacking in more highly decorative rugs. In its irregular shape and simple designs reveal a much freer expression of the weavers art than is possible in more decorative rugs. A gabbeh rug is a personal creation for personal use; a rug for the home.

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