Vintage Persian Gabbeh

Gabbeh or gabba carpets are a traditional variety of Persian carpet. Gabbeh is known as gava in Kurdish and Luri and is also called khersak in Bakhtiari, literally meaning a "bear's...

Gabbeh or gabba carpets are a traditional variety of Persian carpet. Gabbeh is known as gava in Kurdish and Luri and is also called khersak in Bakhtiari, literally meaning a "bear's ...

Gabbeh or gabba carpets are a traditional variety of Persian carpet. Gabbeh is known as gava in Kurdish and Luri and is also called khersak in Bakhtiari, literally meaning a "bear's ...

Vintage Persian Gabbeh   

A shaggy hand-knotted Persian Gabbeh rug with camel and beige chevron like patterning.

A vintage Persian Gabbeh rug woven by the nomadic Qashqai tribe. This is definitely a conversational piece and one created for an artsy individual that can enjoy the quirkiness of vintage tribal rugs. Aside from the offset medallion and highly striated field ranging from brick to crimson red, the text reading "year 2536 (intended, most likely, for the year the rug was made)" is peculiar regardless if its source is from the Persian calendar (current year: 1397) or the Gregorian calendar (current year: 2018). Was the weaver an innumerate individual that lacked basic education and just slapped on some nonsensical numbers of a futuristic date onto the rug? Or, was this an extremely intelligent individual that possessed a skill that very few have? The ability to convert the old imperial Persian (Achaemenid) calendar created in 559 BC under Cyrus the Great...