Afshar Kerman Rugs
Examples of Afshar Kerman Rugs & Carpets
Examples:
Antique Afshar vase-design Rug 1st half 19th:
Low pile and overcast sides, otherwise well preserved.
Even wear second half 19th century
Complete Kerman Afshar Saltbag (flatwoven namakdan)
Complete Afshar flatwoven namakdan (salt-bag). Slight damage top and left corner. Note the attractively decorated back
Antique Afshar Bag
This is a rare antique Afshar bag from Kerman Province Persia. I use the old name because I feel this bag was made well before 1923 when what is now Iran was Persia. I can only speculate on the use of this bag but I suspect it was something like tobacco or money,
Afshar Bag Kerman area, Persia. 4th quarter 19th Century, 12 1/2 inch Long by 15 wide (when open).
Structure: 3/1 sumac with a band of twining.
Yarn Spin: Z.
Warp: 2 ply Wool, white.
Weft: 2 ply Wool red), 2 shoots.
Ends: Top folded over and stitched, bottom half hitch band with braided ends.
Selvages: Very important and unusual selvage that has been cut to open the bag.
Further Notes: This bag is well used but in remarkable shape. The dyes look vegetal and the color should look much better when clean.
Slight wear. Note the amusing human and animal figures on the red plainweave back.
Very slight even wear, brown slightly corroded. A particularly bold example of this well known Afshar design group.
Late 19th-early 20th century
Slight wear in places. For a related piece, see Housego, Tribal Rugs, pl. 115 where the relationship to Kerman shawl design is noted.
west central Persia about 1930
This is a Afshar village rug from the Province of Kerman. The Afshar were one of the major tribes of Persia from their split from the Oghuz Confederation up until the time of Nadir Shah Afshari. Nadir Shah was an Afshar who became Shahanashah of Persia but was such a poor ruler that he was killed by his own men and he failed to establish a dynasty. At that point the Afshar tribe was broken up and scattered throughout Persia and was never a major force in Persian politics again.
Structure: Symmetrical knot. 6 knots per horizontal inch and 7 knots per vertical inch. 42 per square inch (651 per square decimeter)
Yarn Spin: Z.
Warp: Cotton, white (hand-spun).
Weft: Cotton 2 shots.
Pile: 2 Wool singles.
Ends: 1 1/4 inch plain weave warp fringe.
Selvages: overcast with every color of wool used in the rug in about inch and a quarter bands.
Further Notes: Worn low but intact and in very serviceable condition, see scan. Old repairs.