Jaf rug, early 20th century

Measurements: 272cm x 145cm (8’11 x 4’9)

40 Knots per inch

Price: £380

Kurdish rugs are among my favourite pieces. They are often bold in design and generally have great colours. One of my first purchases was a very good Jaf rug which I soon sold to a well known collector and Kurdish rug expert. This rug is a little restricted in palette compared to some and so I date it later than the other examples I have owned. That said it is a striking design and typical of Jaf rugs with the large reciprocally hooked hexagons separated by panels containing smaller hexagons. The white border balances the dark field and frames the picture. It contains offset knotting, typical of Jaf weaving where the diagonals are drawn more cleanly by vertically adjacent knots sharing one warp. It might be the sort of detail that only gets a rug enthusiast excited but it is worth noting. I do think it is a rug that needs the right setting, it cries out for a wooden floor and enough space to accommodate it’s powerful design.

Condition:

The pile is generally low especially on the corroded brown wool, it is also quite thin and would require underlay. However despite this it is strong in construction and has many years of life left in it.