Gabbeh rugs

What a gabbeh is

Gabbeh means "raw" or "unclipped" in Persian. It describes a rug with a long, thick pile and a simple design, woven by the nomadic Qashqai and Luri tribes of Fars province in southwest Iran.

For a long time gabbehs were made for the family, not for sale. They were used as bedding and floor covers in tents, so warmth and softness mattered more than fine detail.

How to recognize one

Most gabbehs have a large open field in one color, often with gentle shifts of shade called abrash. On that field you may see a few simple shapes: animals, people, trees or small rectangles.

The knots are coarse and there are several wefts between each row, so the rug is thick, heavy and very soft underfoot. Many are woven from hand-spun wool and natural dyes.

Old and new gabbehs

Western buyers discovered gabbehs in the 1970s and 1980s. Demand grew, and many are now woven for export, both in Iran and in workshops in India and Afghanistan.

Modern gabbehs are often more regular, with a clipped, even pile and softer colors chosen for contemporary rooms. Older tribal pieces are usually more irregular and more boldly colored.

Living with a gabbeh

The thick wool pile hides wear and feels warm, which suits bedrooms and living rooms. Because the knots are coarse, a gabbeh sheds a little more than a fine city rug when it is new.

Vacuum it without a beater bar, and use a rug pad so it stays flat and does not creep.

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