A vintage Kurdish area rug from the first quarter of the 20th century featuring a striking five-medallion design — a series of diamond forms, each with a different design and color combination, marching down the length of the abrash blue field. The abrash — the natural tonal variation of hand-dyed wool — gives the blue field a depth and movement that is impossible to replicate with synthetic dyes, and the cream-colored border frames the composition with quiet contrast.
Each of the five medallions is a small world unto itself — different in color, different in interior pattern, yet unified by the geometric vocabulary and hand-dyed palette of the Kurdish weaving tradition. This variety within unity is one of the most distinctive and beloved qualities of Kurdish village rugs. Kurdish rugs, woven by the Kurdish tribal peoples of Western and Northwestern Persia, Eastern Turkey, and Northern Iraq, represent one of the most vibrant and diverse traditions in the tribal rug world. Kurdish weavers are celebrated for their bold, saturated color palettes — often featuring deep reds, abrash blues, and the rare pistachio green that is among the most prized colors in tribal collecting — their lush, high-quality wool pile, and a design vocabulary that combines geometric boldness with a spontaneous creative energy that gives each piece its own unmistakable character.
Dimensions: 2' 1" x 4' 2"
Date of Manufacture: 1st Quarter of the 1900s
Place of Origin: Persia (Kurdish tribal region)
Material: Wool pile on a wool foundation with vegetable dyes
