Antique Afshary Rugs – Produced by nomads and villagers in southeaster Iran in the cities of Shiraz, Kerman and Yazd, these antique Persian rugs are some of the few that merge nomadic and village techniques.The name Afshary derives from the tribe who designs and creates these rugs . They came to Persia and Turkey by way of Iran as part of Turkmen Confederation, which includes 24 other tribes. In the 16th century. The language is still well-preserved and spoken today by people whose ancestors originated from this tribe. Weaving has always been a major part of the artistic creativity of this tribe, and it is not likely to diminish at any time as it is traditionally taught from one generation to the next.
Afshary rugs are similar to antique Caucasian rugs in their rug colours and styles. Using geometric patterns, medallions with diamond patterns and pomegranate vases. Common colours include crimson, saffron gold, ivory, burnt orange and sienna. The design and colours used in Afshary rugs are reflective of the influences from outside regions making these highly stylized and unique rugs.
Antique Afshary rugs are quite distinguishable. Classic features of these antique rugs can include three pendants at either of the two ends (mostly in Sirjan designs), multiple diamond patterns (the number of diamonds can vary within a motif) and the tribal border, which is typical of all rugs made by this tribe. Another very noticeable feature is the medium ribbed back, which is a classic trait. Many antique rugs by this tribe can be found in homes worldwide, today. Some of them are well-preserved and retain their colours quite nicely.
This magnificent antique Afshary example woven on light brown colure patternwith 6 vases ( Goldani ) decorated with deferent flower and birds on top and 4 half vase in right and left.
This antique Afshary example is collectable item
Weft . hand span wool
Warp. Very soft Lamb’s wool
Border . Blue colour border framed this example.
Age: 1st quarter of 20th century.
Condition. Perfect for this age.
Colour. Natural dyes.
All natural dyes are paramount for the carpet to have more than just decorative value. Beyond that, various dyers had varying levels of skill and invested different lengths of time in dyeing the yarns. The “quality of color”–its radiance and level of nuance within each color–is centrally important. Certain rare colors such as Tyrian purple, saffron yellow, cochineal rose and greens add to the carpet’s value
