Savjbulak rug

Savjbulak rug

western Persia

circa 1880

Size: 184 x 145 cm

A very large proportion of west Persian rugs are made by Kurdish people the great majority of whom are nowadays settled. Such rugs made by tribal nomads in the northwest of Persia or possibly the southern Caucasus are often attributed as Savjbulak and noted for their lustrous wool and vibrant colour.

The dense field pattern here is fascinating. It is in essence a field of horizontally arranged eight pointed stars which, because of variations in the colour of various elements of the star, appear almost randomly scattered throughout the field. Darker colours recede as the brighter colours advance. This creates the impression of a layering of design where motifs appear to be floating on different planes within the field.