Persian Qashqai Rugs

Woven by a nomadic people who moved their flocks across the Zagros twice a year, Qashqai rugs and kilims are bright, geometric and full of personal touches.

The Qashqai are a Turkic tribe from Fars Province in southwestern Iran, and their weaving had to travel. Our vintage Qashqai rugs are hand-knotted from lanolin-rich, hand-spun wool over a cotton foundation, with stepped medallions, diamonds and small animals in red, rust, navy and cream. The flatwoven kilims carry stripes, chevrons and diamonds through a pileless field, the weave keeping each colour boundary crisp. Abrash, the natural shift in a dyed colour, runs through many of them. A few Afshari kilims sit alongside them.

A Qashqai rug brings warmth to a living room or study, while the kilims are light and reversible, so they move easily between rooms and layer well over a plain rug. The kilim runners suit hallways and kitchens.