Afshar rugs are woven by nomads and villagers residing between the cities of Shiraz , Kerman , and Yazd in southeastern Iran . Afshar style, like most Persian styles, is copied by other areas of Iran as well as other countries such as India , China and Pakistan . These rugs, as most nomad rugs, are generally small. They are made in sizes of up to 5×7 feet, and occasionally larger sizes. Afshar also make beautiful kilims. These no-pile flat weaves are very decorative and match many kinds of interior designs.

Afshar rugs are similar to Caucasian rugs in style and color in some samples. The pattern is usually geometric. Some common designs consist of multiple connected medallions in diamond shape, single medallions in diamond, hexagon or octagon shape, or a huge hexagon medallion almost covering the entire field. All-over gul farangi (roses), botehs, and chicken-like motifs (Afshar-e-Morghi in Persian) are also common. Another common design is a floral medallion and corner and a vase at each end of the rug. The common colors include dark red, reddish brown, brown, dark reddish-blue, dark blue, burnt orange, ocher, and camel; white, ivory and yellow are used to create contrast.

The symmetric (Turkish) knot is mainly used; however, the asymmetric (Persian) knot is also sometimes used. The foundation is often wool, but cotton foundation is also seen in more recent rugs. Most Afshar rugs are marketed in the cities of Shiraz , Kerman and Yazd. Afshars are also scattered in north west and north east Iran. I will have a separate post on Afshars of these two areas in the future. If your Afshar rugs or kilims need some special attention bring it in to Rug Ideas for a thorough deep cleaning and/or repair. If you are interested in purchasing one of these unique types of rugs/kilims come into our showroom and we can display some great Afshar pieces for you to look at.

Dr. Khosrow Sobhe (Dr. Kay)
Certified Rug Specialist (CRS)
www.LosAngelesRugCleaning.com
www.RugIdea.com
Tel. 310-770-9085