Afshar Kuhi Rug
southern Persia
early 20th Century
Size: 202 x 138cm
The Afshar are a turkic speaking tribe which incorporates both settled and nomadic people.
They are of turkic stock, originally from the province of Azerbaidjan in the northwest of Persia, and are believed to have been dispersed initially by Shah Tahmasp in the 16th century and subsequently by other rulers who also saw them as a threat.
The group best known for its fine carpets inhabit the area south of Kirman in southern Persia.
The attribution kuhi simply translates as ‘mountain’ but refers specifically to a group of Afshar rugs with a heavier and generally darker pile.
This repeated palmette motif in the field is also a common feature although the rugs themselves are not often seen nowadays.
