Khamseh rug, Exhibition ‘South Persian Tribal Rugs’

Khamseh rug
south Persia
circa 1920
Size: 195 x 146 cm

The Khamseh are a confederacy of five tribes who banded together in the 1860s purportedly to combat the might of the neighbouring Qashqa’i tribes. In the 19th century they produced rugs similar in character to those of the Qashqa’i. The overall palette was, however, somewhat darker and the warp material invariably brown undyed wool. In this case the ivory ground provides a sharper contrast with the darker border tones.