Qashqai Rug

Qashqai Rug
Design of Qashqai Rug (Rugman)
General information
Name	Qashqai Rug
Original name	قالی قشقایی
Alternative name(s)	Qashqai Carpet
Origin	Iran: Fars
Category	Tribal, Villege
Technical information
Common designs	Moharamat, Herati (Fish), Afshan, Boteh, Geometric
Common colors	Crimson, Blue, Navy Blue, Green, Yellow, Brown, White, Cream
Dyeing method	Natural, Synthetic
Pile material	Wool
Foundation material	Cotton, Wool
Knot type	Asyemmetrical (Persian), Syemmetrical (Turkish)

The early history of the Qashqai people remains obscure. They speak a Turkic dialect similar to that of Azerbaijan, and may have migrated to the Fars province from the north during the thirteenth century, possibly driven by the Mongol invasion. Karim Khan Zand appointed the chief of the Chahilu clan as the first Il-Khan of the Qashqai.[26] The most important subtribes are the Qashguli, Shishbuluki, Darashuri, Farsimadan, and Amaleh. The Gallanzan, Rahimi, and Ikdir produce rugs of intermediate quality. The rugs woven by the Safi Khani and Bulli subtribes are considered among the highest quality rugs.[55] The rugs are all wool, usually with ivory warps, which distinguishes Qashqai from Khamseh rugs. Qashqai rugs use asymmetric knots, while Gabbeh rugs woven by Qashqai more often use symmetric knots. Alternate warps are deeply depressed. Wefts are in natural colours or dyed red. The selvedges are overcast in wool of different colours, creating a "barber pole" pattern, and are sometimes adorned with woolen tassels. Both ends of the rug have narrow, striped flat-woven kilims. Workshops were established in the nineteenth century already around the town of Firuzabad. Rugs with repeating boteh and the Herati pattern, medallion, as well as prayer rug designs resembling the millefleurs patterns of Indian rugs were woven in these manufactures. The Herati design may sometimes appear to be disjointed and fragmented. The Qashqai are also known for their flatweaves, and for their production of smaller, pile-woven saddle bags, flat-woven larger bags (mafrash), and their Gabbeh rugs.

History

The Qashqai are a large and important tribe living in southwestern Iran along the Zagros Mountains mostly in the Fars and Khuzestan Provinces. Much of the Qashqai tribe has settled ir cities, towns, and villages, though some still live as seminomads, moving in summer to the highlands and returning in winter to the valleys because of the climate. The Qashqai raise farm animals for a living.
In the beginning of the second millennium, the Qashqai tribe moved from northern Persia to the Fars region in the south. The tribe has spoken a Turkic dialect for centuries, up to the present day. The Qashqai tribe is divided by location into many subtribes, notably the Baseri, Bolli, Darreh-Shuri, Farsimadan, KASHKULI, Safi-Khani, SHEKARLU, and Shishbuluki, all of whom make Qashqai rugs. The weaving subtribes that are most well known are the Kashkuli and Shekarlu, who have mostly settled in towns and villages such as Farashid, Firuzabad, and Kazerun, in the Fars Province. Qashqai rugs are known in the antique market from the mid-nineteenth century.

Materials

Foundation and Pile

The foundations are made of wool or, at times, a mixture of wool and goat hair. Sheep wool is used for the pile.

Techniques and structures

Color and dyeing

The field coloration used by the Qashqai tribe is reds, ivory, blues, and greens. In addition, different shades of brown, cinnamon, and gold are used for the borders, medallion, corners, flower heads, and design elements. Dark brown or black is utilized for the design outlines.

Motifs and patterns

Qashqai rugs have geometric designs and often have mostly a center medallion and medallion quadrants in the corners of the field. At times, two or three medallions decorate the background. The design motifs feature small flowers, leaves, tribal, ornaments, animals, and birds strongly reminiscent of weavings from Asia Minor. Qashqai weavers also replicated famous traditional Persian Boteh (paisley), Herati (fish), and Minakhani (rosette-linked trellis) designs in the background and medallions of rugs. Occasionally, the Turkmen Gul (flower) surrounded with Hook motifs was used as the medallion and in the corners of the field. Another Qashqai field design has horizontal, vertical, or diagonal stripes featuring flowers and leaves. Qashqai weavers also made fine rugs with a silk weft in the famous Persepolis historical design.
One particularly famous rug style by the Kashkuli features a Millefleurs geometric design. This pattern was inspired by Mughal-period KASHMIR designs. This allover style has a Mihrab (prayer arch) that is supported by a cypress tree woven on each side of the field. The Shekarlu Qashqai design characteristics have dense allover patterns. The rugs feature tribal elements, leaves, *Shrub motifs, and ornaments edged by * Hook motifs. Animals and birds are also included in some pieces. The border designs mostly have repeated elements of shrubs with lozengeshaped Turkmen guls. The Shekarlu field coloration has blues, ivory, or reds. These hues are interchangeable with the main border. Another design characteristic woven by the Qashqai features a lion in four corners of the background. Occasionally, one large lion dominates the entire field of the rug. The lion symbolizes power and the proud nature of the Qashqai tribe. In the past, the Qashqai were known to be strong fighters and protectors of their region.

Weaving techniques

The Persian (asymmetric) knot is universally employed. The Qashqais made pile and flatwoven rugs for personal daily use, such as transport bags, shepherd bags, Namakdan (salt) bags, Paneer (cheese) bags, and grain storage bags, among others. Rug formats can range from five feet by three feet to fourteen feet by eight feet gallery sizes. Some pile rugs have a charming flatwoven KILIM finish on both ends.

Bibliography

• Abraham Levi Moheban, (2015), The Encyclopedia of Antique Carpets: Twenty-Five Centuries of Weaving, NewYork: Princeton Architectural Press.